Former Liberia warlord Prince Johnson dies at 72
Adds TV tag, adds comment from president, recasts with fresh context
MONROVIA, Nov 28 (Reuters) -Liberian former warlord Prince Johnson, a leading figure in the country's brutal civil wars who was accused of carrying out massacres, torture and rapes, died Thursday at the age of 72.
His death was confirmed by family spokesperson Wilfred Bangura, who said the late senator had suffered from high blood pressure.
Johnson became a notorious figure after presiding over the torture and killing of a former president, caught on video.
In the infamous video from the 1990s, Johnson was seen celebrating with cans of beer and looking on as his men sliced off former President Samuel Doe's ear with a knife and then killed him.
Liberia's Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommended him for prosecution, but he never faced trial. Instead, he became a political kingmaker and was serving as a senator at the time of his death.
More than 200,000 people were killed and thousands more mutilated and raped in brutal civil wars that tore apart Liberia between 1989 and 2003.Over a million were displaced.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission listed Johnson among eight leaders of warring factions, saying his group had committed massacres, torture and rapes. It also named him first on its list of "most notorious perpetrators".
While Johnson avoided prosecution, he later described regretting Doe's murder and seeking reconciliation with his family.
More recently, Johnson voted in favour of setting up a long-awaited war crimes court earlier this year. Once operational, the court will be backed by international institutions including the United Nations.
The aim is to deliver long overdue justice to victims of the civil wars, but critics have said it risks reopening old wounds.
Johnson remained in politics after the wars ended and was elected as a senator in his Nimba county stronghold in 2006. He went on to play a role as kingmaker in various presidential elections.
He threw his support behind former president Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf in 2011, then endorsed George Weah in the run-off against Sirleaf's ruling party successor Joseph Boakai in 2017.
However, he switched his support to Boakai in the 2023 election in which Boakai defeated Weah in a run-off.
Boakai praised Johnson's contributions to the national discourse.
"While we may not have always agreed on the path our nation pursued, we recognize the impact of his work and his dedication to representing the people of Nimba County," he said in a statement after Johnson's death.
Reporting by Alphonson Toweh and Derrick Snyder
Writing by Bate Felix
Editing by Hugh Lawson and Frances Kerry
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
