Prince Yormie Johnson, Liberian warlord-turned-politician, who grew to become notorious for the 1990 footage of him sipping beer whereas the-then president was tortured close by, has died on the age of 72.
As one of many key figures within the two civil wars between 1989 and 2003, the Fact and Reconciliation Fee mentioned he must be prosecuted for conflict crimes, although he was by no means delivered to trial.
However as a senator since 2005, he was extremely influential in Liberian politics, backing the final three profitable presidential candidates.
Whereas some have celebrated his political function, others seen him as a logo of the nation’s struggles with accountability.
“We see his loss of life as a blow to many victims who had been awaiting to see the senator to face justice given his function within the civil conflict,” human rights activist and campaigner for a particular conflict crimes courtroom Adama Dempster informed the BBC.
An estimated 250,000 folks died within the conflicts and plenty of survivors from sexual assault and different assaults had been left completely scarred.
The reason for Johnson’s loss of life within the capital, Monrovia, has not been disclosed.
In a condolence message to his household, President Joseph Boakai – who Johnson supported in his presidential marketing campaign final 12 months – described him as “a determine who performed a pivotal function in Liberia’s complicated historic evolution and contributed to nationwide discourse by means of his service within the Senate”.
Again in 1990, insurgent troopers from Johnson’s Impartial Nationwide Patriotic Entrance of Liberia captured President Samuel Doe and had been then, in entrance of their chief, filmed mutilating him – his ear was sliced off – earlier than he was killed.
The warlord later expressed remorse for what had occurred, however, as quoted by the AFP information company, justified his function within the conflict, saying he was defending “my nation, my folks, who had been led to the slaughterhouse as in the event that they had been chickens and goats, by the Doe regime”.
He additionally mentioned he had modified and had turn out to be a pastor in an evangelical church.
As a politician he was praised by his constituents in Nimba county for working to enhance their lives.
However he additionally courted controversy.
In 2021 Johnson was sanctioned by the US for alleged involvement in so-called pay-for-play funding, the place he would reportedly personally profit from the distribution of presidency funding to varied ministries.
He was additionally accused of promoting votes for private achieve in a number of elections, resulting in criticism from a few of his allies.
However Wilfred Bangura, a former main official in Johnson’s Motion for Democracy and Reconstruction, mentioned “politically he was very weighty and powerful” and that he solely modified alliances as soon as he noticed folks transferring away from him.
Whereas definitely revered and being mourned by many in his dwelling county – the place he was seen as a hero and liberator – elsewhere folks really feel he was not made to pay for the crimes dedicated throughout the civil conflict.