2003 — The Accra Peace Agreement

On August 18, 2003, Liberia's warring factions signed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in Accra, Ghana, ending fourteen years of brutal civil war. The deal created a two-year transitional government and set elections for 2005, opening a path from war toward a vote and a government chosen by Liberians themselves.

Those elections would be won by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, becoming Africa's first elected female president. The unsung heroes were the Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace, who blockaded the talks in white T-shirts until the men signed; their leader Leymah Gbowee later shared the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize for her work.