President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, will host a national healing, reconciliation, and unity program on Saturday, July 5, 2025. The ceremony which is in continuation of Boakai’s administration’s commitment to national unity and historical justice, will be hosted at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Congo Town. According to a release, the program follows the “dignified and historic reburial” ceremonies of two of the country’s former leaders.
They included President William Richard Tolbert, Jr. and President Samuel Kanyon Doe; whose lives were lost during periods of national unrest.
These ceremonies, the release said, were being held in June and July, respectively. They marked a critical step in the Boakai administration’s broader effort to foster national healing from the painful chapters of the country’s past.
Dr. Jarso Maley Jallah, Education Minister, and Chairperson of the National Reburial and Reconciliation Committee, announced the upcoming event.
Jallah said, the national gathering will honor, not only the memories of the country’s former leaders, but also the thousands of citizens who perished during the country’s brutal civil conflict, the deadly Ebola epidemic, and the devastating COVID-19 pandemic.
“Many of our people still live with the scars of these tragedies; some physical, many emotional, and others buried in unmarked graves,” Dr. Jallah said, noting: “This program intends to provide a space for collective reflection, mourning, and healing, and to renew our shared commitment to peace and reconciliation.”
The July 5, event is expected to bring together members of the three branches of government, representatives of the diplomatic community, faith-based and traditional leaders, youth and women groups, international organizations, and civil society actors.
Dr. Antoine Rutayisire, a distinguished chosen keynote speaker, 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. 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.
Pres. Boakai has repeatedly affirmed that reconciliation is a moral imperative and a necessary pillar for sustainable peace and inclusive development.
The National Healing, Reconciliation, and Unity Program is a clear reflection of this vision.
The government is inviting the general public to attend and participate in this momentous national event as Liberians make a conscious effort to unite under one banner: “Healing Our Past, Building Our Tomorrow, Together….”