Latest news with #WilliamTolbert
Reuters
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Liberia's Boakai apologises to war victims, honours slain presidents
MONROVIA, July 8 (Reuters) - Liberian President Joseph Boakai has launched what his office describes as an unprecedented reconciliation campaign, overseeing memorial services for two assassinated presidents and issuing the government's first apology to war victims. The high-profile ceremonies come more than two decades after the end of civil conflicts that resulted in some 200,000 deaths and saw widespread atrocities including massacres, rape and the use of child soldiers. They also coincide with calls by human rights groups for domestic war crimes prosecutions which have yet to start despite an executive order to establish a war crimes court last year. Boakai's apology came on Saturday at an event in the capital Monrovia, where he pledged to make July 5 an annual day of remembrance. "To every victim of our civil conflict, to every family broken, to every dream shattered, we say: 'We are sorry'," he said. In the lead-up to that event, Boakai attended a service honouring President Samuel Doe, who took power in a coup in 1980 and died at the hands of fighters loyal to warlord Prince Johnson in 1990, less than a year after fighting broke out in Liberia. Johnson, who died last year, went on to become a senator and political kingmaker, highlighting what critics describe as entrenched impunity. Boakai also recently spoke at a reburial service for President William Tolbert, who was executed in the 1980 coup. That putsch also saw the public executions of 13 members of Tolbert's cabinet on a beach in Monrovia. "It still hurts," said Charlotte Stewart, whose father, former budget director Frank J. Stewart, was among the 13 senior officials killed. "I really do believe that it will bring some closure." Liberia's Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2009 issued a final report recommending war-related prosecutions at an extraordinary criminal court, but none have taken place on Liberian soil. Last year Boakai signed an executive order to establish a war crimes court, and in April he renewed the order as it had been due to expire. Alain Werner, director of the Geneva-based group Civitas Maxima that has successfully pushed for the prosecution of several Liberians in foreign courts, said Boakai should do more to make the local court operational. "It is great he is apologizing. Others before him did not do that and it is important for the victims and survivors," Werner said. "But he should also ensure the office for the war crimes court gets the money it needs to function as soon as possible for the work to start in earnest, finally." Yvette Chesson Wureh, daughter of former Justice Minister Joseph Chesson who was killed in the 1980 coup, called on Liberia to confront its history. "Justice was denied. And with it, the principles of fairness and humanity that should define us as a people."
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
President killed in Liberian coup to be reburied in own grave
Liberia's former President William Tolbert is set to receive a symbolic reburial on Tuesday, 45 years after he was murdered during a coup and his body believed to be dumped in a mass grave. Ten days after the president's killing, following trials by a kangaroo court, 13 of his cabinet were stripped, tied to stakes and then executed by a firing squad on a beach next to an army barracks in the capital, Monrovia. None of the 14 corpses has been found but each man is due to get a state funeral at a ceremony attended by President Joseph Boakai and other dignitaries. The event is seen as an act of reconciliation and part of a process of the country coming to terms with its violent recent past. The 12 April 1980 coup in which 28-year-old Sgt Samuel Doe took power ended well over a century of political dominance by the minority Americo-Liberians, the descendants of freed black slaves who had come from the US in the 1800s. Tolbert's nine-year presidency was marked by growing dissatisfaction with the ethnic inequalities. His overthrow came at the start of a period of instability in Liberia, culminating in two devastating civil wars, that finally ended in 2003. Doe himself met a violent death at the hands of rebels in 1990. His reburial in his home town last week was also ordered by the president. "This is not just a burial; it is a moment of national reflection, a time to reconcile with our history, to heal from our wounds, and to remember with respect and purpose," Boakai said at Doe's funeral. For the families of those executed in 1980, Tuesday's ceremony is both an act of remembrance and a way of bringing some respect to those who died. "It has been 45 years and the pain is still fresh," prominent lawyer Yvette Chesson-Gibson, daughter of executed Justice Minister Joseph Chesson, told the BBC. She emphasised that Tuesday's reburials will be the start of a long-term process. "This is not just a ceremony, it is the beginning of a closure. Reconciliation is not an event," she said. "There are many facets to healing, but for us primarily this is just one of the many ways we continue to pay homage to deserving Liberian fallen heroes," Bindu Dennis, the daughter of Tolbert's Foreign Minister Charles Cecil Dennis, said. "Our fathers were simply murdered in one of the world's most despicable and inhumane public acts of brutality, violence and cruelty born out of an ugly spirit of greed for political power. "As long as you understand that closure doesn't mean forgetting, then we're on the same page." Until now, the 14 people executed in 1980 have been remembered by a tombstone, bearing all their names, where former presidents have paid their respects each year. However, when this was excavated earlier this year, no human remains were found. Jarso Maley Jallah, the minister in charge of the reburial programme, told the BBC that "there are some things that have happened in our country that we're not proud of, but yet we are Liberians, and we must come together to advance our nation". The family of each person killed is set to be presented with a Liberian flag as a mark of their public service and there will also be a 21-gun salute. A Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was set up in 2006 by former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to gather testimonies about the atrocities committed during the conflicts. In 2009 the TRC identified a list of people to be prosecuted for war crimes, but no action was taken. No-one has been tried in Liberia but some perpetrators have been convicted in other countries. Last year Boakai signed an executive order aimed at setting up a special court. How President Joseph Boakai hopes to rid Liberia of its problems Top Liberian doctor struck off over qualification doubts Liberia's war and peace: Lessons from 30 years' reporting How returning $50,000 changed a taxi driver's life Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Focus on Africa This Is Africa
BBC News
01-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
William Tolbert: Liberia's slain president to be reburied in own grave
Liberia's former President William Tolbert is set to receive a symbolic reburial on Tuesday, 45 years after he was murdered during a coup and his body believed to be dumped in a mass grave. Ten days after the president's killing, following trials by a kangaroo court, 13 of his cabinet were stripped, tied to stakes and then executed by a firing squad on a beach next to an army barracks in the capital, of the 14 corpses has been found but each man is due to get a state funeral at a ceremony attended by President Joseph Boakai and other event is seen as an act of reconciliation and part of a process of the country coming to terms with its violent recent past. The 12 April 1980 coup in which 28-year-old Sgt Samuel Doe took power ended well over a century of political dominance by the minority Americo-Liberians, the descendants of freed black slaves who had come from the US in the nine-year presidency was marked by growing dissatisfaction with the ethnic overthrow came at the start of a period of instability in Liberia, culminating in two devastating civil wars, that finally ended in himself met a violent death at the hands of rebels in 1990. His reburial in his home town last week was also ordered by the president. "This is not just a burial; it is a moment of national reflection, a time to reconcile with our history, to heal from our wounds, and to remember with respect and purpose," Boakai said at Doe's the families of those executed in 1980, Tuesday's ceremony is both an act of remembrance and a way of bringing some respect to those who died."It has been 45 years and the pain is still fresh," prominent lawyer Yvette Chesson-Gibson, daughter of executed Justice Minister Joseph Chesson, told the emphasised that Tuesday's reburials will be the start of a long-term process."This is not just a ceremony, it is the beginning of a closure. Reconciliation is not an event," she said."There are many facets to healing, but for us primarily this is just one of the many ways we continue to pay homage to deserving Liberian fallen heroes," Bindu Dennis, the daughter of Tolbert's Foreign Minister Charles Cecil Dennis, said."Our fathers were simply murdered in one of the world's most despicable and inhumane public acts of brutality, violence and cruelty born out of an ugly spirit of greed for political power."As long as you understand that closure doesn't mean forgetting, then we're on the same page."Until now, the 14 people executed in 1980 have been remembered by a tombstone, bearing all their names, where former presidents have paid their respects each when this was excavated earlier this year, no human remains were Maley Jallah, the minister in charge of the reburial programme, told the BBC that "there are some things that have happened in our country that we're not proud of, but yet we are Liberians, and we must come together to advance our nation".The family of each person killed is set to be presented with a Liberian flag as a mark of their public service and there will also be a 21-gun salute.A Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was set up in 2006 by former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to gather testimonies about the atrocities committed during the 2009 the TRC identified a list of people to be prosecuted for war crimes, but no action was taken. No-one has been tried in Liberia but some perpetrators have been convicted in other year Boakai signed an executive order aimed at setting up a special court. More BBC stories from Liberia: How President Joseph Boakai hopes to rid Liberia of its problemsTop Liberian doctor struck off over qualification doubtsLiberia's war and peace: Lessons from 30 years' reportingHow returning $50,000 changed a taxi driver's life Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
