Liberia: Number of brothers and sisters of former president William Tolbert, and their names; fate of ministers of his government and their relatives after the 1980 coup
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 October 1991 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | LBR9448 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Liberia: Number of brothers and sisters of former president William Tolbert, and their names; fate of ministers of his government and their relatives after the 1980 coup, 1 October 1991, LBR9448, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6abfe38.html [accessed 16 October 2022] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The most prominent members of William Tolbert's government had different fates after the 12 April 1980 coup led by Samuel Kanyon Doe. Fourteen members of the "old ruling group were charged with high treason, corruption, misuse of public office and the suppression of civil and human rights" (Africa Contemporary Record 1981, B530). On 22 April 1980, after a week of hearings, 13 of those prisoners were executed at the beach of Barclay Training Centre. These included six former Ministers (listed in the attached documents) and Frank Tolbert, brother of former President William (W.R.) Tolbert (Ibid.).
The other persons executed on 22 April 1980 were two prominent members of the True Whig Party, a Congressman, the Speaker of the House, the former Budget Director and a former Chief Justice (Ibid.).
However, four Ministers from Tolbert's cabinet reportedly remained in the cabinet of Samuel Doe. George Boley became the Minister of Presidential Affairs, while Gabriel J. Tucker, Kate Bryant and Lansana Dunso retained their posts at the ministries of Public Works, Health and Welfare and Development and Progress, respectively (Africa Confidential 23 Apr. 1980). The available report quotes Samuel Doe as saying:
All cabinet ministers under the administration of the late William Tolbert who have not been associated withany form of rampant and uncontrollable corruption will be considered for participation in the new government" (Ibid.
Nevertheless, the early casualties of Doe's coup reportedly amounted to 25 people, which included William Tolbert, some presidential guards and "other members of the president's family" (Ibid.).
After assuming power, the Doe government reportedly confiscated William Tolbert's wealth and property, "except for the houses occupied by his surviving family, who were all placed under house arrest" (Africa Contemporary Record 1980, B531).
According to another Africa Confidential report, Adolphus Benedict (A. B.) Tolbert was the son of William Tolbert and son-in-law of Côte d'Ivoire's President Félix Houphouët-Boigny (17 May 1991). A.B. Tolbert was reportedly murdered by Samuel Doe or his men "in the earliest day of his [Doe's] regime" (Ibid.). The report adds:
Doe had promised Houphouët-Boigny that AB [Tolbert], who had been dragged from the sanctuary of the French embassy in Monrovia, would be spared. Huophouët-Boigny never forgave this perfidy (Ibid.).
Another report indicates that A.B. Tolbert was married to Houphouët-Boigny's foster-daughter, adding that he had been the Chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee (Africa Contemporary Record 1981, B530). The same source adds that A.B. Tolbert had sought refuge in the French Embassy at Monrovia on 14 April 1980, from which he was taken by soldiers on 14 June of the same year. Although a fair trial for him was publicly promised, by 1981 he was presumed dead, with rumours reportedly blaming Doe's Deputy-Head of State Weh Syen for his death (Ibid. 1982, B454).
Samuel Doe gradually released a number of detained former members of the overthrown government, including at least one former Minister, and later announced an amnesty for political prisoners on Christmas 1981 (Ibid. 1980, B531; Ibid. 1982, B454). However, three prominent figures from the overthrown government were not released by that amnesty: Clarence Simson (Secretary General of the True Whig Party), Bonnie Warner (former Vice-President) and A.B. Tolbert (Ibid.).
Sumo Jones, Tolbert's head of security, was reportedly named Deputy Foreign Minister by Samuel Doe (Africa Confidential 22 Apr. 1981). Due to political pressure, Jones was them moved to the Information Ministry (Ibid.).
Additional information on the requested subject could not be found among the sources currently available to the IRBDC.
Bibliography
A frica Confidential [London, U.K.]. 17 May 1991. "Liberia: Sparking Fires in West Africa."
. 22 April 1981. "Liberia:
. 21 May 1980. "Liberia: The New Men."
. 23 April 1980. "Liberia: Who Rules?"
Legum, Colin, ed. 1982. Africa Contemporary Record: Annual Survey and Documents 1981 - 1982. New York/London: Africana Publishing Company.
Legum, Colin, ed. 1981. Africa Contemporary Record: Annual Survey and Documents 1980 - 1981. New York/London: Africana Publishing Company.
Attachments
Africa Confidential [London, U.K.]. 21 May 1980. "Liberia: The New Men."
. 23 April 1980. "Liberia: Who Rules?"
Legum, Colin, ed. 1981. Africa Contemporary Record: Annual Survey and Documents 1980 - 1981. New York/London: Africana Publishing Company, pp. B530-1.
