When I was visiting Liberia in 2015, I was happy to sense lots of optimism for a brighter future. The „Land of liberated slaves“ had, however, for long not followed an easy path: In 1980 a rebel called Samuel Doe slays then Liberian President William Tolbert, in the latter’s bedroom. All ministers are executed on the beach (nowadays a football pitch). In 1985 Doe, the murderer, himself becomes president and the next dictator. In 1990 rebels capture Monrovia, while being tortured an ear of Doe is cut. Doe bleeds to death while his torturers placidly watch, among them Prince Johnson. A severe civil war follows, late Charles Taylor, a warlord, becomes the next president. Liberia becomes a pariah state and uses the sale of blood diamonds to fuel civil war in Sierra Leone. In 2018 the first democratic transition of power just had happend, Prince Johnson continues to be a senator:. Asked about the „incident“ 1990, he answers with a smile: „Where two elephants fight”, he says, „there will be no grass growing“. I travel around the beautiful country and see a lot of grass and wonderful beaches and sample the amazing restaurant scene in Monrovia (boasting the freshest sushi outside of Japan).