Liberia Holds Funeral for Ex-President Samuel Doe, 35 Years After Assassination

Liberia on Friday held a state funeral for former President Samuel Doe, 35 years after his brutal assassination, as part of efforts to promote national reconciliation. The ceremony, attended by President Joseph Boakai, took place in Doe’s hometown of Zwedru, alongside the burial of his wife, Nancy, who died in May.

Doe, who ruled from 1980 to 1990 after leading a violent coup, was tortured and killed during the country’s civil war—a key turning point in Liberia’s bloody conflict. His legacy remains divisive, seen by some as a brutal dictator and by others as a leader with positive reforms.