Prince Johnson

is dead. He apparently collapsed and died in his shower early today (other sources say died in bed) (Thursday starts earlier in Liberia). During the Liberian civil war he became one of the warlords, and famously captured, tortured, and killed Doe -- and had it filmed.

Following continued clashes with Taylor and the pro-Doe ULIMO group, the INPFL was disbanded and Johnson was forced into exile in Nigeria in 1992, where he converted to Christianity and reconciled with the Doe family.

The "reconciled with the Doe family" is interesting. You always wonder if a famous conversion like this is real or political, but if he managed that, I'm guessing real. He became a pastor, and a senator--apparently not always a straight-up one, but that's not surprising in a senator. I never met the man and have no personal impressions.

Do I need to say that the tribes he represented remember him fondly, and the tribes he fought against are angry he never stood trial? His troops did a lot of ugly things during the war.

I've already opined about Truth and Reconciliation in Liberia, and I don't know of any new evidence to change my conclusion (it's probably a bad idea). I think the only political way forward is for the warlords to die off. There's another way, a supernatural way, and it sounds like Rev. Johnson found it.