The Netherlands and Liberia: Dutch policies and interventions with respect to the Liberian civil war

Abstract

This study analyses Dutch foreign policy towards Liberia during the civil war between 1990 and 1997 with the aim of identifying policy options for the improvement of the Dutch contribution to international interventions in violent conflicts in Third World countries. An introductory chapter on sources and concepts is followed by a chapter on the background and causes of the civil war in Liberia. Ch. 3 deals with interventions by other external actors - the United States, the OAU and the United Nations, and Ecomog (ECOWAS Cease-Fire Monitoring Group). Ch. 4 focuses on the role of the Netherlands, paying attention to both project interventions and political and diplomatic initiatives. The Dutch policy is assessed and conclusions are presented in ch. 5.