Hundreds gathered on Friday in Zwedru, southeastern Liberia, for the state funeral of former president Samuel Doe and his wife Nancy, decades after his assassination in 1990. The ceremony is part of a national effort to reconcile with the country’s turbulent past.
Doe, who ruled Liberia from 1980 to 1990, was captured, tortured, and killed by rebels in one of the most infamous episodes of the country’s two civil wars, which claimed an estimated 250,000 lives.
The funeral, held at Doe’s family compound in Grand Gedeh County, featured both symbolic and actual burials—Doe’s casket was symbolic, while his wife’s contained her remains. The couple’s caskets were transported through Zwedru on a truck adorned in Liberia’s national colors as residents lined the streets in mourning.
President Joseph Boakai attended the state funeral and declared a national mourning period from Tuesday to Friday, with flags flown at half-mast. The Executive Mansion said the memorial was part of broader efforts to “promote national reconciliation.”
Doe’s rise to power was violent. In 1980, as a young army sergeant, he led a coup that overthrew and killed President William Tolbert, ending decades of Americo-Liberian rule. His subsequent regime was marked by brutality, ethnic favoritism, and economic decline. Thirteen members of Tolbert’s government were publicly executed, and political opponents faced arrest or persecution.
Despite his controversial legacy, some Liberians recall positive moments. Mercy Janjay Seeyougar of Monrovia told AFP she remembered Doe fondly for his down-to-earth moments, like handing out candy to children and supporting public sanitation workers.
Doe’s assassination was captured in a disturbing video where warlord **Prince Johnson** is seen sipping beer as Doe was tortured—a moment that remains etched in the nation’s memory.
The location of Doe’s actual remains remains uncertain, fueling years of speculation. Friday’s ceremony marked a symbolic act of closure for many Liberians.
