Liberia’s President Boakai Orders National Mourning as Nation Prepares for State Funeral and Re-burial of Samuel Doe and First Lady Nancy Doe in Grand Gedeh
By: TPA News Desk | editor@thepointafricanews.com The Liberian Government has released the protocol leading to the funeral and re-burial of former President Samuel Kanyon Doe, marking a significant step in the nation’s journey towards reconciliation and healing. The ceremonies, which will also include the funeral and interment of the late former First Lady Nancy Bohn […]
The Liberian Government has released the protocol leading to the funeral and re-burial of former President Samuel Kanyon Doe, marking a significant step in the nation’s journey towards reconciliation and healing. The ceremonies, which will also include the funeral and interment of the late former First Lady Nancy Bohn Doe, are scheduled to take place from Tuesday, June 24, to Friday, June 27, 2025.
As a solemn mark of last respect and in an effort to foster national unity, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has ordered a period of national mourning commencing Tuesday, June 24, and concluding on Friday, June 27. During this four-day period, the national ensign will be flown at half-mast on all public buildings across the country.
The protocol outlines a series of events designed to honor the former President, who was slain during the Liberian civil war in 1990, and his late wife, Nancy Doe, who recently passed away in May 2025. President Boakai’s administration has made the dignified re-burial of past leaders a centerpiece of its reconciliation agenda, having established a National Committee for the Reburial of Former Presidents in February 2025.
The schedule for the ceremonies is as follows: On Tuesday, June 24, a Book of Condolence will be officially opened at the Centennial Memorial Pavilion in Monrovia. President Joseph Boakai, alongside an array of senior government officials, is expected to lead the signing of the book, symbolizing the nation’s collective remembrance. On Wednesday, June 25, the remains of former President Samuel Doe and former First Lady Nancy Doe will be ceremoniously removed from the Samuel Stryker Funeral Home. They will then be transported to the Centennial Memorial Pavilion in Monrovia to lie in state, allowing citizens to pay their respects. Following this, the remains will be taken under appropriate escorts on a dignified journey to Grand Gedeh County, their home region. On Thursday, June 26, a night of wake keeping will be held in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County, providing an opportunity for family, friends, and the community to gather in remembrance. Finally, on Friday, June 27, the funeral rites for the late former President Samuel K. Doe and former First Lady Nancy B. Doe will take place at the Zwedru City Hall. Following the rites, the couple will be finally laid to rest side by side at the Doe Compound in Zwedru.
The government’s decision to accord a state funeral and joint re-burial to the former presidential couple has been met with expressions of gratitude from the Doe family, who see it as a meaningful step towards healing and historical closure for a painful chapter in Liberia’s history.
