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data-ad-unit-id="2695176/IrishExaminer/ROS_Top"><script type="text/plain"> googletag.cmd.push(function () { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-leaderboard-top'); }); </script></div></div><div class="nfy-container"><div class="container content"><div class="col-wrapper row"><div class="superdashboard"></div><div class="col-left-story col-md-8 with-sidebar"><article class="nfyc-detail-view naviga-article-body " data-id="41526551" data-puid="102" data-statistic-type="0"><div class="headline h-with-img"><div class="imgF"><ul class="breadcrumb"><li class="breadcrumb-item"><a href="https://www.irishexaminer.com/">Homepage</a></li><li class="breadcrumb-item"><a href="https://www.irishexaminer.com/world/">World</a></li></ul><h1 class="article-title "><span>Liberia’s warlord-turned-senator Prince Johnson dies at 72</span></h1><figure><img src="/cms_media/module_img/8802/4401095_1_articlexlarge_856a020f1a3c4654aa932754fc12d5bd.jpg.jpg" title="Liberia’s warlord-turned-senator Prince Johnson dies at 72" alt="Liberia’s warlord-turned-senator Prince Johnson dies at 72" data-src="/cms_media/module_img/8802/4401095_1_articlemedium_856a020f1a3c4654aa932754fc12d5bd.jpg.jpg" fetchpriority="high" loading="eager" sizes="(max-width: 520px) calc(100vw - 60px), (max-width: 767px) 438px, 576px" srcset="/cms_media/module_img/8802/4401095_1_articlexlarge_856a020f1a3c4654aa932754fc12d5bd.jpg.jpg 1600w, /cms_media/module_img/8802/4401095_1_articlelarge_856a020f1a3c4654aa932754fc12d5bd.jpg.jpg 1200w, /cms_media/module_img/8802/4401095_1_articlemedium_856a020f1a3c4654aa932754fc12d5bd.jpg.jpg 800w, /cms_media/module_img/8802/4401095_1_articlesmall_856a020f1a3c4654aa932754fc12d5bd.jpg.jpg 600w"> <figcaption class="imgFCap">Liberian senator Prince Johnson gestures during an interview in Monrovia, Liberia (AP)</figcaption></figure></div></div><div class="byline date-byline">Thu, 28 Nov, 2024 - 20:19</div><div class="author-byline"><div class="byline">Mark M Mengonfia, Associated Press</div></div><div class="generic-text"><div class="ctx_content"><div class="share-buttons-mobile"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://www.irishexaminer.com/world/arid-41526551.html" class="share-popup" id="share-f" aria-label="Share on Facebook" target="popup"><i class="fa fa-facebook-f"></i></a> <a href="https://api.whatsapp.com/send?text=Irish Examiner - https://www.irishexaminer.com/world/arid-41526551.html" id="share-w" aria-label="Share on WhatsApp" data-action="share/whatsapp/share" target="popup"><i class="fa fa-whatsapp"></i></a> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/world/arid-41526551.html" class="share-popup" id="share-x" aria-label="Share on X" target="popup"><svg width="19" height="19" aria-hidden="true" viewbox="0 0 24 24"><g><path d="M18.244 2.25h3.308l-7.227 8.26 8.502 11.24H16.17l-5.214-6.817L4.99 21.75H1.68l7.73-8.835L1.254 2.25H8.08l4.713 6.231zm-1.161 17.52h1.833L7.084 4.126H5.117z"></path></g></svg></a><span id="expand-share"><i class="fa fa-ellipsis-v"></i><div class="expanded-icons" style="display: none"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/world/arid-41526551.html" class="share-popup" id="share-l" aria-label="Share on LinkedIn"><i class="fa fa-linkedin"></i></a> <a href="https://reddit.com/submit?url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/world/arid-41526551.html&title=Liberia’s warlord-turned-senator Prince Johnson dies at 72" class="share-popup" id="share-r" aria-label="Share on Reddit"><i class="fa fa-reddit-alien"></i></a> <a href="mailto:?subject=Irish Examiner Article&body=https://www.irishexaminer.com/world/arid-41526551.html" id="share-m" aria-label="Share - mail" target="_blank"><i class="fa fa-envelope"></i></a></div></span></div><story><p class="">Prince Johnson, the Liberian former warlord and senator whose brutal tactics shocked the world, has died at the age of 72, authorities have said.</p><p class="">Johnson, who infamously videotaped himself drinking Budweiser as his men cut off the ears of the nation’s former president, remained active in politics after the civil war ended and was elected senator in 2006.</p><div class="inline-paywall-IE-template"><p class="">He died on Thursday at a local hospital in Paynesville, a suburb of Monrovia, said Siafa Jallah, deputy director of press relations at the Liberian senate.</p><div data-ad-unit-id="2695176/IrishExaminer/ROS_InContent" id="div-gpt-ad-incontent-0"> <script type="text/javascript">googletag.cmd.push(function(){ googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-incontent-0");}); </script> </div><span class="contextmenu Quotation">It’s sad and has a deep meaning for an accountability process</span><p class="">Liberia’s civil wars, marked by mass killings, torture and sexual violence, killed an estimated 250,000 people between 1989 and 2003.</p><p class="">Johnson was named one of the “most notorious perpetrators” by the country’s post-war truth and reconciliation committee, and was accused of killing, extortion, massacre, torture and rape among other charges.</p><p class="">Neither Johnson nor the other seven people that the committee listed as leaders of warring factions were ever tried in Liberia.</p><p class="">But a handful were convicted overseas, including Charles Taylor, a former president, who is serving a 50-year-sentence in the UK.</p><p class="">Mohammed Jabbateh, a rebel commander who witnesses said sliced a baby out of a pregnant woman’s stomach, killed civilians and ordered his soldiers to rape young girls, was sentenced to 30 years in the US.</p><p class="">Earlier this year, President Joseph Boakai signed an executive order to create a long-awaited war crimes court to deliver justice to the civil wars’ victims, but the court has not begun operating.</p><div data-ad-unit-id="2695176/IrishExaminer/ROS_InContent" id="div-gpt-ad-incontent-1"> <script type="text/javascript">googletag.cmd.push(function(){ googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-incontent-1");}); </script> </div><p class="">Adama Dempster, a Liberian human rights advocate, expressed regrets that Johnson was unable to testify before the proposed tribunal before he died.</p><p class="">“It’s sad and has a deep meaning for an accountability process,” he said.</p><p class="">In 1990, the then-38-year-old Johnson led a rebel faction that invaded Monrovia, captured former President Samuel Doe and tortured him in front of a rolling camera.</p><p class="">Johnson is seen kicking back in a chair, his feet up on a table and a bottle of beer in one hand.</p><p class="">He taunts the former ruler as his men strip the president to his underwear then cut off his ears, as blood streams down his temple.</p><p class="">The president later died, and according to one witness’ testimony in front of the nation’s truth and reconciliation commission, Johnson later showed off Doe’s head on a platter.</p><p class="">Around the same time, Johnson executed a relief worker wearing a Red Cross bib after accusing him of profiteering from rice sales.</p><p class="">An Associated Press photographer who witnessed the scene reported the crumpled victim briefly lifted his head and asked “Why, why?” before Johnson finished him off with a burst of AK-47 fire.</p><p class="">After the end of the war, Johnson became a born-again Christian and ordained preacher, before being elected senator representing Nimba County.</p><p class="">The country banned the sale of Doe’s notorious torture tape that had once been widely available at streetside stalls.</p><p class=""></p><script>(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-72310761-1', 'auto', {'name': 'pacontentapi'}); 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