Roosevelt Johnson
Encyclopedia
David Roosevelt Johnson was a Liberia
n who led a rebel group during the country's civil war. He is a member of the Krahn
ethnic group.
A former teacher, Johnson joined the rebel group United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy
(ULIMO) soon after the war began. ULIMO split into two factions in 1994: United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy-Kromah faction
(ULIMO-K) led by Alhaji G.V. Kromah
and the United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy-Johnson faction
(ULIMO-J), which was led by Johnson.
Johnson had 6 sons in Liberia, whom he cared for dearly. Jotham, his eldest, would take care of the rest of his brothers while Johnson had been on rebel missions. Nigel, Justin, Rob, Hye and Igor had lived without knowing much about their father, as Johnson had hardly been home to care for them.
Fighters loyal to Johnson triggered the first major violation of the Abuja Accord
in December 1995, resisting ECOMOG deployment around the diamond
mines near Tubmanburg
. He was dismissed from the ULIMO-J leadership in early 1996.
Like many involved in the Liberian civil war, Johnson was known to use mercenary fighters to further his causes. One notable example was his funding of the somewhat oddly named General Butt Naked. The General commanded a brigade of young, drugged up teenage boys who would often fight naked or in women's clothing because of a belief that it would protect them from bullets. Such was the mix of politics, semi-religious belief, uneducated leaders, drugs and utter fall of civil society that typified the Liberian conflict.
On 20 September 1998, following government accusations earlier that month that it had foiled a coup attempt, there was a shootout near the American
embassy, between fighters loyal to Johnson and President Charles Taylor's troops. It left at least 50 people dead. The gun battle was described by some observers as a deliberate attempt by Taylor's forces to gun down Johnson and many of his followers.
Johnson fled to the United States Embassy and was then transported out of the country to Nigeria
. He was charged with treason
and convicted in absentia, in April 1999. He died in 2004 in Nigeria.
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
n who led a rebel group during the country's civil war. He is a member of the Krahn
Krahn
Krahn is an ethnic group of Liberia; it is also the language traditionally spoken by these people.- History :The Krahn Arrived in the area known as Ivory Coast and Liberia from Northern Africa shortly before the slaves trade. Most of these people were taken as slaves to the United States and the...
ethnic group.
A former teacher, Johnson joined the rebel group United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy
United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy
The United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy was a rebel group that participated in the First Liberian Civil War ....
(ULIMO) soon after the war began. ULIMO split into two factions in 1994: United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy-Kromah faction
United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy-Kromah faction
The United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy–Kromah faction was a rebel group that was active during the First Liberian Civil War....
(ULIMO-K) led by Alhaji G.V. Kromah
Alhaji G.V. Kromah
Professor Alhaji G.V. Kromah,Esq. is a veteran Liberian Journalist/writer, politician, Lawyer and former national resistance leader. He is a moderate Muslim and member of the Mandingo ethnic group from Tusu Town, Quardu-Gboni District, Lofa County. He attended St...
and the United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy-Johnson faction
United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy-Johnson faction
The United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy–Johnson faction was a rebel group that was active during the First Liberian Civil War....
(ULIMO-J), which was led by Johnson.
Johnson had 6 sons in Liberia, whom he cared for dearly. Jotham, his eldest, would take care of the rest of his brothers while Johnson had been on rebel missions. Nigel, Justin, Rob, Hye and Igor had lived without knowing much about their father, as Johnson had hardly been home to care for them.
Fighters loyal to Johnson triggered the first major violation of the Abuja Accord
Abuja Accord (Liberia)
The Abuja Agreement was a peace treaty signed on 19 August 1995 in an attempt to secure peace from National Patriotic Front of Liberia leader, Charles Taylor in the First Liberian Civil War...
in December 1995, resisting ECOMOG deployment around the diamond
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
mines near Tubmanburg
Tubmanburg
Tubmanburg, also known as Bomi and formerly known as Vaitown, is the capital of Bomi County in Liberia. It lies in the Bomi Hills northwest of Monrovia and was an iron ore and diamond mining centre until is was largely destroyed in the Liberian Civil War...
. He was dismissed from the ULIMO-J leadership in early 1996.
Like many involved in the Liberian civil war, Johnson was known to use mercenary fighters to further his causes. One notable example was his funding of the somewhat oddly named General Butt Naked. The General commanded a brigade of young, drugged up teenage boys who would often fight naked or in women's clothing because of a belief that it would protect them from bullets. Such was the mix of politics, semi-religious belief, uneducated leaders, drugs and utter fall of civil society that typified the Liberian conflict.
On 20 September 1998, following government accusations earlier that month that it had foiled a coup attempt, there was a shootout near the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
embassy, between fighters loyal to Johnson and President Charles Taylor's troops. It left at least 50 people dead. The gun battle was described by some observers as a deliberate attempt by Taylor's forces to gun down Johnson and many of his followers.
Johnson fled to the United States Embassy and was then transported out of the country to Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. He was charged with treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
and convicted in absentia, in April 1999. He died in 2004 in Nigeria.