Liberia Commemorates April 22 Executions With Renewed Commitment to Justice and National Healing
June 29, 2025
By Feeme M. Wantee
Monrovia: More than four decades after one of Liberia’s darkest days, the nation paused this week to reflect, mourn, and commit itself anew to justice and national healing.
In a solemn ceremony at the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism (MICAT), government officials, civil society leaders, and citizens gathered to honor the memory of former public officials and military officers executed in the wake of 1980. The commemorative event marks the launch of a week-long memorial campaign, with symbolic and historical importance that echoes far beyond April 22.
The campaign seeks to bring long-overdue recognition to the lost lives, while fostering national reconciliation rooted in truth and dignity.
Leading the tribute was Cllr. Yvette Chesson-Wureh, Permanent Representative of Liberia and Head of the Angie Brooks International Centre (ABIC), whose powerful remarks struck at the heart of the country’s unresolved pain.
“This is about more than remembrance,” she said. “It is about restoring the soul of our nation. These men were denied justices tripped of their rights and humanity. We owe it to them, and to ourselves, to confront this history with truth.” On April 22, 1980, just days after the military coup that toppled President William R. Tolbert Jr., 13 senior officials of his government were publicly executed without trial.
Their names E. Reginald Townsend, James T. Phillips Jr., David Neal, Frank Tolbert, among others were solemnly read aloud during the ceremony. Each name evoked deep reflection, with visible emotion among attendees.
But the remembrance extended beyond cabinet officials. Cllr. Chesson-Wureh emphasized that the executions also claimed the lives of uniformed personnel, including General Charles Railey Jr., Major Gabriel Moore, and Director Varney Dempster, all victims of a brutal political purge. “These were not just public servants they were fathers, brothers, sons,” she noted. “Their deaths are not just history.
They are wounds that still ache within our national consciousness.” President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has endorsed the initiative, supporting a full week of remembrance activities, including a book of condolence for the late President Tolbert at the Centennial Pavilion and a state memorial service scheduled for July 1.
One of the week’s most significant milestones will be the dedication of the April 22 Memorial Site at the Liberia Baptist Theological Seminary in Paynesville. More than a symbolic monument, the site will feature a library, research archives, and scholarship programs, according to Cllr. Chesson-Wureh.
These elements aim to preserve the legacy of those who perished and educate future generations on the consequences of injustice and political violence. “This is not about reliving trauma,” she said. “It’s about using memory to safeguard our future so that Liberia never again condones extrajudicial killings or political revenge as justice.”
She also delivered a pointed critique of the legal violations surrounding the 1980 executions, labeling them not only unconstitutional but in breach of international human rights standards. The victims, she said, were denied trials, legal representation, and due process. “If there were accusations of corruption or wrongdoing, then the courts not firing squads should have been the path to justice,” she declared.
In a deeply emotional appeal, Chesson-Wureh urged Liberians at home and abroad to support the memorial initiative through funding, research, and public awareness. She highlighted the case of Lieutenant Vaseline, one of the lesser-known victims, whose personal history remains unrecorded. “We don’t even have a photo of him,” she said, her voice heavy with emotion. “No one deserves to vanish from memory. Every victim deserves a name, a face, and dignity in remembrance.”
The Angie Brooks International Centre extended appreciation to key partners, including the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Information, the Mayor of Paynesville, and the Liberia Broadcasting System for their roles in making the memorial campaign possible. “This is a national act of remembrance,” Cllr. Chesson-Wureh concluded. “We do not seek revenge we seek justice. We remember so that our laws, our leaders, and our people will never again tolerate the silencing of justice with bullets.”
As Liberia moves forward on its path of post-conflict reconciliation, the April 22 Memorial stands not only as a tribute to the dead but also as a living call to uphold the rule of law, human dignity, and collective memory.
