29 Facts About Samuel Doe

Samuel Kanyon Doe was a Liberian politician and military officer who served as the 21st President of Liberia from 1986 to 1990.

Samuel Doe ruled Liberia as Chairman of the People's Redemption Council from 1980 to 1986 and then as president from 1986 to 1990.

Samuel Doe suspended the Constitution of Liberia, assumed the rank of general, and established the PRC as a provisional military government with himself as de facto head of state.

Samuel Doe dissolved the PRC in 1984 and attempted to legitimize his regime, with a new democratic constitution and a general election held in 1985.

Samuel Doe opened Liberian ports to Canadian, Chinese, and European ships, which brought in considerable foreign investment and earned Liberia's reputation as a tax haven.

Samuel Doe had support from the United States due to his anti-Soviet stance during the Cold War.

Samuel Doe's rule was characterized by authoritarianism, corruption, favoritism towards fellow Krahns, and persecution of the Gio and Mano tribes, particularly after surviving a coup attempt in 1985, which led to growing opposition to his regime from the Liberian public and the United States.

Samuel Kanyon Doe was born on 6 May 1951 in Tuzon, a small inland village in Grand Gedeh County.

Samuel Doe's family belonged to the Krahn people, an important minority indigenous group in this area.

At the age of sixteen, Samuel Doe finished elementary school and enrolled at a Baptist junior high school in Zwedru.

Samuel Doe was promoted to the grade of master sergeant on 11 October 1979 and made an administrator for the Third Battalion in Monrovia, a position he occupied for eleven months.

Samuel Doe's forces killed another 26 of Tolbert's supporters in the fighting.

Samuel Doe ordered the release of about 50 leaders of the opposition Progressive People's Party, who had been jailed by Tolbert during the rice riots of the previous month.

Shortly after that, Samuel Doe ordered the arrest of 91 officials of the Tolbert regime.

Samuel Doe became head of state and suspended the constitution but promised a return to civilian rule by 1985.

Samuel Doe styled himself "Dr Doe" starting in 1982 after making a state visit to Chun Doo-hwan in South Korea and being awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Seoul.

On 26 July 1984, Samuel Doe was elected President of the Interim National Assembly.

Samuel Doe had a new constitution approved by referendum in 1984 and went on to stage a presidential election on 15 October 1985.

The election was heavily rigged; Samuel Doe had the ballots taken to a secret location, and 50 of his own handpicked staff counted them.

Samuel Doe publicly declared that if he lost the elections, he would not hand over power, and the army would carry out another coup in less than two weeks, a position that was harshly criticized by the international community and the political parties participating in the elections.

General Thomas Quiwonkpa, who had been a leader of the 1980 coup along with Samuel Doe, attempted to seize power on 12 November 1985; the attempt failed after fighting in Monrovia in which Quiwonkpa was killed.

Samuel Doe announced in a radio and television broadcast that anyone found on the streets after a 6 pm curfew would be considered a rebel and executed immediately.

Samuel Doe's government became even more repressive after the attempted coup, shutting down newspapers and banning political activity.

Charles Taylor, a former ally of Samuel Doe, crossed into Liberia from Ivory Coast on 24 December 1989 to wage a guerrilla war against Samuel Doe.

Samuel Doe was captured in Monrovia on 9 September 1990 by Prince Johnson, leader of INPFL, a breakaway faction of Taylor's NPFL.

Samuel Doe was escorted to General Quainoo's office, where he was formally welcomed while most of his team of aides and guards waited outside.

Johnson's men moved indoors, finished off Samuel Doe's remaining team, shot him in the leg, and took him captive.

The video shows Johnson sipping a beer as Samuel Doe's ear is cut off.

Samuel Doe changed his church membership to the Providence Baptist Church of Monrovia on 1 December 1985.