Johnson originally was allied to Taylor when he first attacked Doe in 1989. He then broke away with 1,000 of his better-trained troops from the Gio tribe, leaving Taylor with the larger but less effective Mano tribal troops. In 1990, when Taylor controlled the countryside, Johnson controlled most of Monrovia, killing and torturing at random. About 200 of Johnson's men captured Doe when he went to the ECOWAS headquarters. They later cut off his ears and tortured him to death while videotaping the festivities. His dismembered body was paraded around Monrovia. Johnson and Taylor both claimed the presidency and set off another round of bloodshed. The fighting lasted seven weeks between the rival factions and as it raged Johnson was flown by U.S. Marines to Accra, Ghana to attend peace talks. None of the other warlords showed up and Johnson complained bitterly when both the Americans and ECOMOG refused to take him back to Monrovia.
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