Ghanaian Media Reportage On Liberian Refugees

BACKGROUND OF STUDY In 1980, Samuel Doe seized control of the government of Liberia. Doe was the first non Americo-Liberian President in the country‟s history. Americo-Liberians are the descendants of freed African-Americans who founded and became the ruling class in Liberia. During his presidency, Doe gave virtually all positions of power to people from his own Krahn ethnic group and maltreated most other ethnic groups (Adebajo 2002). In 1989, Charles Taylor, an Americo-Liberian, formerly in Doe‟s government, overthrew Doe from a base in Côte d‟Ivoire, using mostly ethnic Gio and Mano forces. Taylor‟s regime targeted Krahn and Mandingo who were viewed as Doe-supporters. Liberia erupted in civil war, which lasted until 1996 when there was temporary peace which allowed for the 1997 elections (Adebajo 2002). The elections resulted in Taylor‟s victory, but fighting continued until 2003. More than 200,000 people were killed in Liberia‟s on and off civil war from 1989 to 2003, and up to 750,000 are believed to have fled, most to nearby West African countries (Dick 2002). A peace agreement, Taylor‟s resignation and exile to Nigeria in 2003 led to the United Nations declaring Liberia safe in 2004 and the onset of repatriation initiatives. By March 2007, approximately 94,000 Liberians had been repatriated, but many are still abroad because they believe their country remains unsafe (Saul 2007; UN News Service 2007).There have been ethnic and geographic patterns to resettlement. Most refugees returning to Liberia from October 2004 to April 2007 went to Lofa county and Nimba county, home areas for Mandingo,