This paper discusses the peace processes in the West African states of Liberia and Sierra Leone, delineating lessons learnt from the complicated and prolonged diplomacy and external military interventions that characterised these efforts.

In important ways, though each of the conflicts was driven by their own internal dynamics, there were strong linkages between them which complicated their resolution. This paper attempts to delineate these linkages by a detailed and chronological discussion of the mediation efforts and lessons learnt.