By Socrates Smythe Saywon
MONROVIA – Liberia stood still on July 30, 2025, as the nation marked 35 years since the brutal massacre at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, one of the darkest chapters in its history. The massacre, which occurred in the early hours of July 29, 1990, claimed the lives of more than 600 civilians, mostly women, children, and men, allegedly at the hands of government soldiers from the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), according to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) report.
This year’s commemoration, themed “We Survived to Change the Future,” was organized by the Lutheran Church Massacre Survivors Association (LUMASA) and held at the very site of the tragedy, St. Peter’s Lutheran Church on 14th Street in Sinkor. It was a moment of deep reflection, public mourning, and renewed calls for justice and reconciliation.
Victims and survivors gave moving testimonies, recounting the horror of that night in 1990 when the church, thought to be a sanctuary, became a slaughterhouse. “Crying was heard all around the compound that night,” one survivor recalled, tears welling up. Human rights advocate Adama Kiatamba Dempster laid a wreath on behalf of the civil society and transitional justice community, reaffirming their commitment to justice, reparations, and national healing.
Joining the solemn occasion were representatives from the government, including Education Minister Dr. Jarso Maley Jallah, who spoke on behalf of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai. Also in attendance were members of the diplomatic corps, faith-based institutions, and civil society organizations, all standing in solidarity with survivors and bereaved families.
In a gesture of national unity, President Boakai declared July 30 a National Day of Prayer, a national holiday intended for collective reflection, healing, and reconciliation. The President’s declaration, announced two days earlier by the Executive Mansion, emphasized the role of divine providence in Liberia’s survival through decades of war, disease, and hardship. “From the founding of our nation, through seasons of trial and triumph, God has remained our guide and the source of our hope,” President Boakai said.
His message urged Liberians to embrace forgiveness and work towards a shared future rooted in justice and unity. “Let us embrace forgiveness of ourselves and one another, for it is only through reconciliation that we can fully heal and move forward as one people,” the President added.
In response to the national call, prominent political figures offered heartfelt prayers. Senator Amara Konneh of Gbarpolu reflected on the country’s history and pleaded for national healing, unity, and honesty. He called on Liberians to recommit themselves to the founding ideals of the nation and to support each other regardless of tribe, religion, or political affiliation.
Bomi County Senator Edwin Melvin Snowe offered a deeply emotional prayer, questioning whether God was still listening but expressing gratitude that Liberia had survived its trials. He asked for grace and strength for the nation and its leaders, singling out President Boakai for divine guidance and the courage to forgive, even those closest to him. Snowe specifically mentioned former aide-de-camp Tarnue Kesselly, urging the President to reconcile personal differences as a model of national healing.
Snowe also appealed for collaboration between President Boakai and former leaders, including Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, George Weah, Jewel Howard Taylor, and other political actors like Alexander Cummings and Benoni Urey. He called for a spirit of unity that rises above politics, tribalism, and past grievances.
Throughout the day, Liberians across the country observed moments of silence, offered prayers in churches and mosques, and reflected on a painful past that still casts a long shadow. Calls were renewed for the establishment of a permanent National Commission on Reconciliation, not merely to memorialize past atrocities but to forge a future of peace through accountability and genuine reform.
Thirty-five years later, the wounds of the St. Peter’s Lutheran Church Massacre remain raw. But with gestures like the National Day of Prayer and voices demanding justice and reconciliation, Liberia signals its desire to reckon with the past, not to be bound by it, but to build something stronger in its wake.
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