From 1979 to 2003, more than 1.5 million Liberians were forced from their homes to escape from
the violence and destruction of a protracted civil conflict. Hundreds of thousands became refugees
and many eventually made their way to countries of resettlement including the United States and the
United Kingdom. Most of their stories have never been told. This report on the experience of the
Liberian diaspora, entitled A House with Two Rooms, is the culmination of three years of work in
the United States, the United Kingdom and Buduburam Refugee Settlement in Ghana. The report
has been submitted to the Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), the body charged
by the Liberian government with determining the facts of the human rights violations that occurred
during the civil war. The Liberian TRC officially completed its mandate June 30, 2009.
A House with Two Rooms documents the experience of human rights abuses and violations of
international humanitarian law that forced Liberians to leave the country. It is based on an analysis of
more than 1600 statements, fact-finding interviews, and witness testimony at public hearings held in
the U.S. The report also tells the story of the “triple trauma” experienced by members of the diaspora
during their flight through Liberia and across international borders, while living in refugee camps in
West Africa, and in resettlement in the U.S. and U.K. In addition, the report summarizes the views of
Liberians in the diaspora on the root causes of the conflict and their recommendations for systemic
reform and reconciliation.