{"id":50437,"date":"2025-07-01T14:33:24","date_gmt":"2025-07-01T18:33:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/liberian-president-killed-in-coup-gets-state-funeral-after-45-years\/01\/07\/2025\/"},"modified":"2025-07-01T14:33:24","modified_gmt":"2025-07-01T18:33:24","slug":"liberian-president-killed-in-coup-gets-state-funeral-after-45-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/liberian-president-killed-in-coup-gets-state-funeral-after-45-years\/01\/07\/2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Liberian president killed in coup gets state funeral after 45 years"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\n<\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Liberia&#8217;s former President William Tolbert has had a symbolic reburial, 45 years after he was murdered during a coup and his body was believed to have been dumped in a mass grave.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Ten days after the president&#8217;s killing, following trials by a kangaroo court, 13 of his cabinet were stripped, tied to stakes and then executed by a firing squad on a beach next to an army barracks in the capital, Monrovia.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">None of the 14 corpses has been found but each man got a state funeral at a ceremony attended by President Joseph Boakai and other dignitaries.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The event was seen as an act of reconciliation and part of a process of the country coming to terms with its violent recent past.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;It is an act of national conscience. It is a moment to acknowledge historical wrongs and to reaffirm collective commitment to the truth, justice and reconciliation,&#8221; President Boakai said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">A grave dug for the funeral was left empty and unsealed, in case any of their remains are ever found.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The 12 April 1980 coup, in which 28-year-old Sgt Samuel Doe took power, ended well over a century of political dominance by the minority Americo-Liberians, the descendants of freed black slaves who had come from the US in the 1800s.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Tolbert&#8217;s nine-year presidency was marked by growing dissatisfaction with the ethnic inequalities.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">His overthrow came at the start of a period of instability in Liberia, culminating in two devastating civil wars, that finally ended in 2003.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Doe himself met a violent death at the hands of rebels in 1990. His reburial in his home town last week was also ordered by the president.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>This archive photo shows Samuel Doe (in dark glasses) addressing the nation shortly after the coup [Eugene Shaw via Getty Images]<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;This is not just a burial; it is a moment of national reflection, a time to reconcile with our history, to heal from our wounds, and to remember with respect and purpose,&#8221; Boakai said at Doe&#8217;s funeral.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">For the families of those executed in 1980, Tuesday&#8217;s ceremony was both an act of remembrance and a way of bringing some respect to those who died.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;It has been 45 years and the pain is still fresh,&#8221; prominent lawyer Yvette Chesson-Gibson, daughter of executed Justice Minister Joseph Chesson, told the BBC.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">She emphasised that Tuesday&#8217;s reburials were the start of a long-term process.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;This is not just a ceremony, it is the beginning of a closure. Reconciliation is not an event,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;There are many facets to healing, but for us primarily this is just one of the many ways we continue to pay homage to deserving Liberian fallen heroes,&#8221; Bindu Dennis, the daughter of Tolbert&#8217;s Foreign Minister Charles Cecil Dennis, said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;Our fathers were simply murdered in one of the world&#8217;s most despicable and inhumane public acts of brutality, violence and cruelty born out of an ugly spirit of greed for political power.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;As long as you understand that closure doesn&#8217;t mean forgetting, then we&#8217;re on the same page.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">As the 14 men were shot dead, their families did not want a 21-gun salute at Tuesday&#8217;s funeral. Instead, 21 trumpets were played.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Until now, the men have been remembered by a tombstone, bearing all their names, where former presidents have paid their respects each year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">However, when this was excavated earlier this year, no human remains were found so it is not clear what happened to them.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"A dirt road leading to the sea with black and white photos of those killed on either side, attached to palm trees\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/yX3ALo0WSIffoew0PJMUcw--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/04c667a9b985b1271b75efe7f08655ac\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>The family of each person killed was presented with a Liberian flag as a mark of their public service [Moses Kollie Garzeawu \/ BBC]<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Jarso Maley Jallah, the minister in charge of the reburial programme, told the BBC that &#8220;there are some things that have happened in our country that we&#8217;re not proud of, but yet we are Liberians, and we must come together to advance our nation&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The family of each person killed was being presented with a Liberian flag as a mark of their public service.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">A Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was set up in 2006 by former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to gather testimonies about the atrocities committed during the conflicts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">In 2009 the TRC identified a list of people to be prosecuted for war crimes, but no action was taken. No-one has been tried in Liberia but some perpetrators have been convicted in other countries.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Last year Boakai signed an executive order aimed at setting up a special court.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">More BBC stories from Liberia:<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"A woman looking at her mobile phone and the graphic BBC News Africa\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"295\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/X.EL2n7fcUDVmgCDCHEGmA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTI5NTtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/c7a608b642136b2879dce57f6fb5d461\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>[Getty Images\/BBC]<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><em>Go to <\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/bbcafrica.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:BBCAfrica.com;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><em>BBCAfrica.com<\/em><\/a><em> for more news from the African continent.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><em>Follow us on Twitter <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BBCAfrica\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:@BBCAfrica;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><em>@BBCAfrica<\/em><\/a><em>, on Facebook at <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BBCnewsafrica\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:BBC Africa;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><em>BBC Africa<\/em><\/a><em> or on Instagram at <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/bbcafrica\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" 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