In a major step toward national healing and reconciliation, President Joseph Nyumah Boakai has held a high-level meeting with members of the family of the late President William R. Tolbert, Jr., as preparations intensify for the reburial of the former Liberian leader.
The Sunday gathering, which took place at the Tolbert residence in Paynesville, comes just days after President Boakai participated in the solemn reburial ceremony of another former president, the late Samuel Kanyon Doe, in his native Grand Gedeh County. These back-to-back actions underscore what the Executive Mansion describes as the President’s unwavering commitment to confronting Liberia’s painful past and steering the nation toward reconciliation.
“This meeting is a continuation of our national reconciliation agenda,” President Boakai said following his visit. “Honoring our past leaders with dignity is not only a matter of respect—it is a necessary act of national healing. It allows us to confront our shared history honestly and move forward in unity.”
According to a press statement issued by the Executive Mansion, the discussion focused on the logistical and ceremonial aspects of the planned reburial of President Tolbert, who was assassinated in 1980 during a bloody coup d’état that altered the course of Liberian history.
The President’s consultations are being guided by promises made during his 2025 State of the Nation Address, where he pledged to ensure that the remains of all past leaders are treated with national honor.
The Tolbert family welcomed the initiative, expressing their appreciation for President Boakai’s respectful and inclusive approach.
“We are grateful for the President’s leadership in this process,” a family spokesperson said. “Our father gave his life in service to this country, and this reburial effort symbolizes a long-overdue recognition of that service. It is not just about our family—it’s about Liberia’s journey toward peace and reconciliation.”
The late President Tolbert, who led Liberia from 1971 until his assassination on April 12, 1980, remains a deeply symbolic figure in Liberian history. His presidency marked an era of reform and Pan-African advocacy, but it ended abruptly in violence that ushered in decades of instability.
Political observers say President Boakai’s efforts to reinter past presidents with dignity—regardless of their political legacy—represent a bold and necessary act of national courage. By bridging historic divides and embracing uncomfortable truths, the Boakai administration is attempting to build a new foundation for national unity.
“These reburials are not just ceremonial—they are deeply political and moral statements,” said one analyst. “They are about acknowledging what happened, who we lost, and how we move forward as a people.”
Further details regarding the reburial of President Tolbert are expected in the coming weeks as the government works in close consultation with the Tolbert family, religious institutions, historical societies, and civil society stakeholders to ensure that the ceremony reflects national respect and solemnity.
As Liberia reflects on its turbulent past, the Boakai administration’s reconciliation drive—including the reburials of former leaders—has been hailed as a transformative chapter in the country’s efforts to forge unity through truth, memory, and collective dignity.
