Firestone and Liberia –
The Liberian Civil War (1989-2003)
In 1989, Charles Taylor and his NPFL rebel group launched a rebellion against the Samuel Doe government of the Republic of Liberia. Civil war ensued among various tribal groups and the country suffered estimated deaths of up to 300,000 people before the end of fighting in 2003. The war was characterized by the use of child soldiers (many of whom were fed narcotics in order to incite them to perform the deadly tasks directed by their leaders) and gruesome atrocities including the random amputation of limbs, mutilation and the murder of pregnant women simply for the purpose of betting on the gender of the unborn child.
In addition to the human carnage, the infrastructure of the country was laid to waste. Buildings, including hospitals and power facilities, were looted, burned and destroyed. Water and sanitation systems fell into unimaginable disrepair and were rendered useless. By the end of the war, the nation was left without power, water or sanitation. The war displaced nearly one-third of the population into refugee camps across the country and West Africa. Tens of thousands of refugees migrated to the Firestone farm seeking to avoid the horrific violence, overwhelming the property.
The U.S. State Department has said that the war "brought about a steep decline in the living standards of the country, including its education and infrastructure." Most major businesses were destroyed or heavily damaged, and most foreign investors and businesses left the country. Today, about 80 percent of Liberians are unemployed.
USAID, the foreign aid branch of the U.S. State Department, has said, "it is difficult to exaggerate the devastation that this war has had on Liberia's physical, social, political, economic and governance structure."
The Firestone Rubber Farm
Firestone's farming operations were not spared during Liberia's civil war. Various warring factions occupied the Firestone property at different times over the 14 years of civil war. Firestone's worker housing, schools, power transmission, vehicles, hospital and rubber processing factory were severely damaged or destroyed. This was not only the result of artillery and bullets, looting and vandalism, but also 14 years during which the company was unable to invest in maintaining or rebuilding these critical facilities.
In 2005, the company reached an agreement with the Government of Liberia to begin the rebuilding process. Then in 2008, the company signed another revised and updated agreement with the administration of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf that allows the company to operate in Liberia through 2041.
Since the end of the war in 2003, the Company has invested more than $107 million in improving the conditions in Liberia and intends to invest tens of millions more. More than 2,500 homes have been built or renovated. The company currently operates 26 schools that teach nearly 16,000 children and 9 health care facilities that treat employees and their families as well as other members of the Liberian community. To help rebuild the Liberian rubber industry, the company has distributed over 2.21 million free rubber tree saplings to independent Liberian farmers since January 2008 to help secure the future for thousands of families in the country. This rebuilding process is particularly difficult given the lack of good roads, the lack of electricity throughout much of the country and the lack of other essential infrastructure. Nonetheless, Firestone Natural Rubber Company remains committed to the country and the people of Liberia.
