1000’s gathered in northern Liberia on Saturday for the funeral of warlord-turned-politician Prince Johnson, a infamous face of the nation’s brutal civil wars who died with out going through trial.
Again-to-back conflicts devastated the small west African nation from 1989 till 2003, claiming round 250,000 lives and leading to massacres, mutilation, rape, cannibalism and the widespread use of kid troopers.
Johnson turned notorious in 1990 after showing in a video sipping beer as he calmly watched his fighters mutilate and torture president Samuel Doe to demise.
The previous insurgent chief was recognized as having the very best variety of violations by any particular person perpetrator in the course of the ugly wars, in keeping with a 2009 Fact and Reconciliation Fee (TRC).
Saturday’s burial marks the tip of a five-day state funeral which noticed his physique displayed exterior parliament within the capital Monrovia earlier than being transported to his house county of Nimba.
Johnson’s supporters and authorities officers, together with President Joseph Boakai, crowded the grounds of the Liberia Petroleum Refinery Firm in Ganta metropolis in Nimba.
Some in of the gang hailing from Nimba donned conventional apparel, carrying purple and daubing their faces with white chalk.
In keeping with the TRC, Johnson’s crimes spanned killing, extortion, bloodbath, destruction of property, pressured recruitment, assault, abduction, torture, pressured labour and rape.
He went on to change into a extremely influential senator, appearing as kingmaker within the final three presidential elections earlier than his demise in November aged 72.
– ‘The largest tree has fallen’ –Some mourners carried pretend picket weapons, which they mentioned symbolised Johnson’s warrior-like nature and depicted his function defending Nimba in the course of the civil conflict.
“The largest tree that all of us trusted has fallen,” mentioned 65-year-old Charles G. Wondor, a farmer from Nimba.
“We’re considering that we wouldn’t have anybody to exchange him as a result of the best way he contributed to the county and to the folks, we don’t suppose we are able to ever get anybody like him,” he added.
One other group of supporters — wearing black with purple hats — beat drums, clapped, danced and sang.
“Prince Johnson was an important man,” mentioned Darling N. Nuahn, a businesswoman from Nimba.
“It’s so regrettable to lose him”.
The burial will happen on the close by PYJ Polytechnic College, an establishment based and named after the late senator.
Regardless of being amongst eight warlords the Fact and Reconciliation Fee really useful be prosecuted for gross human rights violations, Johnson by no means confronted justice because the suggestions weren’t applied.
After initially allying with one other warlord Charles Taylor, Liberia’s future president who was later convicted of crimes in opposition to humanity, Johnson broke away and was pressured into exile in Nigeria in 1992, the place he stayed for 12 years.
– ‘Above the regulation’ –“He managed to have such an affect politically when he got here again from Nigeria that he managed to someway confiscate or hijack this justice effort from the TRC,” Alain Werner, lawyer and director of NGO Civitas Maxima, informed AFP by phone.
“In a approach, till he died finally final yr, he was above the regulation”.
Johnson returned to Liberia in 2004 with a message of peace and reconciliation, changing into a preacher in an evangelical church.
The daddy of 12 by no means expressed remorse over his previous actions.
“I’ve achieved nothing felony… I fought to defend my nation, my individuals who had been led to the slaughterhouse, as in the event that they had been chickens and goats, by the Doe regime,” Johnson mentioned whereas operating for president in 2011, when he completed third.
In 2005, he turned a senator for Nimba county, the place he loved widespread recognition.
He was a long-standing and vocal opponent of the creation of a conflict crimes court docket -– claiming that such a transfer may destabilise the nation.
President Boakai in Could signed a decree creating an workplace accountable for organising a particular conflict and financial crimes court docket.
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