The Capture and Killing of President Samuel Doe

09/09/1990

On September 9, 1990, President Samuel Doe was captured by rebel fighters of the Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL) led by Prince Johnson.

Doe had sought refuge at the ECOMOG base at the Freeport of Monrovia, but was seized after a confrontation. Hours later, a gruesome video surfaced showing the torture and execution of the sitting president — an act that shocked the region and exposed the brutality of Liberia’s civil conflict to the world.

His death marked the collapse of the central government and plunged the country deeper into a power struggle between rival factions. It remains one of the most disturbing and pivotal moments in Liberia’s modern history.

CivilWar, HumanRights, INPFL, Liberia1990, SamuelDoe

More Commemoration Events

Explore other remembrance events and memorials organized by LUMASA to honor victims, preserve history, and promote peace across Liberia.

The Killing of Five American Nuns in Liberia

During the height of Operation Octopus, five American Catholic nuns — Sisters Mary Joel Kolmer, Kathleen McGuire, Agnes Mueller, Shirley

Operation Octopus – The Siege of Monrovia

In October 1992, rebel forces of Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) launched Operation Octopus — a coordinated

Operation Sharp Edge – U.S. Evacuation of Monrovia

In August 1990, as Liberia’s civil war intensified and violence consumed the capital, the United States launched Operation Sharp Edge

St Peter’s Lutheran Church Massacre

On the night of 29 July 1990, approximately 600 unarmed civilians who had sought refuge at St Peter’s Lutheran Church