From bankers to strikers, Liberia seeks a president A former warlord, a footballer and a soft drinks millionaire are competing to becoming Liberia's next president. The West African nation is going to the polls in October 2017 following a decade of service by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. It's the first democratic transition since the country's 14 year civil war, which ended in 2003. A natural sound version of an AFPTV report.