06/07/2025
President Boakai Issues Historic Apology, Launches National Reconciliation Push
Monrovia, Liberia July 5, 2025 - In an emotionally charged address that marked a watershed moment in Liberia’s post-war recovery, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. on Saturday issued a formal apology on behalf of the Liberian state to victims of the country’s brutal civil conflict, pledging renewed action toward national healing and unity.
Speaking at the EJS Ministerial Complex in Congo Town during the launch of Liberia’s National Reconciliation, Healing, and Unity Program, President Boakai declared, “To every victim of our civil conflict, to every family broken, to every dream shattered, we say: WE ARE SORRY.”
The president’s apology, delivered before a diverse audience of lawmakers, former presidents, diplomats, civil society leaders, traditional chiefs, women’s and youth groups, and survivors’ associations, was met with emotional applause and solemn silence as Liberia collectively confronted its painful past.
“For too long, many of our fellow citizens have carried their pain in silence,” Boakai stated. “This event creates the space for dialogue, remembrance, and closure.”
The President emphasized that reconciliation is not merely symbolic but must be participatory. “Reconciliation cannot be handed down; it must be lived, shared, and embraced by all of us.”
Boakai acknowledged the haunting legacy of the civil war, which killed an estimated 250,000 people and displaced millions more. “Hardly a Liberian family has not been touched by the pain, the violence, and the injustice that have haunted our nation,” he said. “These wounds are not distant memories. They live with us.”
The event follows recent national recognition of two former Liberian presidents, William R. Tolbert Jr. and Samuel K. Doe, both of whom were violently removed from power. Boakai said honoring their memories is part of a broader national reckoning. “It was not just about two men,” he noted. “It is about a nation that lost its way and is still fighting to find its soul.”
President Boakai announced a series of new measures aimed at delivering justice and preserving collective memory, including: Full implementation of key recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), Revival of the National History Project to write an inclusive Liberian history, Construction of a National Memorial to honor conflict victims
With just five years remaining in Liberia’s 18-year Strategic Roadmap for National Healing, Peacebuilding, and Reconciliation, which runs through 2030, Boakai urged all sectors of society—government, civil society, and development partners—to act with urgency.
“This is no time for hesitation,” he said. “We must transform mindsets, rebuild relationships, and strengthen the institutions that form the backbone of our democracy and development.”
The president evoked the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., reminding the nation that “peace is not just the absence of war. It is the presence of justice.”
“We owe it to those we lost. We owe it to those who survived. We owe it to our children. We owe it to our future,” Boakai declared. “Above all, we owe it to ourselves.”
As Liberia continues to emerge from decades of political instability and social fragmentation, the president’s remarks signal a renewed commitment to confronting hard truths while building a more inclusive and unified future.
“May this be the turning point,” Boakai concluded, “where Liberia may also take its deserved place on the global stage.”
For his part, Dr. Antoine Rutayisire, a respected reconciliation expert and genocide survivor from Rwanda, in a stirring keynote address at Liberia’s National Healing and Reconciliation Program, delivered a heartfelt message of solidarity to the Liberian people, urging them to embrace their shared pain while committing to national healing.
Dr. Rutayisire told Liberians still grappling with the trauma of the country’s 14-year civil war, “Those of you Liberians who are feeling the pains of the conflict in your country—know that you are not alone. We all have been through it, and we are still going through it.”
Dr. Rutayisire, whose nation endured the horrific 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in which over one million people were murdered in just 100 days, said his purpose in Liberia was not ceremonial but deeply human.
“I am not here to give any pleasant word to Liberia,” he said. “I am here to share the experience of what we have done, what we are going through, and how we recovered.”
He spoke candidly about the horrors of war and the lasting emotional and societal scars left behind. “Being a genocide survivor myself, I know what it takes to lose a father or any family member in such a brutal manner. I have seen mothers crying at night over the stress of raising a family of four children without a father. I therefore know the pain it carries.”
Drawing parallels between Liberia and Rwanda, Dr. Rutayisire emphasized the importance of confronting national trauma with empathy and honesty. “Rwanda, like Liberia, is a country without heavenly divisions,” he said. “But divisions were cultivated—divisions that ultimately led to genocide.”
He reminded Liberians of the long road to recovery, saying that the struggle to rebuild is shared by other post-conflict nations. “I know the frustration of being denied your rights and treated as a second-class citizen in your own country. I know the pain of deprivation, displacement, and dependency in a refugee camp.”
Dr. Rutayisire also praised President Joseph Nyuma Boakai for taking concrete steps to address Liberia’s wartime legacy. “Thank you, Mr. President, for taking the wounds of Liberia seriously and ensuring that there is closure to the many issues that arose from the war.”
The presence of Dr. Rutayisire, who has played a central role in Rwanda’s reconciliation efforts, added moral weight and international significance to Liberia’s healing initiative. His testimony resonated deeply with survivors and advocates attending the event, reinforcing the idea that national healing, while painful, is both possible and necessary.
As Liberia moves forward in its post-conflict recovery, Dr. Rutayisire’s message served as a sobering yet hopeful reminder: true reconciliation is not about forgetting the past—but learning to live with it, together.
