Occasional Paper

State-Civil Society Interface in Liberia’s Post-Conflict Peacebuilding

“Post-conflict peacebuilding demands concerted efforts from all stakeholders
to ensure its success; particularly, civil society must complement the capacity of the conflict-weary state. A successful peace-building, however, requires a harmonious relationship between the state and civil society. This paper analyses state-civil society relations at different phases of Liberia’s protracted post-conflict peace-building process. The paper argues that civil
society groups have played and continue to play important roles in the peacebuilding process in Liberia and therefore need the support of the Liberian state and the international community to continue their watchdog role.The paper concludes by drawing lessons from the Liberian experience for other post-conflict states.”