By Jonathan Ambaye
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

The HAGUE, Netherlands – Today, Charles Taylor again denied additional claims made by witnesses regarding his involvement in the atrocities that took place across West Africa during his time as the President of Liberia.  In his testimony on September 29, 2009 he denies claims by a witness that he ordered rebel attacks against Guinea, Sierra Leone, and The Ivory Coast all during his tenure as President of Liberia. The witness a former member of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), a Sierra Leonean rebel group, claims Taylor supplied the group with the resources and instruction to carry out their attacks.

In his testimony the witness told prosecutors that the former interim leader of the RUF Sam Bockarie, rather than discuss decisions with his own members, would seek advice from Taylor. It is during his discussions with Taylor that the witness claims Bockarie was encouraged by Taylor to attack Freetown and free RUF leader FODAY Sankoh who had been imprisoned.

In response to these allegations, Taylor said to the judge, “I sure did not plan it. I don’t know if Sankoh did, but I did not. I did not plan any invasion of Freetown, never.” Taylor went on to deny having any knowledge of shipments of weapons used in the Freetown attacks into Liberia, and that he had no idea what the witness was talking about in general.

The Special Court’s Prosecution team is alleging Charles Taylor supplied the RUF with weapons in return for diamonds, further perpetuating the severe conflict taking place in the country at the time. They also allege he was controlling the RUF and planning attacks in not just Sierra Leone but also surrounding countries such as Guinea and the Ivory Coast, in hopes to further his own political agenda.

Taylor vehemently denies all of these claims. In response to the claims that he had RUF rebels attack Guinea, he claims if it was in his best interest to attack Guinea why he wouldn’t use the Liberian’s he had at his disposal to do so. It was a question he posed during his testimony in an attempt to dismiss the witness’s claims as illogical. Taylor’s testimony will continue this week regarding additional witness testimony.

For more information please see:

All Africa – Taylor Did Not Know of Sierra Leone Attack Plans, Nor Order A Rebel
Attack OnGuinea, He Says – 29 September 2009

CharlesTaylorTrial.org – Taylor Says He Didn’t Order Rebel Attack on Freetown – 29 September 2009

Impunity Watch – Taylor Denied More Allegations in Court – 27 September 2009

All Africa – I Was Not Aware of RUF’s Operation No Living Thing – 8 September 2009