United States lifts Liberia sanctions citing democratic progress

President Barack Obama announced Thursday that he has lifted sanctions against Liberia given democratic progress made in the country.

“I have determined that the situation that gave rise to this national emergency has been significantly altered by Liberia’s advances to promote democracy and the orderly development of its political, administrative, and economic institutions”, Obama said in a notification letter to Congress.

It was just the third time in almost seven years that Obama has terminated a state of national emergency under the National Emergencies Act – an extraordinary tool presidents since Carter have used to wage war, impose sanctions, and even deal with a flu pandemic.

“Liberia has worked to overcome not only the scars of war, but also the challenge of responding to an unprecedented outbreak of Ebola”, Price added.

While more work remains for Liberia, the NSC statement notes anticipated transfer of security responsibility from the United Nations Mission to the country itself next summer and expected presidential elections in 2017.

The previous US administration sanctioned Liberia more than a decade ago after determining that the actions of its former President Charles Taylor and his inner circle were a threat to the U.S. The penalties were meant to deprive them of funding and arms for conflicts in West Africa.

Taylor was also known for his instrumental role in the Liberian civil war that lasted from 1989 to 2003, and left almost a quarter of a million people dead.

He was sentenced to 50 years in prison in 2012 for instigating war and atrocities in neighboring Sierra Leone.