By Elizabeth Costner
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Africa
THE HAGUE, Netherlands – Former Liberian President Charles Taylor sits on trial before the Special Court for Sierra Leone in The Hague for 11 counts of war crimes, including murder, rape, mutilation, and terrorizing the population for his involvement and control of the Sierra Leonean Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels. Sierra Leone was involved in a brutal civil war throughout the 1990s, with the RUF rebels committing widespread atrocities, including their trademark “amputations” of hacking off limbs to breed terror among the citizens.
The first prosecution witness this week was Canadian “blood diamond” expert Ian Smilie who testified that these abuses were designed to spread terror and were partially designed to allow the rebels to mine diamonds without a population around to disturb them. These “blood diamonds” where then used to fuel and fund the war for the rebels.
The second prosecution witness was a rural pastor, the Reverend Alex Tamba Teh who testified as to the numerous atrocities allegedly committed by the RUF. The Reverend Teh recalled a mass murder by machine gun of unarmed civilian men and the brutal dismemberment of a civilian boy.
The defense immediately objected to such evidence provided by the Reverend, and British Queen’s Counsel Courtenay Griffiths argued that such evidence played to the heartstrings of the world and it was unnecessary to make people relive the events. He said that it is “not contested that atrocities were committed” but that it “is not what this trial is about.” Rather, the defense contests the main charge that Taylor backed the RUF and Griffiths says that is what the prosecution should concentrate on.
After hearing arguments regarding the evidence, the panel of judges led by Justice Julia Sebutinde from Uganda admitted the evidence and stated they would determine its weight later.
The third prosecution witness to testify was a former Liberian army commander, Varmunyan Sheriff. Sheriff testified as to the role Taylor allegedly played in the brokerage of a dispute between Sierra Leonean rebel leaders Sam Bockarie and Issa Sesay, which resulted in Sesay becoming the new leader of the RUF and Bockarie traveling to Liberia with 350 RUF fighters on Taylor’s orders. Sheriff also testified as to the alleged control Taylor had over the RUF rebels, as evidenced by two occasions where RUF fighters were deployed by Taylor. Sheriff further alleged that Mr. Taylor ordered him to run guns and ammunition to the RUF rebels.
The prosecution also questioned Sheriff about the treatment of civilians by the RUF, the treatment of civilians in Liberia, and the use of child soldiers. The prosecution also sought to establish that Mr. Taylor was on notice of the atrocities being committed through questioning Sheriff about Taylor’s access to radio and television which had broadcast programs regarding the “amputations” and use of child soldiers.
On cross-examination Mr. Griffiths worked to discredit Sheriff by establishing he had formerly been a commander for a Liberian rebel group that had fought Mr. Taylor and that his groups had been armed and backed by the Sierra Leonean government. Mr. Griffiths also alleged that Sheriff is mentally unstable and that his testimony is therefore unreliable.
Taylor is the first former African head of state to appear before the international tribunal. His trial is expected to last at least a year.
For more information, please see:
AP – Taylor Attorney Calls Witness Unstable – 11 January 2008
AllAfrica.com – Cross-Examination of Prosecution Linkage Witness, Defense Challenges Insider Status – 11 January 2008
BBC News – Taylor faces the past in court – 11 January 2008
AFP – Lawyers at Taylor trial aim to discredit witness – 11 January 2008
Newsweek – Trials Without Borders – 10 January 2008
