Daughter of Former Pres. Doe Meets Pres. Boakai in Emotional Return to Executive Mansion

Monrovia, Liberia – In a deeply emotional and symbolic visit, Celue Doe-Addo, daughter of the late President Samuel K. Doe, returned to Liberia and met with President Joseph Nyumah Boakai at the Executive Mansion—35 years after she last stood within its walls as a child.

At just seven years old, Celue Doe-Addo fled Liberia in 1990 during the height of the civil war, making her final stop on the 4th floor of the Executive Mansion to bid farewell to her father. Decades later, her return marked what she described as a “full circle moment.”

“My final stop before heading to the airport was the 4th floor, where I said goodbye to my father,” she recalled. “Thirty-five years later, I returned to Liberia as an adult—and once again found myself at the Executive Mansion.”

Meeting with President Boakai was both powerful and healing. “When the President of your country looks you in the eye and tells you how proud he is of you—more than once—it is not something you take lightly,” she shared. Their conversation touched on key national themes including peace, reconciliation, unity, and Liberia’s image on the global stage.

A significant part of their discussion centered on the government’s plans for the dignified reburial of former presidents Samuel K. Doe and William R. Tolbert. President Boakai, who served under Doe’s administration, shared personal memories and emphasized his commitment to national healing.

“He spoke to me not just as a leader, but as a proud father figure. And in return, I told him: ‘See me as your daughter,’” Doe-Addo revealed, noting that this was not their first meeting—they had previously met in New York during Boakai’s tenure as Vice President.

Accompanied by the Executive Mansion photographer, the meeting was documented in moving images capturing the significance of the day—images that reflect both the past and the promise of a reconciled future.

Celue Doe-Addo credited Grand Gedeh County Senior Senator Zoe Emmanuel Pennue for making the encounter possible. “Your belief in me, my work, and my mission has meant the world to me,” she said in a heartfelt acknowledgment. “In life, there are those who seek to break you—and those who lift you higher. Thank you, big brother, for choosing the latter.”

Her visit and meeting with the President signal a hopeful step forward for national healing, as Liberia continues to reckon with its history while charting a path toward peace and unity.