Monrovia, Liberia – President Joseph N. Boakai is anticipated to conduct a National Healing, Reconciliation, and Unity Program as part of his Administration’s ongoing commitment to historical justice and national unity. The ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, July 5, 2025, at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Congo Town, according to a press announcement dated July 2, 2025.
The program follows the dignified and historic reburial ceremonies of two of Liberia’s former leaders President William Richard Tolbert, Jr. and President Samuel Kanyon Doe, Sr. whose lives were lost during periods of national unrest. Held in June and July, respectively, both ceremonies represent a significant milestone in the Boakai Administration’s larger initiative to promote national reconciliation from the traumatic periods of Liberia’s history.
This national gathering will honor not only the memory of Liberia’s former leaders but also the thousands of people who lost their lives during the country’s violent civil war, the deadly Ebola epidemic, and the devastating COVID-19 pandemic, said Dr. Jarso Maley Jallah, Minister of Education and Chairperson of the National Reburial and Reconciliation Committee, who announced the event.
Dr. Jallah said, “This program is intended to provide a space for collective reflection, mourning, and healing, and to renew our shared commitment to peace and reconciliation. Many of our people still live with the scars of these tragedies, some physical, many emotional, and others buried in unmarked graves.”
Members of the three levels of government, diplomats, traditional and faith-based leaders, women’s and youth organizations, foreign organizations, and civil society players are anticipated to be present at the event on July 5.
A distinguished keynote speaker, Dr. Antoine Rutayisire, will address the gathering, delivering a message centered on healing the wounds of the past, strengthening national unity, and charting a peaceful future for all Liberians.
Dr. Antoine Rutayisire is the current Rwandan Team Leader of African Enterprise, an organization that is committed to bringing healing, reconciliation, strength and renewal back to the disillusioned and devastated Rwandan church and nation.
Reconciliation is a moral requirement and a prerequisite for inclusive growth and lasting peace, as President Boakai has stated time and time again. This goal is evident in the National Healing, Reconciliation, and Unity Program.
As Liberians strive to come together under the motto “Healing Our Past, Building Our Tomorrow, Together,” the government of Liberia is extending an invitation to the general public to attend and take part in this historic national event.
Photo credit: Executive Mansion
