Hundreds gathered in southeastern Grand Gedeh County, Liberia on Friday for the state funeral of former authoritarian president Samuel Doe, 35 years after his brutal assassination during the country’s civil wars.
The ceremony forms part of ongoing reconciliation efforts over Liberia’s violent past. Doe’s torture and murder in 1990 marked an early turning point in two civil wars that killed approximately 250,000 people.
President Joseph Boakai attended the service, having declared four days of mourning with flags at half-mast. His office described the commemorations as part of “broader efforts” to “promote national reconciliation.”
Doe will be buried alongside his wife Nancy, who died in May, at their home compound. Liberians lined roads as the couple’s caskets were driven through Zwedru county capital on a truck decorated with national colours.
Doe’s death remains notorious in Liberian history. Warlord Prince Johnson appeared in video footage watching fighters torture the former president whilst calmly drinking beer. The location of Doe’s remains had remained uncertain until now.
Doe seized power in 1980, overthrowing the Americo-Liberian ruling class. His decade-long rule combined brutal repression with some popular measures, leaving a divisive legacy amongst Liberians.