By Impunity Watch Africa

London lawyer Courtenay Griffiths was appointed on Tuesday to represent Charles Taylor against the charges of arming and supporting rebels who murdered, raped, tortured, and mutilated thousands during Sierra Leone’s 10 year civil war.  Taylor is the first African leader to stand trial before an international court and has plead not guilty to all counts.  Last month he boycotted the trial and fired his attorney, demanding that he receive more money to hire a new one.  The case has been postponed until August 20, although Griffiths said in an interview on Friday that he needed more time to study the “voluminous” case file and did not know when he would be ready.

Since June the court has steadily increased the amount of funds available to Taylor for his defense.  He is currently receiving $100,000 per month, which includes office space in The Hague, Sierra Leone, and Liberia.  Griffiths has said that this amount may still not be enough and that he needs to evaluate what further investigations need to be carried out

Griffiths was born in Jamaica and raised in England.  He has previously worked on high-profile British cases, including the 1984 bombing by the Irish Republic Army of a hotel on the British south coast where then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was staying.   Griffiths has been appointed the chief attorney, along with two assistants, Andrew Cayley and Terry Munyard.  Many attorneys were interested, but Taylor chose these individuals after meeting with several.

For more information, please see:

Guardian – London Lawyer to Defend Charles Taylor – 18 July 2007

International Herald Tribune – London Lawyer Appointed to Defend Liberia’s Charles Taylor at War Crimes Trial– 18 July 2007

VOA – Three-Man Team Appointed to Defend Former Liberian President – 18 July 2007

By Meryl White

Impunity Watch, Africa

In Chad, thousands of young boys are thought to be fighting in the national army, rebel and paramilitary group. Observers believe that there are between 7,000 and 10,000 child soldiers. The United Nations Security Council will meet in New York to discuss the issue of child soldiers in Chad.

Just a few days ago, Human Rights Watch criticized the government of Chad for not fulfilling the promise to release children from the national army. Human Rights Watch produced a forty six page report, “Early to War: Child Soldiers in the Chad Conflict,” which documents the use of young children in the Chadian army, its allied paramilitary militias and rebel forces in both northern Chad and along the eastern border with Sudan’s Darfur region. The report consists of interviews with senior officers in the Chadian military and current child soldiers

Presently, under a government deal, only four hundred children have been released from the military and sent to rehabilitation centers. These rehabilitation centers focus on efforts to change the children’s violent behavior. These centers were established by UNICEF, the United Nation’s Children’s Fund. The children follow a daily regimen of “prayer, rest, and play.” They play cards, play volleyball, and learn basic literacy. Furthermore, the boys learn anger management skills and learn to love their friends and family.

These child soldiers are expected to return to their families in a few months. Nevertheless, supervisors believe that for these boys, “the road back to normality will be a long one.” The boys will have to learn to cope with their reality without the use of violent tactics.

For more information, please see:

BBC – Chad Child Soldiers Scrutinized – 19 July 2007

HRW – Chad: Government Keeps Children in Army Ranks – 16 July 2007

HRW – Early to War: Child Soldiers in the Chad Conflict – 07 July 2007

BBC – Country Profile: Chad – 21 May 2007

By Meryl White

Impunity Watch, Africa

The United Nation’s war crimes court in Sierra Leone has sentenced three militia leaders for war crimes including rape, mutilation, and murder. Alex Tamba Brima and Santigie Borbor Kanu received a fifty year sentence, while Brima Kamara received a forty-five year sentence. Last month, these men were convicted of eleven of fourteen war crimes charges, including terrorism, enslavement, rape and murder.

All three men were senior members of the Armed Forced Revolutionary Concil, a militia that overthrew the Sierra Leone government in 1997. These sentences were the first assigned by the UN backed court since the civil war concluded five years ago. Moreover, these militia leaders are the first to be convicted of recruiting and training child soldiers.

When Judge Julia Sebutinde passed the judgment in the capital, Freetown, he stated, “The men committed “heinous, brutal, atrocious, crimes never recorded in the history of mankind.”

Presently, the defendants have the right to appeal their convictions. However, if they lose the appeal, they will serve their lengthy prison terms in Europe rather than in Sierra Leone due to safety concerns.

The UN backed court has indicted twelve criminals in connection with the Sierra Leone war. Liberian President Charles Taylor is accused of supporting the rebels. Currently, Mr Taylor is on trial in The Hague in order to prevent disruption in West Africa between Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Critics are skeptical of the UN backed court because they believe that the court has been “slow in delivering justice to the people of Sierra Leone.” For example, three indicted criminals in Sierra Leone died before their verdicts were ever delivered.

For more information, please see:

BBC – First S Leone War Crime Sentences – 20 July 2007

BBC – Country Profile: Sierra Leone – 20 June 2007

Jerusalem Post – Sierra Leone War Crimes Court Hands Out Sentences – 20 July 2007

By Myriam Clerge

Impunity Watch, Africa

Early Wednesday night, the sky of Mogadishu was lit with explosions. Islamic insurgents carried out a massive attack against Somali troops in the capital’s biggest market, Bakara. The country has had little peace since the arrival of government backed Ethiopian troops. Bombs, attacks on government officials, assassination attempts, and wounded civilian are common situations in Somalia.

Wednesday nights attack began around 1:25 am, local time and lasted for approximately 45 minutes. Families were forced to sleep on the floor due to the heavy fighting and stray bullets. Halima Ahmed, a mother of seven, described it as the worst and most frightening night of her life.

This attack comes a few hours before a peace conference of more more than 1,200 delegates was scheduled to begin in the northern part of the capital. The historic conference has been long awaited. The delegates met to tackle an 11-point agenda aimed at ending Somalia’s violence. The 2009 election, clan arguments, and a new constitution are amongst the topics to be discussed during the conference.

Unfortunately, the conference itself was attacked and has been postponed. Six children, while playing soccer, were killed earlier today, when terrorists mortars exploded near the conference building. Mayor Muhamad Dheere said, “[terrorists] wanted to undermine the peace process and missed their target and killed children.” None of the delegates were injured.

The conference has been postponed several times due to fighting. According to Mohammad Hassad, a writer for the Associated Press, the Shabab, the military wing of the Islamist group, has threatened to disrupt the gathering saying anyone who takes part “is sentenced to death.”

For more information please see:

AllAfrica – Somalia: Heavy Gun Battle Rocks Magodishu Overnight – 19 July 2007

AllAfrica – Somalia: Peace Talks Under Mortar Attacks – 19 July 2007

BBC – Somali Talks Bomb Kills Children – 19 July 2007

Yahoo – 6 Children Killed in Somalia – 16 July 2007

By Lindsey Brady

Impunity Watch, Africa

The Special Court for Sierra Leone, based in Freetown, has just handed down the sentences of Alex Tamba Brima, Brima Bazzy Kamara, and Santigie Borbor Kanu.  Brima, thirty-five years old, and Kanu, forty-two years old, have been sentenced to jail for 50 years.  Kamara, thirty-nine years old, has been sentenced to jail for 45 years.

In June, each were found guilty of 11 of the 14 charges against them, including murder, rape, enlisting child soldiers, terrorism, and enslavement.

The men are former leaders of Sierra Leone’s Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) which in 1997 caused a coup d’etat against then President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah.  The AFRC allied itself with the rebel group the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) and embarked on a terror campaign.  The rebels are believed to have been backed by Charles Taylor in exchange for Sierra Leone diamonds.  The civil war ended in 2001 leaving 120,000 people dead and thousands more mutilated.

During their trial, the men did not cooperate with the prosecution nor did they accept responsibility for their crimes.  However defense lawyer Kojo Graham had urged the court to consider reconciliation in sentencing.

It is believed that the men will serve their sentences in Sweden and Austria.

For more information, please see:

AllAfrica – Sierra Leone: Rebel Leaders Found Guilty in First Verdicts From UN-Backed Court – 20 June 2007

Reuters – Sierra Leone War Crimes Court Jails Militia Chiefs – 19 July 2007

VOA – Convicted Coup Plotters Face Sentencing in Sierra Leone – 19 July 2007

IOL News – Prosecution Seeks 170-Year Jail Terms – 16 July 2007