Relationship dossier
Liberia
South Africa
Relationship assessment
A relationship shaped by Liberia’s opposition to apartheid and later bilateral cooperation
Liberia toward South Africa
+10Liberia opposed apartheid-era South African policies and supported the anti-apartheid struggle, creating political friction with the South African government of that period. After apartheid, Liberia pursued bilateral cooperation with South Africa, including through agreements signed in 2011.
South Africa toward Liberia
+25South Africa pursued bilateral cooperation with Liberia after apartheid; agreements were signed during Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s 2011 visit to South Africa.
Overall relationship
+20The relationship shifted from Liberia’s opposition to apartheid-era South African policy to post-apartheid bilateral cooperation. Agreements signed in 2011 represent a concrete cooperative framework, though their implementation and the breadth of subsequent cooperation are unclear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Liberia opposed apartheid-era South African policies and supported the anti-apartheid struggle. Since the end of apartheid, the governments have pursued bilateral cooperation, including agreements signed during President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s 2011 visit to South Africa. The relationship therefore includes a history of political opposition as well as post-apartheid cooperation.
Areas of tension
- Liberia’s opposition to apartheid-era South African policies
Key developments
Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf visited South Africa, where the governments signed bilateral cooperation agreements.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of the bilateral agreements signed in 2011 are unclear.
- Details of subsequent government cooperation and its continuity are limited.