Monrovia — Former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has admitted that her administration did not do enough to address the social and emotional impact of the country’s civil war, particularly on the youth.
By Selma Lomax [email protected]
In an interview with the BBC World Service, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Africa’s first elected female head of state said her government fell short in supporting young people affected by the conflict.
“I wish I had done more about the social aspects of the country. Addressing the many young people whom we never provided the type of support they needed,” Sirleaf told BBC’s The Interview program.
Her remarks are among the most candid public acknowledgments of shortcomings during her 12-year tenure and come as Liberia continues to confront the lingering effects of war on its population.
Sirleaf served from 2006 to 2018, steering Liberia through post-conflict recovery, securing debt relief, restoring foreign relations, and rebuilding state institutions. Her administration received international acclaim for economic and political reforms. However, in the recent interview, she acknowledged that these gains did not adequately reach the war-affected youth population.
“Yes, we did do education and health, and we made great advances in those areas, but we never addressed the pains of conflict and the attitudes that emerged from two decades of war,” she said.
“We did not address the mental anguish of young people and provide them with the kinds of support that they perhaps required.”
Her comments highlight the disconnect between post-war reconstruction and the psychosocial needs of citizens, particularly young people who experienced or participated in armed conflict.
During Liberia’s 14-year civil war, tens of thousands of children were displaced or recruited as child soldiers. While the Sirleaf administration re-opened schools and built clinics, many former child combatants and victims received little or no psychological counseling or long-term rehabilitation support.
This lack of intervention has had lasting consequences, including increased crime, drug use, and high rates of youth unemployment. With more than 60 percent of Liberia’s population under the age of 25, the absence of meaningful youth-focused social recovery policies has had a significant impact on national development.
Advocates for mental health and youth development have long criticized the Sirleaf administration for its limited investment in post-conflict social healing. Those critiques were often overshadowed by the government’s focus on macroeconomic indicators and political stability.
Sirleaf’s acknowledgment has given renewed credibility to those concerns. Her statement appears to reflect an evolving understanding of the presidency’s missed opportunities, and the importance of addressing the emotional and societal damage caused by war.
Critics say the lack of youth reintegration programs during Sirleaf’s tenure contributed to feelings of alienation and mistrust in government among young people.
Observers argue that Liberia’s current social challenges—including persistent youth unemployment, a growing drug crisis, and political disengagement—are linked to the failure to adequately support young people in the immediate post-war years.
An estimated two in every ten Liberian youth use narcotic substances. To sustain their addiction, many of these young people—living in ghettos, on street corners, and even in cemeteries—often resort to crime, including armed robbery.
Analysts note that Sirleaf’s administration focused heavily on external diplomacy and national infrastructure projects, often at the expense of localized healing and youth rehabilitation efforts.
Some have questioned whether outcomes would be different today if more attention had been given to community-based trauma care, vocational training, and youth leadership development during her time in office.
Sirleaf’s comments stand out in a region where former leaders rarely offer public regrets or reflections on policy failures. Her statement, “I wish I had done more,” departs from the typically defensive posture adopted by many African ex-presidents.
It remains to be seen whether this admission will encourage similar reflections among other regional leaders, or whether it will prompt action from Liberia’s current government.
President Joseph Boakai, a longtime political ally of Sirleaf and her former vice president, now faces growing pressure to prioritize youth development and mental health in national policy.
