By Ted Townsend
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

THE HAGUE, Netherlands – The trial of former Liberian president Charles Taylor continued into its seventh week with a special request from the Special Court for Sierra Leone. The court asked the UK government to help track do wn millions of dollars believed to have been stolen by former Liberian President, Charles Taylor. Taylor is on trial accused of funding rebels in Sierra Leone. 

Taylor denies the charges, “but the chief prosecutor says if he is convicted for pillage, he wants his alleged stolen millions to be returned.” Chief Prosecutor Stephen Rapp expressed a desire to get the money back to the victims of Taylor’s atrocities, including thousands who survived the decade-long civil war, but were mutilated, raped and had their limbs amputated. Rapp has met with London to meet with the UK government, believing that the amount of resources and money that went through Liberia could add up to close to a billion dollars. Governments around the world have been co-operative when asked for help in the ongoing effort. Should the recovery effort succeed, Prosecutor Rapp has the money earmarked to the victims of the conflict.

The trial itself continued this week in closed session, but re-opened for the testimony of Revolutionary United Front (RUF) commander Mustapha Marvin Mansaray (Mansaray). The witness began his testimony describing how he was captured as a civilian in 1991. He was trained as a junior fighter, but eventually became a mining commander.

Mansaray then described the work of the RUF’s joint security board. If any fighter or commando violated an RUF law, this group would investigate and submit a report with recommendations, including demotion, transferral to the front line, or placement in a room under guard supervision.

Mansaray then described his experience with RUF field commander Sam Bockarie (Bockarie), who held that position from 1996-1999. Mansaray described Bockarie as a man who was “only interested in fighting the war. He had no interest in bringing soldiers to justice for crimes committed against civilians.” Bockarie also had committed crimes against civilians himself. Mansaray described one incident in particular when ten civilians captured by the RUF were tied up and thrown in a well where they died. Another time, five civilians were brought to camp by a hunting party. Three of them were immediately shot. The other two were buried alive.

Mansaray went on to describe other civilian murders by Bockarie and RUF soldiers alike, as well as an estimated two hundred rapes.

Mansaray then described a meeting in 1991 at which Charles Taylor spoke, supporting the RUF fighters, and then immediately left.

Mansaray’s second day of testimony continued with more vivid description of rape, lootings, killings of civilians and pillage by the RUF soldiers. He described the arrest of UN peacekeepers by an RUF member named Dennis Lansana on the orders of the RUF’s overall commander at the time, Issa Sesay. These peacekeepers were kept under house arrest as the RUF prepared charges against them, including that the peacekeepers had joined with the Sierra Leonean government to destroy the RUF. The peacekeepers were then taken to Liberia. Mansaray did not expound beyond that point.

Mansaray concluded his direct examination with descriptions of munitions and his control over diamond mines. He described a system in which civilians were forced to work in the mines and give any diamonds found to the RUF. If a civilian refused to hand over the diamonds, he was beaten or killed.

During cross examination, the defense focused on Mansaray’s role in the RUF’s internal defense unit and whether the unit acted upon complaints of mistreatment by the RUF of civilians. Mansaray testified that once Bockarie took over any complaints were rarely acted on. He concluded agreeing that the RUF commanders “often took the law into their own hands.”

For more information, please see:

BBC News – Taylor ‘millions’ wanted by court – 4 March 2008

allAfrica.com – After tales of killings, forced labor, arrests of UN peacekeepers – 6 March 2008

allAfrica.com – RUF Commander Describes Brutality, Murders, Rapes – 5 March 2008

charlestaylortrial.org – The Trial of Charles Taylor – last accessed 7 March 2008

allAfrica.com – Sierra Leone Court Chases Taylor’s Millions – 5 March 2008