‘I Regret Not Doing More for Liberian Youths After Civil War,’ Says Former President Sirleaf

MONROVIA – Former Liberian President and Nobel Peace Laureate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has expressed deep regret for what she describes as a major shortfall of her 12-year administration: not doing enough to rehabilitate and reintegrate Liberia’s war-affected youth after the end of the country’s brutal civil conflict.

In a revealing interview with the BBC World Service, Sirleaf—Africa’s first democratically elected female president—said that despite the many gains made during her presidency, including strides in health, education, and governance, she fell short in addressing the psychological trauma and socio-economic needs of the country’s young people.

“We never addressed the pains of conflict and the attitudes that emerged from two decades of war,” Sirleaf admitted. “We did not address the mental anguish of young people and provide them with the kinds of support that they perhaps required.”

Liberia’s Post-War Struggles

After 14 years of civil war that decimated institutions, infrastructure, and lives, the 2003 Comprehensive Peace Accord signed in Accra, Ghana, opened the door for democratic governance in Liberia. In the 2005 elections, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf emerged as the leader chosen to rebuild a broken nation.

When she took office in 2006, Liberia was at rock bottom. Much of the country’s infrastructure was in ruins, and an entire generation of children had grown up with little or no access to formal education.

Sirleaf inherited a country scarred by violence and heavily burdened by debt and dependency. Her administration tackled many of these issues head-on—most notably by leading Liberia to qualify for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. Her fiscal discipline, international diplomacy, and emphasis on governance reform earned her global respect.

But she now concedes that the trauma and dislocation experienced by thousands of former child soldiers, street youth, and displaced families were not sufficiently prioritized.

“It Takes More Than Aid”

Reflecting on Liberia’s experience, Sirleaf told the BBC that nations recovering from conflict must look beyond just financial support. Successful post-war recovery, she said, requires personal leadership, public service values, and an unwavering commitment to national healing.

“It takes personal commitment. It takes a vision. With values, you are likely to attract the resources required to rebuild,” she said. “But that requires personal integrity, personal influence with others whom you lead, so you’re not alone.”

Despite being hailed as the “Iron Lady of Africa” for her leadership, Sirleaf said Liberia’s peace was fragile, and warned that failing to address youth issues could undermine future progress.

Legacy and Future Aspirations

Since leaving office in 2018, Sirleaf has continued to focus on empowering women and promoting good governance through the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development. She said this work is her way of giving back to the women whose grassroots mobilization helped her ascend to the presidency. “I owe it to the women,” she said.

Now 88, Sirleaf remains a prominent voice on African development, urging nations to reduce dependency on foreign aid and better manage their natural resources to create inclusive economic growth.

“We must be able to see to it that the benefits from our resources are used largely for inclusive growth—for giving us the self-reliance, self-dependence that we have not been sufficiently strong in addressing over the years.”

Looking toward 2030, she expressed hope that Africa can chart a new course, but acknowledged the challenges are immense.

To young women aiming for leadership roles, her advice is simple but powerful:

“Establish a record. Stand up. Identify your goal. Have the confidence that you can achieve it… There will be challenges. There will even be failures. Failure is just the other side of success.”

Not Involved in Politics

Responding to recent allegations from the opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), who claimed that she had donated US$15,000 and construction materials to the party’s new headquarters, Sirleaf dismissed the reports as false and politically motivated.

She made it clear that she is no longer involved in active politics and has turned her focus to her private life. “I am focused on my farm, on my family, and on initiatives that are free of politics. I gave this country my blood, sweat, and tears,” Sirleaf said, affirming her disengagement from the political fray.