Violence has plummeted and US forces are pulling back, but the year ahead will test the staying power of gains throughout the country.
US forces may stay in the volatile northern city beyond the June deadline for Americans to pull back to bases.
The record shows that some radicals can be persuaded to give up the gun when inducements and local conditions are right. The Pentagon recently spent $4.5 million to find out more.
What happens when ordinary people decide to pay it forward? Extraordinary change. See how individuals are making a difference...
Mae Azango has gone undercover to report on female circumcision, a rite of the Sande society in Liberia that is performed on young girls.
Mae Azango exposed a secret ritual in Liberia, putting her life in danger
When journalist Mae Azango wrote about a secret women's circumcision ritual in Liberia, she received death threats.
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