Liberia (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
Sept. 15, 2023 |
| Report Number |
IF12493 |
| Report Type |
In Focus |
| Authors |
Tomás F. Husted |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
Summary:
U.S.-Liberia relations are close, based on a unique shared
history: the country was established in the 19th century by
Black Americans who resettled in Africa, and the United
States has historically been Liberia’s top development and
diplomatic partner. Liberia has been a leading recipient of
U.S. aid in Africa over the past two decades—with influxes
of funding to help the country recover from back-to-back
civil wars (1989-1997 and 1999-2003) and a large Ebola
outbreak (2014-2016)—though annual U.S. aid levels are
on the decline. There is a sizable U.S.-based Liberian
diaspora, and surveys suggest that Liberians’ views of the
United States in Liberia are among the most positive in
Africa. Corruption by Liberian elites has been an enduring
point of friction; U.S. authorities have sanctioned several
senior Liberian officials for corruption since 2020.
