By Jonathan Ambaye
Impunity Watch Desk Reporter, Africa Desk

THE HAGUE, Netherlands-“All the atrocities committed by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) are not the concerns of Mr Taylor. They did happen but it doesn’t concern Mr. Taylor. Mr. Taylor has no hands in it.” This statement was made by a witness for Charles Taylor this past week. The witness claims that the atrocities that were committed by Sierra Leonean rebels during their 11-year civil conflict should not be attributed to Charles Taylor, and that he had no role to play in them.

 The witness, Charles Ngebe, was a Sierra Leonean national, and formerly a part of the Revolutionary United front.  His entire testimony was premised on his insistence that the allegations of Charle’s Taylor’s support for the RUF are not true. He said an exception existed in 1991 when the conflict first began in Sierra Leone, and Taylor provided minimal support to the rebel forces in his neighboring country. Taylor has also admitted to providing support to the RUF in  1991, and he justified it by saying it was necessary because the United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy rebels were attacking his positions in Liberia with support from the government of Sierra Leone.

 Another witness, Fayia Musa, a Sierra Leonean national and former spokesperson for the RUF, also testified on the circumstances surrounding fallout between the RUF and Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia rebel group in 1992. The fallout has been stipulated by prosecutors and Taylor’s attorneys. The disagreement is around the length of the fallout. Taylor contends it was permanent, while prosecutors say it was quite temporary.

 Fore more information please see:

Charles Taylor Trial – Atrocities in Sierra Leone… – 13 April 2010

Charles Taylor Trial – All Atrocities Committed… – 13 April 2010

Charles Taylor Trial – Relationship Between Taylor… – 14 April 2010