Prince Yormie Johnson, the Liberian army chief-turned-politician who became infamous for his 1990 photo of himself drinking beer while the former president was being tortured by his side, has died aged 72.
As one of the key figures in two civil wars between 1989 and 2003, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission said he should be prosecuted for war crimes, although he has never been tried.
But as a member of parliament since 2005, he has been very influential in Liberian politics, supporting the last three presidential candidates.
While some admired his role in politics, others saw him as a symbol of the country's struggle for accountability.
“We see his death as a blow to the many victims who were waiting to see the senator face justice for his role in the civil war,” human rights activist and special war crimes tribunal campaigner Adamu Dempster told the BBC.
An estimated 250,000 people died in the conflict and many survivors of sexual assault and other assaults were left permanently scarred.
The cause of Johnson's death in the capital, Monrovia, has not been disclosed.
In a message of condolence to his family, President Joseph Boakai – who supported Johnson in his presidential campaign last year – described him as “a person who played an important role in the complex evolution of Liberia's history and contributed to the national discourse through his work in the Senate”.
Back in 1990, rebel soldiers of Johnson's Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia kidnapped President Samuel Doe and were photographed in front of their leader mutilating his body – his ear was cut off – before he was executed.
The war chief later expressed regret for what had happened, but, as quoted by the AFP news agency, justified his role in the war, saying he was protecting “my country, my people, who were being led to the slaughterhouse like chickens and chickens.” goats, by the kingdom of the Doe”.
He also said that he has changed and has become a pastor in the evangelical church.
As a politician he was praised by his people in Nimba region for working to improve their lives.
But he also filed an argument.
In 2021, Johnson was punished by the US for allegedly being involved in so-called pay-for-play funding, where it was reported that he would personally benefit from the distribution of government funding to various departments.
He was also accused of selling votes for his own gain in many elections, which led to criticism from some of his allies.
But Wilfred Bangura, a former senior official in Johnson's Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction, said that “politically he was very heavy and powerful” and only changed alliances when he saw people moving away from him.
Although he is certainly respected and mourned by many in his home region – where he was seen as a hero and liberator – in other places people feel that he has not been made to pay for the crimes committed during the civil war.
More BBC news on Liberia:
Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.
Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfricaon Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
