Description: The "birth" of the West African state of Liberia as a sovereign nation in 1847 is intimately intertwined with the desire of formerly enslaved black people to return to their "motherland" in Africa and establish a place of dignity and the lofty ideals of self-governance. and independence.
This book attempts to weave the intricate details of the "umbilical connection" between the challenging effort of formerly enslaved people returning to Africa with the help of philanthropic American organizations to build a free nation, the hostile reception, and their dogged determination to thrive among the indigenes, and the surprises that unprepared nationhood can exact. The exercise of independence and thriving as a free country were rooted in a "run-away" system that utilized the state militia-turned-military to prop up the elite settler-led system of governance in Liberia until a violent coup d'état in April 1980 ended that hegemony. Later, in post-coup Liberia, the world would subsequently witness, with horror, the consequences of the lack of solid democratic institutions, traditions, and social cohesion. The military would degenerate into a tool of terror, rights abuses, and impunity. National divisions would be exacerbated at the expense of the state and people. However, with assistance from international partners, the restructured Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) is now intentionally rebuilding its scarred image, recruiting the best, and remaining a "Force for Good."