FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE President Boakai Issues Historic Apology on Behalf of the Nation to Victims and Survivors of the Liberian Civil War July 6, 2025 Executive Mansion, Monrovia– In a deeply moving and unprecedented act of national leadership, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., yesterday issued

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. President Boakai Issues Historic Apology on Behalf of the Nation to Victims and Survivors of the Liberian Civil War

July 6, 2025

Executive Mansion, Monrovia– In a deeply moving and unprecedented act of national leadership, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., yesterday issued a formal apology on behalf of the Government and People of Liberia to the victims and survivors of the country’s brutal civil war.

The apology was delivered during the National Healing, Reconciliation, and Unity Program held at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex, where President Boakai stood before an audience of survivors, victims’ families, national leaders, and members of the diplomatic and international community.

In his solemn address, President Boakai acknowledged the immense human suffering caused by the 14-year civil conflict and accepted, on behalf of the Liberian state, moral responsibility for the nation’s failure to protect its citizens during one of the darkest chapters in its history.

“Ladies and gentlemen, as your President, and as a fellow Liberian, 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. The State could have done better but was used as agency. But we are here now, and we must do everything we can to make sure that it never fails you again!”

The President emphasized that this apology is not merely symbolic but marks a critical turning point in Liberia’s national journey toward truth, justice, and reconciliation. He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to transitional justice, including the implementation of recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), the establishment of national memorials, and support for survivors and affected communities.

President Boakai also called on all Liberians — across political, ethnic, and generational lines — to unite in healing and to build a society where the atrocities of the past can never be repeated.

The historic apology was received with emotion and reflection by those in attendance, many of whom described it as a long-awaited moment of recognition and dignity.

The National Healing, Reconciliation, and Unity Program continues the Boakai administration’s broader agenda to rebuild trust between citizens and the state, strengthen democratic institutions, and lay a foundation for lasting peace and inclusive development.