Ex-Liberian Warlord, Prince Johnson Is Dead

A former Liberian warlord turned senator, Prince Johnson has passed on at the age of 72.

Prince Johnson’s death was confirmed on Thursday by Siaffa Jallah, the Deputy Director of press at the Senate, and Wilfred Bangura, an official from Johnson’s Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction party.

According to the duo, Johnson passed away at Hope for Women Health Center in Monrovia.

A controversial figure in Liberia’s history, Johnson played a pivotal role during the country’s 1989-2003 civil wars, which claimed over 250,000 lives.

Notoriously remembered for the brutal 1990 execution of then-president Samuel Doe, Johnson was seen sipping beer as his fighters tortured Doe in a widely circulated video.

After the wars, Johnson transitioned into politics, serving as Liberia’s longest-serving senator and maintaining significant influence in his home region of Nimba.

He also became an evangelical preacher but remained a staunch opponent of efforts to establish a war crimes tribunal to address atrocities committed during the conflict.

Johnson’s death marks the end of a contentious chapter in Liberia’s post-war political and social landscape.