Monrovia — Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf testified before the country's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Thursday, where she denied being part of any rebel group during the 14-year civil war.

Sirleaf's appearance came as a surprise to many as it was not previously announced by the commission. Local radio stations reported that the hearing took place under tight security at the commission's headquarters. Hearings normally take place at the Centennial Memorial Pavilion in Monrovia.

In her testimony, Sirleaf said she had endorsed former president Charles Taylor's rebellion against President Samuel Doe but had never been part of the rebel group. “If there's anything I need to apologize to this nation for is the fact I was fooled by Mr. Taylor,” local radio stations reported her as telling the commission.

President Sirleaf admitted to being a part of a group of exiled Liberians who lent their support to Mr. Taylor without being aware of his true intentions. "I feel it in my conscience," Sirleaf said. "I feel it every day."

Sirleaf, an opposition politician during Doe's rule, was kept under house arrest and incarcerated before fleeing the country into exile in the 1980s.

Her appearance at the truth commission has been a source of debate for many. Many Liberians anxiously awaited her testimony on previous occasions when it was rumored she would appear.