MONROVIA, LIBERIA-President Joseph Boakai has established a National Committee to oversee the proper reburial of former Presidents William R. Tolbert and Samuel K. Doe.
President Boakai, in his Annual Message, declared the government’s commitment to provide dignified burial to former President William R. Tolbert and members of his Cabinet who died in April 1980.
According to an Executive Mansion release, a befitting burial will also be accorded former President Samuel Doe who was slain during the Liberian civil war.
The release said the historic initiative is part of the government’s broader efforts to foster national unity, reconciliation, and healing by bringing to an end a painful chapter in Liberia’s history.
Education Minister, Dr. Jarso Jallah, who is the Chair of the Committee, will be responsible for planning and executing the program to ensure the dignified reburial of the two former Presidents.
The move underscores the government’s commitment to fostering dialogue, understanding, and national unity through this historic undertaking.
At the same time, President Boakai has expanded the Terms of Reference of the ECOMOG Memorial Committee to include recognition of the United Nations Mission in Liberia.
The expansion will recognize the pivotal role UNMIL played in restoring peace and stability to the nation, facilitating democratic elections in 2005, and laying the foundation for nation-building and governance reforms.
The release said the committee will also undertake the rehabilitation of the Peace Monument on Du-port Road and reinitiate efforts to identify locations of mass graves across the country.
According to the release, following ECOMOG’s intervention in 1990, UNMIL launched its largest peacekeeping mission at the time in Liberia in 2003.
