ATU—Antiterrorism Unit. A paramilitary Force of the Liberian Government established by President Charles Taylor in 1997 to guard government buildings. It was made up of foreign mercenaries from Burkina Faso, the Gambia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, and other nations and was implicated in murder, rape, and theft and looting in Monrovia in 2002.
Congo—A sometimes pejorative way to describe Americo-Liberians, used by other Liberians.
Congoman—A man of Americo-Liberian descent.
Congotown—A community in southeast Monrovia.
Copper—Small amounts of money. Often used to mean money or payment in any amount.
Dash—A small payment, a tip, or a gift. Does not imply anything like the word bribe, but rather indicates reciprocity, recognition of a favor or service done, or the worth of the person.
ECOMIL—Economic Community of West African States Military Command, formed in 2003 by ECOWAS, with the support of the U.S., to halt the occupation of Monrovia. It was succeeded by UNMIL.
ECOMOG—Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group. A multilateral armed force established by ECOWAS in 1990 to intervene in the first civil war in Liberia (1990–1996). It included armed forces from Nigeria, Ghana, Guinea, Sierra Leone, the Gambia, Liberia, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and others.
ECOWAS—Economic Community of West African States. A regional group of fifteen countries founded in 1975 to promote economic development and integration, which has at times functioned as a political and military entity.
Goods Lorry—A truck, usually with side walls but an open top and back, used to transport people and materials in rural Liberia.
Grand Bassa County—The Liberian county in which the town of Buchanan is located.
Jitney—A shared taxi, usually a minivan able to carry six to twelve people, widely used in West Africa in place of public transportation.
LAC—Liberian Agricultural Corporation, the second largest producer of rubber in Liberia, which employed as many as three thousand workers.
Lapa—A large bolt of brightly color cloth used to make dresses and other clothing in West Africa. Often used to refer to a dress made from that cloth.
LD—Liberian Dollars. Worth about 0.012 U.S. dollars, or about 1.2 U.S. cents.
LURD—Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy. A rebel group active in north and west Liberia from 1999 until 2003.
Merlin—A British NGO that has provided public health support for Liberia since 1997.
Mittal—Now, Acelor-Mittal. A steel and mining company that once operated a large iron smelter in Buchanan, Liberia. Mittal’s smelter was said to have been stripped of all its operating equipment when Buchanan was occupied by ECOMIL in 2003.
MODEL—Movement for Democracy in Liberia. A rebel group active in south and east Liberia in 2003.
Montserrado County—The Liberian county where Monrovia is located.
MSF—Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), an international medical aid nonprofit that brings clinicians to care for populations suffering from the consequences of war and natural disasters.
Night Soil—Feces. A description used in places without latrines.
NGO—Nongovernmental organizations, usually private aid organizations like MSF and Merlin.
RPG—Rocket-propelled grenade.
Small Boy Units (SBUs)—Units of forcibly conscripted child soldiers as young as seven. Known for their brutality, the Small Boy Units were used extensively by the Revolutionary United Front during the 1991–2002 civil war in Sierra Leone and were closely linked to Charles Taylor and occasionally used by his forces in Liberia.
SSS—Special Security Service of the Armed Forces of Liberia was a military unit modeled on the U.S. Secret Service. Created by President Tubman and responsible for protecting the president of Liberia, the SSS was blamed for many human rights abuses during the Doe and Taylor presidencies.
UNMIL—United Nations Mission in Liberia was established by Security Council resolution 1509 (2003) of September 19, 2003, to support the implementation of the cease-fire agreement and the peace process; protect United Nations staff, facilities, and civilians; support humanitarian and human rights activities; and assist in national security reform, including national police training and formation of a new, restructured military.
USAID—United States Agency for International Development.