Published: July 5, 2025
MONROVIA — President Joseph Nyuma Boakai on Saturday issued a formal apology on behalf of the Liberian government to victims of the country’s civil wars and threw his full support behind calls for a war and economic crimes court, marking a major shift in Liberia’s post-war justice and reconciliation efforts.
The apology came during the official launch of Liberia’s National Reconciliation, Healing, and Unity Program at the EJS Ministerial Complex in Congo Town, where Boakai addressed a cross-section of Liberian society, including survivors, diplomats, lawmakers, civil society leaders, and traditional and religious figures.
“Today, on this historic occasion, I offer a formal apology on behalf of the State to every victim of our civil conflict—to every family broken, to every dream shattered, we say: We are sorry,” Boakai declared.
The President’s address was delivered under the national theme “Healing Our Past, Building Our Tomorrow, Together.” He emphasized that reconciliation must not be seen as a symbolic event but as an ongoing national process requiring truth-telling, institutional reform, and citizen engagement.
Push for Accountability
Boakai’s statement marks the strongest public endorsement yet by a sitting Liberian president for accountability measures following the country’s devastating civil wars, which killed more than 250,000 people between 1989 and 2003.
He announced plans to implement key recommendations from the 2009 Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) report, including the establishment of a national memorial, preservation of TRC archives, and justice for war-era atrocities.
“We should no longer hesitate. It is now time for bold and coordinated action,” Boakai said, urging full national support for the 18-year Strategic Roadmap for National Healing and Reconciliation, which began in 2012 and is set to conclude in 2030.
Speaker Koon: ‘No Healing Without Accountability’
House Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon used the occasion to reinforce calls for justice and the establishment of a war crimes court—an issue that has divided Liberian politics for years.
“There can be no true healing without accountability,” Koon said. “Let us choose justice over silence and truth over denial.”
He described the day as a solemn moment for national reflection, urging Liberians to turn past tragedies into pillars of unity and collective identity.
Honoring a Violent Past
The reconciliation launch follows recent state-sponsored reburial ceremonies for slain Presidents William R. Tolbert Jr. and Samuel K. Doe, whose violent deaths marked turning points in Liberia’s descent into civil war.
“By honoring their memory, we acknowledge an entire generation of loss and national trauma,” Boakai said. “It is about a nation that lost its way and is still fighting to find its soul.”
Boakai framed the reburials not only as acts of national acknowledgment but also as steps toward moral restoration and historical accountability.
International Voices Endorse Reconciliation Drive
Dr. Antoine Rutayisire, a Rwandan genocide survivor and noted peacebuilding expert, delivered the keynote address. Drawing from Rwanda’s painful history, he urged Liberia to face its past courageously.
“I am not here to give any lesson to Liberians but to share my experience,” Rutayisire said. “National healing and reconciliation call for the collaboration of all stakeholders and the courage to choose peace over revenge.”
UN Resident Coordinator Christine Umutoni praised the Liberian government’s efforts, pledging continued international support.
“Reconciliation helps to repair,” Umutoni said. “We want to thank you, Mr. President, for all you are doing to reconcile the country. Liberia went through a lot.”
A Defining National Moment
The launch of the reconciliation program represents what many observers called a defining moment in Liberia’s journey from war to recovery. For the first time since the wars ended, a sitting president has publicly acknowledged the state’s role in the suffering and committed to a process that could finally deliver justice.
Boakai, who campaigned on restoring dignity and rule of law, urged Liberians not to be defined by violence but to build a new legacy grounded in justice, compassion, and national unity.
“Peace is not just the absence of war—it is the presence of justice,” he said. “Let us build that peace together. We owe it to those we lost. We owe it to ourselves.”
The ceremony brought together a range of high-profile dignitaries, including former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, members of the Legislature, religious leaders, traditional chiefs, and representatives of victim and survivor communities.
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