Warring factions in Liberia's civil war signed the Abuja Accord in Nigeria, a peace agreement that brought rival faction leaders into a transitional Council of State.
PoliticsOn this day — August 19 in African history
Real events, births and milestones from Africa and the diaspora.
Maryland Historical Society — Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 1791 Self-taught Black mathematician and astronomer Benjamin Banneker sent Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson a letter and almanac challenging him to act against slavery and racial prejudice.
History
Anynobody, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons 1981 US Navy F-14 fighters shot down two Libyan jets over the Gulf of Sidra after being fired upon, an incident that heightened tensions between the United States and Muammar Gaddafi's Libya.
ConflictDonald Woods, the South African journalist and anti-apartheid activist who exposed the killing of his friend Steve Biko and fled into exile, died.
DeathLevy Mwanawasa, the third president of Zambia, whose anti-corruption drive targeted his predecessor, died in office.
Death