The Republic of Liberia is a West African country bordering Guinea, also one of the least developed nations.
The greatest aspiration of its educated elite is to "emigrate to France" and become Europeans.
This country once experienced an extremely brutal African tyrant—Samuel Kanyon Doe.
Doe was born into a rural tribal family in Liberia's hinterland. The Kran people are Liberia's largest indigenous ethnic group but remain a minority in terms of population. Like other native ethnic groups, they were historically ruled by Americo-Liberians.
Americo-Liberians are blacks from the Americas who returned to Africa and established Liberia in 1847. The subsequent 20 presidents were also Americo-Liberians.
These so-called Americo-Liberians were actually blacks expelled from the United States at the time.
The US was undergoing its industrial revolution, and the abolitionist movement was in full swing. After plantations were abolished, the lives of black people did not improve.
Yes, they gained so-called freedom, but they couldn't make a living in the country. Nearly 200,000 blacks couldn't find suitable work, becoming unstable social elements.
These forcibly "idle" blacks faced significant discrimination in US society at the time.
Whites called them the "Black Plague" or "Black Bedbugs."
Under these circumstances, tensions between blacks and whites escalated, and domestic public order in the US was greatly affected.
So, some proposed a solution: send these blacks back to their "old home"—Africa.
Soon, this plan was approved, and most of these blacks were sent to the Liberia region.
Interestingly, while these blacks lived unhappy lives at the bottom of society in the US, upon arriving in Liberia, they exhibited a strong sense of superiority, calling themselves "Americo-Liberians."
This group, once discriminated against, also brought racial discrimination to the African continent, looking down upon the local black people of Liberia.
Simultaneously, they embraced the so-called "freedom" and "human rights" ideologies brainwashing from the US.
Thus, in July 1847, the Liberian federal government declared independence, imitating the US by issuing its own Declaration of Independence. From then on, the nation of Liberia was born.
The groups sent from the US prospered and gradually became prominent families there, holding the lifeline of the country.
A scene that once played out in the US was repeated here.
However, the main characters changed to Americo-Liberian blacks and the local blacks.
The former considered themselves of noble bloodline, while the latter continuously struggled for more rights. Conflicts between different forces accompanied Liberia's over 100-year history, the most famous regime change being the "Rice Riots."
On April 14, 1979, the "Rice Riots" occurred in Liberia. The opposition party protested against President William Richard Tolbert Jr.'s government raising rice prices by holding a demonstration in the capital, Monrovia.
When authorities dispatched military police to suppress it, over 500 demonstrators were killed or injured.
Subsequently, nationwide protests and strike movements followed.
By March 1980, mass movements in Monrovia surged again.
The unstable and turbulent situation provided an excellent opportunity for Doe's uprising.
In the deep night of April 12, 1980, Doe led over ten people dressed in National Guard uniforms and quietly infiltrated the Liberian Presidential Mansion.
After a "fierce" shootout, Doe burst into the president's bedroom. Before President Tolbert could speak, Doe ended his life with a submachine gun.
At dawn, Doe commanded the mutinous soldiers to occupy the Presidential Mansion and immediately announced the successful coup on the radio.
The Americo-Liberians had ruled the country for over 100 years. No one could have imagined that a black native from a poor family with no background would ultimately seize power successfully with just a few dozen soldiers.
After the coup, Doe was awarded the rank of General and established a People's Redemption Council (PRC) composed of himself and 14 other low-ranking officials, beginning his dictatorial rule.
The early stage of this regime aimed to overthrow the old Liberian government and successively purge aides of former President Tolbert.
Simultaneously, Doe also ordered the release of about 50 opposition party leaders, most of whom were imprisoned leaders of the opposition True Whig Party.
Subsequently, Doe arrested 91 former government officials.
Perhaps out of revenge for past discrimination he had suffered.
After seizing power in Liberia, Doe did not think about how to build the country better but instead recklessly purged former government officials who had once discriminated against him.
Within days, 11 members of Tolbert's former cabinet, including his brother Frank, were accused of crimes such as "treason, rampant corruption, and severe human rights violations."
Shortly after, Doe suspended the constitution and unilaterally established a committee to try the former government officials. Because the defendants' jury was secretly threatened and refused to appear, these officials were unanimously sentenced to death.
Doe's methods were brutally simple to the point of infuriating. His punishment of these officials was also extremely inhumane.
According to reports, he ordered these officials to be stripped naked and tied to wooden stakes on the beach.
The pitiful officials shivered in the sea breeze, some freezing to death alive. Such brutal acts of public execution were despised even in culturally and economically backward Africa and could be considered a regression for human society.
This also shows that Doe was not only uneducated but also had no concept of the rule of law, giving the impression of a "newly rich" perspective: "This country is all mine, I can do whatever I want."
Furthermore, Doe's cruelty was also evident in his treatment of comrades who participated in the coup. These people were considered major contributors to Doe's government.
What awaited them was not high positions and generous salaries but various unsubstantiated charges, truly explaining what "when the hares die, the dogs are boiled."
Eventually, this group was either arrested or killed. Doe's actions of "burning the bridge after crossing the river" and ingratitude were displayed to the fullest.
This new ruler of Liberia seemed to hold immense malice towards everyone.
Once, the chief editor of Liberia's National Television Information Department went to the Presidential Mansion for an interview. Coincidentally, Doe was in a bad mood that day. Before the other could even ask a question, Doe waved his hand and ordered people to take the chief editor away and beat him to death.
After a series of purges, opposing forces within Liberia no longer posed a threat to him. The former dragon-slayer had completely turned into an evil dragon that committed every atrocity.
In 1985, Doe announced he would hold a presidential election the following year. In January 1986, he was successfully elected president. With absolute power, Doe began to plunder wealth blatantly for himself, countless civilians suffering greatly.
Within ten years, he had at least $200 million in savings overseas, not counting the savings of his family members, while Liberia's annual GDP was only about $850 million.
It's no exaggeration to say that Liberia supported Doe's entire family with the resources of a nation.
As time passed, the Liberian people became increasingly dissatisfied with Doe.
During his ten-year rule, Doe experienced 36 coups, large and small, and suppressed anyone he considered a political enemy.
In 1990, his doomsday finally arrived.
In December 1989, Doe's former friend, former Deputy Minister of Information Charles Taylor, took up arms in rebellion. His forces advanced triumphantly, controlling over half of the towns.
To prevent the Liberian conflict from spreading and harming neighboring countries, Nigeria, Ghana, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Libya sent peacekeeping troops to mediate.
On September 9, 1990, a soldier named Prince Johnson within the rebel forces led his troops to attack the capital Monrovia first. Doe was captured.
Prince Johnson had his subordinates torture him in the military camp.
Johnson decided, "Strip him naked, just like he treated others before!"
Doe sat naked on the ground, blood still dripping from his legs.
The trial began.
Johnson pointed majestically at Doe and asked: "Doe, during your rule, you accepted bribes, broke the law, and slaughtered the innocent. Do you plead guilty?"
Doe remained silent. He knew his fate; speaking was useless.
Johnson, seeing Doe silent, flew into a rage. "Fine, you won't speak. Someone, cut off one of his fingers."
With a scream, Doe's left index finger was chopped off.
Johnson began the interrogation again; Doe still didn't speak.
Another finger was chopped off.
Chop, chop. All ten of Doe's fingers were severed. He passed out from pain multiple times.
But Johnson did not spare him.
He then ordered someone to cut off Doe's ears.
By now, Doe was simply a bloodied man.
Yet, he still didn't speak. Seeing him like this, Johnson became even more furious.
Johnson resorted to his final move: he castrated Doe.
The rebels placed the barely alive former president on a single bed, displaying him like an exhibit for all the people to visit.
Thus, Doe was brutally tortured to death.
The next day, Doe completely stopped breathing. Upon hearing the news, the Liberian people jumped for joy, celebrating that the tyrant had finally received his retribution. Doe's fall from glory took less than ten years.
Subsequently, his body was dismembered, and the flesh was divided and eaten by the Liberian people.
The scene of his ears being cut off was recorded by cameras and broadcast worldwide.
The video showed Prince Johnson watching all of this while drinking a bottle of Budweiser beer.
[TL/N: Don't go to the next chapter yet! If you see "(Unedited)" next to the title, that means I didn't edit it—or just skimmed through without changing anything. Because honestly, there's no way I'm reading through all this nonsense that's been going on for 40+ chapters. I'm done!]