By Mark M. MengonfiaThe Related Press
MONROVIA, Liberia (AP) — Prince Johnson, the Liberian former warlord and senator whose brutal techniques shocked the world, has died on the age of 72, authorities mentioned Nov. 28.
Johnson, who infamously videotaped himself consuming Budweiser as his males minimize off the ears of the nation’s former president, remained lively in politics after the civil warfare ended and was elected senator in 2006.
He died on Nov. 28 at an area hospital in Paynesville, a suburb of Monrovia, mentioned Siafa Jallah, deputy director of press relations on the Liberian senate.
Liberia’s civil wars, marked by mass killings, torture and sexual violence, killed an estimated 250,000 folks between 1989 and 2003. Johnson was named one of many “most infamous perpetrators” by the nation’s post-war fact and reconciliation committee, and was accused of killing, extortion, bloodbath, torture and rape amongst different costs.
Neither Johnson nor the opposite seven folks that the committee listed as leaders of warring factions had been ever tried in Liberia. However a handful had been convicted abroad, together with Charles Taylor, a former president, who’s serving a 50-year-sentence in the UK.
Mohammed Jabbateh, a insurgent commander who witnesses mentioned sliced a child out of a pregnant girl’s abdomen, killed civilians and ordered his troopers to rape younger women, was sentenced to 30 years within the U.S.
Earlier this 12 months, President Joseph Boakai signed an govt order to create a long-awaited warfare crimes courtroom to ship justice to the civil wars’ victims, however the courtroom hasn’t begun working.
Adama Dempster, a Liberian human rights advocate, expressed regrets that Johnson was unable to testify earlier than the proposed tribunal earlier than he died. “It’s unhappy and has a deep which means for an accountability course of,” he mentioned.
In 1990, the then-38-year-old Johnson led a insurgent faction that invaded Monrovia, captured former President Samuel Doe and tortured him in entrance of a rolling digicam. Johnson is seen kicking again in a chair, his toes up on a desk and a bottle of beer in a single hand. He taunts the previous ruler as his males strip the president to his underwear then minimize off his ears, as blood streams down his temple. The president later died, and in keeping with one witness’ testimony in entrance of the nation’s fact and reconciliation fee, Johnson later confirmed off Doe’s head on a platter.
Across the identical time, Johnson executed a reduction employee carrying a Crimson Cross bib after accusing him of profiteering from rice gross sales. An Related Press photographer who witnessed the scene reported the crumpled sufferer briefly lifted his head and requested “Why, why?” earlier than Johnson completed him off with a burst of AK-47 hearth.
After the tip of the warfare, Johnson grew to become a born-again Christian and ordained preacher, earlier than being elected senator representing Nimba County. The nation banned the sale of Doe’s infamous torture tape that had as soon as been broadly out there at streetside stalls.
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Observe AP’s Africa protection at: https://apnews.com/hub/africa
