Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy
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Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) is a rebel group in Liberia that has been active since 1999. The group's only stated political purpose during the civil war that followed its rebellion against President Charles Taylor was to force Taylor out of office. It is believed that the group is strongly supported or controlled by the government of neighboring Guinea, and it has been accused of widespread atrocities during its war against Taylor's government.
The group presently controls northern Liberia and has its headquarters at Tubmanburg. A large majority of the group's fighters are Muslims, although Muslims account for only 20% of the general Liberian population. In the summer of 2003, the group laid siege to Liberia's capital, Monrovia, and assaulted the city during several bloody battles, although it was unable to capture it. During the siege, the group was accused of firing mortar shells into civilian areas of the city, killing dozens, if not hundreds of people.
LURD's successes in occupying northern Liberia and besieging Monrovia, in addition to the successes of another rebel group in southern Liberia (the Movement for Democracy in Liberia) and heavy pressure from the United States and the international community, effectively forced President Taylor to resign and go into exile in Nigeria on August 11, 2003, as part of a peace agreement. A transitional government headed by Gyude Bryant was established on October 14, and it included many representatives of LURD, most notably one of its founders, George Dweh, as speaker of parliament.
In January 2004, LURD was divided by a power struggle between its chairman, Sekou Conneh, and his wife Aisha Conneh, who is an adviser to the President of Guinea, Lansana Conté. The group has promised to disarm as part of the 2003 peace agreement, although it has been accused of simply moving most of its weapons into safe keeping across the border in Sierra Leone.