By James T. Brooks
LOMÉ, TOGO—On October 11, 2025, During the Second Edition of the Lomé Peace and Security Forum, Liberian President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. delivered a powerful address that framed his nation’s painful past and hard-won peace as a practical guide for a continent facing increasingly complex security challenges.
Speaking as an octogenarian “witness to history,” President Boakai emphasized that lasting peace is inseparable from accountability, justice, and grassroots ownership. The President’s reflections resonated deeply in Lomé, a city he recognized for its historic role in brokering the landmark peace accords that ended conflicts in both Liberia and Sierra Leone.
President Boakai, who has lived through Liberia’s 1980 coup and the devastating civil wars, stated that the nation’s journey to stability has been rooted in a commitment to confronting its past. The cornerstone of this strategy is the pursuit of justice and reconciliation, a process he is actively moving forward.
“There can be no lasting peace without justice and reconciliation,” the President declared.
Key actions his administration has taken or is pursuing include:
- Formal Apology: Issuing a formal apology to the victims of Liberia’s civil wars, which he called an essential act for the state to acknowledge its role and restore dignity to the victims.
- Symbolic Reburial: Organizing the reburial of former Presidents William Tolbert and Samuel Doe, and members of Tolbert’s cabinet, as an act of “truth, reconciliation, and dignity.”
- War and Economic Crimes Court: Working toward establishing a War and Economic Crimes Court to ensure accountability for past atrocities and economic crimes, a measure he believes strengthens—not weakens—peace.
- Memorialization: Addressing “national amnesia” by memorializing the victims of the conflict, including the selfless West African peacekeepers from ECOWAS who died while restoring order.
The President stressed that Liberia’s two decades of peace have endured because they are “owned by the people.” He highlighted the pivotal role of community groups—chiefs, women’s organizations, and youth—who became the true backbone of post-war recovery.
“Peace is not just the silence of guns; it is the presence of justice, opportunity, and hope,” Boakai noted.
The lesson from Liberia is clear: rebuilding infrastructure is insufficient if the “human spirit” is neglected. Reconciliation requires honesty, empathy, and forgiveness, demonstrating that “peace can start from the grassroots through persistence and moral strength.”
Acknowledging that the continent is at a “defining moment,” President Boakai addressed the multiple threats—from coups and violent extremism to climate change and economic inequality—testing Africa’s collective security. He urged African nations to be defined by “courage,” not “crisis,” and to embrace collective effort, referencing the proverb: “When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion.”
The path forward, he argued, requires a homegrown, African-owned approach centered on four key pillars:
- Inclusive Governance: Investing in political processes grounded in democratic norms and institutional integrity to build trust and reduce conflict risk.
- Universal Justice: Ensuring that access to justice is a universal right, central to peace and stability.
- Human Security: Prioritizing protection from poverty, disease, and environmental degradation, in addition to the absence of war.
- Economic Inclusion: Promoting opportunities for youth and women. The President framed investment in their welfare—education, innovation, and livelihoods—not as charity, but as a critical peace-building strategy to prevent youth from undertaking dangerous illegal migration in search of opportunities.
President Boakai affirmed that as Liberia returns to the United Nations Security Council, it does so as a “humble messenger” that peace, though fragile, is possible when anchored in justice and inclusion. The profound takeaway from Liberia’s experience is that “peace is not a destination; it is a journey, one that every generation must walk with renewed commitment.”