<p>Monrovia: Liberian former warlord Prince Johnson, who oversaw the brutal murder of former president Samuel Doe as civil wars rocked the country before later serving as a senator and political kingmaker, has died at the age of 72.</p><p>"It is true that he died this morning," family member Moses Ziah told <em>Reuters</em> on Thursday. Family spokesperson Wilfred Bangura also confirmed that Johnson, who suffered from high blood pressure, had died earlier in the day.</p>.World's oldest man John Tinniswood passes away at 112 in UK.<p>More than 200,000 people were killed and thousands more mutilated and raped as over 1 million were displaced in brutal civil wars that tore apart Liberia between 1989 and 2003 in which Johnson played an active role.</p><p>Johnson rose to notoriety after his men captured, tortured and mutilated former president Doe before executing him.</p><p>In a now infamous video from 1990, Johnson was seen celebrating with cans of Budweiser and looking on as his fighters sliced Doe's ear off with a knife before executing him.</p><p>Johnson subsequently said he regretted the murder and sought reconciliation with Doe's family.</p><p>While Liberia's Truth and Reconciliation Commission named him among those recommended for prosecution for war crimes, saying his group had committed rapes and killings, Johnson never faced trial.</p><p>After the war, he remained in politics and was elected as a senator in his Nimba county stronghold in 2006. He went on to play a role as kingmaker in various presidential elections.</p><p>He threw his support behind former president Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf in 2011, then endorsed George Weah in the run-off against Sirleaf's ruling party successor Joseph Boakai in 2017.</p><p>However, he switched his support to Boakai in the 2023 election in which Boakai defeated Weah in a run-off. </p>
<p>Monrovia: Liberian former warlord Prince Johnson, who oversaw the brutal murder of former president Samuel Doe as civil wars rocked the country before later serving as a senator and political kingmaker, has died at the age of 72.</p><p>"It is true that he died this morning," family member Moses Ziah told <em>Reuters</em> on Thursday. Family spokesperson Wilfred Bangura also confirmed that Johnson, who suffered from high blood pressure, had died earlier in the day.</p>.World's oldest man John Tinniswood passes away at 112 in UK.<p>More than 200,000 people were killed and thousands more mutilated and raped as over 1 million were displaced in brutal civil wars that tore apart Liberia between 1989 and 2003 in which Johnson played an active role.</p><p>Johnson rose to notoriety after his men captured, tortured and mutilated former president Doe before executing him.</p><p>In a now infamous video from 1990, Johnson was seen celebrating with cans of Budweiser and looking on as his fighters sliced Doe's ear off with a knife before executing him.</p><p>Johnson subsequently said he regretted the murder and sought reconciliation with Doe's family.</p><p>While Liberia's Truth and Reconciliation Commission named him among those recommended for prosecution for war crimes, saying his group had committed rapes and killings, Johnson never faced trial.</p><p>After the war, he remained in politics and was elected as a senator in his Nimba county stronghold in 2006. He went on to play a role as kingmaker in various presidential elections.</p><p>He threw his support behind former president Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf in 2011, then endorsed George Weah in the run-off against Sirleaf's ruling party successor Joseph Boakai in 2017.</p><p>However, he switched his support to Boakai in the 2023 election in which Boakai defeated Weah in a run-off. </p>