Liberia's warlord-turned-senator Prince Johnson dies at 72

MONROVIA, LIBERIA — 

Prince Johnson, the Liberian erstwhile warlord and legislator whose brutal tactics shocked the world, has died astatine the property of 72, authorities said Thursday.

Johnson, who infamously videotaped himself drinking Budweiser arsenic his men chopped disconnected the ears of the nation's erstwhile president, remained progressive successful authorities aft the civilian warfare ended and was elected legislator successful 2006.

He died connected Thursday astatine a section infirmary successful Paynesville, a suburb of Monrovia, said Siafa Jallah, lawman manager of property relations astatine the Liberian senate.

Liberia's civilian wars, marked by wide killings, torture and intersexual violence, killed an estimated 250,000 radical betwixt 1989 and 2003. Johnson was named 1 of the "most notorious perpetrators" by the country's post-war information and reconciliation committee, and was accused of killing, extortion, massacre, torture and rape among different charges.

Neither Johnson nor the different 7 radical that the committee listed arsenic leaders of warring factions were ever tried successful Liberia. But a fistful were convicted overseas, including Charles Taylor, a erstwhile president, who is serving a 50-year-sentence successful the United Kingdom.

Mohammed Jabbateh, a rebel commandant who witnesses said killed civilians and ordered his soldiers to rape young girls, was sentenced to 30 years successful the U.S.

Earlier this year, President Joseph Boakai signed an enforcement bid to make a long-awaited warfare crimes tribunal to present justness to the civilian wars' victims, but the tribunal hasn't begun operating.

Adama Dempster, a Liberian quality rights advocate, expressed regret that Johnson was incapable to attest earlier the projected tribunal earlier helium died.

"It's bittersweet and has a heavy meaning for an accountability process," helium said.

In 1990, the then-38-year-old Johnson led a rebel faction that invaded Monrovia, captured erstwhile President Samuel Doe and tortured him successful beforehand of a rolling camera. Johnson is seen kicking backmost successful a chair, his feet up connected a array and a vessel of brew successful 1 hand. He taunts the erstwhile ruler arsenic his men portion the president to his underwear past chopped disconnected his ears, arsenic humor streams down his temple. The president aboriginal died, and according to 1 witness' grounds successful beforehand of the nation's information and reconciliation commission, Johnson aboriginal showed disconnected Doe's caput connected a platter.

After the extremity of the war, Johnson became a born-again Christian and ordained preacher, earlier being elected legislator representing Nimba County. The state banned the merchantability of Doe's notorious torture portion that had erstwhile been wide disposable astatine streetside stalls.