Prince Johnson, a former Liberian warlord and prominent figure during the country’s brutal civil wars from 1989 to 2003, has passed away at the age of 72. His death was confirmed on Thursday by officials from his political party and the Senate.
Johnson gained global notoriety in 1990 when a video showed him drinking beer while his fighters tortured and killed then-president Samuel Doe. This gruesome act marked one of the defining moments of Liberia’s devastating civil conflicts, which claimed around 250,000 lives and left the nation’s economy in ruins.
Siaffa Jallah, Deputy Director of Press at the Senate, referred to Johnson as the “longest-serving senator.” Wilfred Bangura, a senior member of Johnson’s Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction party, confirmed his death to AFP, stating, “Yes, we lost him this morning. He passed away at Hope for Women health center.”
Hailing from Nimba County in northern Liberia, Johnson later reinvented himself as an evangelical preacher, gaining significant local support. Despite his wartime notoriety, he remained an influential political figure, opposing the establishment of a war crimes tribunal to address atrocities committed during the conflicts.
Prince Johnson’s legacy remains deeply divisive, reflecting both his controversial role in Liberia’s history and his enduring political influence.