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Liberia: 'Prince Johnson Claims Are Bogus', Doe's Family Denies Reconciling Abroad
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The Analyst (Monrovia)
23 July 2008
Posted to the web 23 July 2008
Unearthing the past to chart the future with a mindset of purity is the goal sought through the current reconciliation processes in the country. But achieving that goal is no easy task as harsher feelings still persist within various quarters of Liberian society.
One of the key high points of the civil war was the capture and killing of the late president Samuel Kanyon Doe by the INPFL headed by Prince Johnson, who now occupies legislative chambers in the new dispensation.
But his recent claims that he has reconciled with the family of the late president has not gone down well with a relative of Doe, a development that captured the attention of The Analyst in this edition.
A relative of the slain President Samuel Kanyon Doe, yesterday denied claims by Nimba County Senator Prince Y. Johnson that families of the former Liberian leader have reconciled with him.
Describing the statement of Prince Johnson as bogus, Mr. George Wright who spoke at the ongoing TRC hearings at the Monrovia City Hall said Johnson's forces captured and killed President Samuel K. Doe in Monrovia in September 1990.
According to him, it is wisdom enough for reconciliation to start in the country instead of making reference to alleged talks in Nigeria. George Wright, now administrator of the late president's estate told commissioners of the TRC that reconciliation rites between the Doe family and Prince Johnson in Nigeria were imposed on the family.
"Prince Johnson killed President Doe right here in Liberia, so why can't he reconcile with us here in Liberia but in Nigeria. He committed the act here and not in Nigeria. So if he wants to reconcile with the Doe family, it must be done right here in Liberia where he killed Doe," Wright said.
He said as far the family was concerned there was no reconciliation between they and Mr. Johnson.
Though the Doe estate administrator did not name the mediator of the Nigerian reconciliation, but he said that the reconciliatory ceremony in Nigeria was forced upon the family by a Nigerian evangelist and hence they have not reconciled with Mr. Johnson.
It can be recalled from the long history of the Liberian civil conflict that forces of the defunct Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL), commanded by Mr. Johnson captured and killed President Doe on September 9, 1990.
On the day of his capture and subsequent killing, Doe had traveled to the Freeport of Monrovia, in what was seen as a consolidation of confidence boosting measure with Prince Johnson, who was then seen as the most reasonable of his rebel adversaries.
On this trip that was overseen by the West African Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) Doe and some of his entourage were confronted with a barrage of bullets from Johnson's forces after which he was captured and detained at the INPFL Caldwell base.
But following the detention of the president, a video footage showed Johnson and his men torturing him as they interrogated him for the Liberian people's monies.
In the same video footage, the half naked captured president is seen sweating profusely, begging for mercy from Johnson and his forces while one of the rebel commanders slices off both ears with a sharp knife.
The TRC has come of age square since it was agreed upon in the August 2003 peace agreement and created by an act of the Transitional Legislative Assembly (NTLA) known as the TRC Act of 2005.
The TRC is purposely established to "promote national peace, security, unity and reconciliation," and at the same time make it possible to hold perpetrators accountable for gross human rights violations and violations of international humanitarian law that occurred in Liberia between January 1979 and October 2003.
Despite these strides by the Commission, there have been flurry of calls from certain quarters of Liberian society for the establishment of a War Crimes Court, which is the most appropriate avenue for the prosecution of such characters in war scenarios.
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Though the chief proponent of this claim has been the Forum for the Establishment of the War Crimes Court in Liberia headed by Mulbah Morlu, the Catholic Church in Liberia recently declared its support for such courts reminiscing its share of losses sustained in five nuns who were helplessly murdered during the 1992 Octopus Operation launched by the forces of Charles Taylor to capture Monrovia from ECOMOG peacekeepers.
Be as it may, I believe Doe (his family) and his associates have a lot of reconciling to do. The years or torment levied against our people do not in any form parallel his slaying. No one needs to reconcile with anyone on Liberian soil to gain some substantiation. If they want to make amends with Johnson, then so be it! Frankly, I don't know of any Liberian that gives a flying hoot whether or not Johnson reconciles with Doe's family.
Liberians need to put our differences aside and move forward with our continued developments. ... [Read Full Text]
I am amazed at what I have just read.I will be pleased to know how many families have the Doe family reconcile with. George Wright and the Doe family should stop complaining about reconciliation with Prince Johnson.Does it really matter where Senator Johnson apologise to the Doe family? What goes around comes around.During the Doe regime we all know what happened.So George Wright please "Don't leave an elephant meat and throw a stone at a bird".Simply "If you live in a glass house you don't throw stones" A hint to a wise is enough.
In addition to your comment,there should not be reason for now to try anyone be commander or fighter that should be head accountable for the ignorant war.how would you set up the commission in devastated environment,liberians displaced across the globe and our young girls forced into prostitution for survival in exile ,we all felt the pain of ignorance which continues to trail us years after the notorious war.Liberians need to embrace peace for now in the new dimension to sustain our fragile peace earned hard.We should concentrate on the way forward with steadfastness and unity we can be at whole... [Read Full Text]
S.Waylee, I strongly recommend that you look up the definition of the word "patriotic". Samuel Doe is came to power with the entire nation bahind him. He had the opportunity to transform leadership in ways that liberians have not seen. Instead, he surrounded himself with extremist who turned he (Doe)into a fierce tyrant. It was Doe's actions that produced individuals like Prince Johnson, Fahnbulleh and other advocates arm struggles. I do not regret the killing of a tyrant (Doe). What I regret is that he was not killed soon. Look S.Waylee, I am a realist and a no nonsens liberian... [Read Full Text]
George Wright is attempting to seek attention for himself. I do not believe that his statement represents the collective view of the Doe family. At least Prince Johnson had the courage to apologize to the Doe family, something that Doe family have yet to do to thousands of Nimba families who lost their lives as a result of wanton killing unleashed on them by Samuel Doe's death squads.
while we all want peace and reconciliation, i think it will be stupid for anyone to criticize mr.george wright for his stand on the issue between the DOE's family and mr.johnson.in my views i think and it is reasonable that the best place to really reconcile any differences is right there in liberia where thousbands of people were killed including president DOE the most patriotice leader our nation ever had since it came to birth. mr.prince johnson have been going around making all sorts or remarks partaining to DOE and his family and so i think it will be wise... [Read Full Text]
You have forced me to comment on the topic of the late Doe and Mr. Johnson. No there is no need for anyone to point finger. There shall be no room for the past to be brought into our current of affair or situation, as we all try to let go. However, the gentleman and the Doe's family spokeman, Mr. Wright, should pause and think about what he (Doe) did to the 13 innocent men that were murdered without trial, the killing of the people from Nimba, and so many others, etc. Did the Doe's family ever offered an apology... [Read Full Text]
You have forced me to comment on the topic of the late Doe and Mr. Johnson. There is no need for anyone to point finger. There shall be no room for the past to be brought into our current state of affair or situation, as we all try to let go. However, the gentleman and the Doe's family spokeman, Mr. Wright, should pause and think about what he (Doe) did to the 13 innocent men that were murdered without trial, the killing of the people from Nimba, and so many others, etc. Did the Doe's family ever offered an apology... [Read Full Text]
You guys have forced me to comment on the topic of the late Doe and Mr. Johnson. There is no need for anyone to point fingers. There shall be no room for the past to be brought into our current state of affair or situation, as we all try to let go. However, to the gentleman above and the Doe's family spokeman, Mr. Wright, should pause and think about what he (Doe) did to the 13 innocent men that were murdered without trial, the killing of the people from Nimba, and so many others, etc. Did the Doe's family... [Read Full Text]
it is true that he that lives in a glass house needs not throw stones. the family of Doe should accept their fate as one of the Liberian family who will never have the opportunity of getting an apology, we all know what happen in Liberia and as a family doe was not working in isolation. as a family you all saw how he govern the country so weather prince Johnson apologizes or not it makes no difference now, if you all are sincere you should watch the video of the war then and only then would you realized those... [Read Full Text]
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