ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the factors that precipitated the collapse of the Liberian state. It assesses the possibilities for constructing a new democratic society. The literature on state collapse in Africa identifies two waves of the phenomenon. The first wave can be referred to as the 'collapse of the immediate post-colonial state.' The second wave commenced in the 1980s. The literature on state collapse in Africa suffers from several shortcomings. First, it fails to take cognizance of the fact that the African state is a neocolonial construct. Second, it depicts ethnic groups and elites as the principal players in African politics, without according the requisite attention to the decisive role of the peripheral capitalist mode of production and its political economy. Third, ethnic groups in African states are not monolithic. Fourth and a related point, ethnic groups in African states are used by opportunistic politicians who lack both a broad national vision and support base.
