Ex-Liberian warlord Prince Johnson is dead

Prince Johnson, the former Liberian warlord and later senator, has passed away at the age of 72.

Born in Nimba County in northern Liberia, Johnson rose to notoriety during the country’s brutal civil war. In 1990, a notorious video surfaced showing him drinking beer while his fighters captured and executed then-President Samuel Doe. Doe’s killing set off two civil wars that ultimately claimed the lives of around 250,000 people.

Throughout the conflict, Johnson was a leading figure in the rebel militia. Following the war, he was forced into exile in Nigeria but returned to Liberia in 2004.

Despite widespread criticism of his role in the violence, Johnson never expressed remorse, defending his actions by claiming he had protected civilians from a regime he described as leading them “to the slaughterhouse, like chickens and goats.”

In 2017, Johnson ran for president, securing more than 8% of the vote in the first round. He later served as a senator, a position he held until his death.