The long running saga otherwise known as the trial of the former Liberian warlord and President Charles Taylor culminated in a verdict which many anticipated since the commencement of proceedings five years ago. Last week the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone in The Hague concluded that Taylor had aided and abetted war crimes committed by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels during the course of the Sierra Leone civil war between 1991 and 2002.
Taylor's Charge Sheet
Taylor was convicted of 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The specific charges made by prosecutors against Taylor included acts of terrorism, murder, violence to life, murder, rape, sexual slavery and violence, outrages upon personal dignity, cruel treatment, other inhumane acts, use of child soldiers, enslavement and pillage. Taylor is expected to be sentenced later in May of this year although one anticipates an appeal from the ever indignant defendant who continues to maintain his innocence.
The court also ruled that Taylor, 64, had provided weapons, food, medical supplies, fuel and equipment to rebels in Sierra Leone who were directly responsible for committing the crimes on the ground. Perhaps, of surprise to observers was the finding by the trial chamber, of course conveyed by its Presiding Judge, Richard Lussick, that Taylor did not instigate the crimes. In return for the arms and ammunition provided by Taylor, the rebels furnished Taylor with blood or conflict diamonds. One recalls that the matter of “blood diamonds” took centre stage and almost threatened to divert attention from the crux of proceedings when British model Naomi Campbell was summoned to the court to give evidence regarding diamonds allegedly received as a present from Taylor.
Witness Testimonies and Evidence
Evidence heard during the trial read like scenes out of horror movies with witnesses recounting numerous and gruesome incidents of rape in view of the public, enslavement, and people being burned alive, beheadings and disembowelling, amputations and mutilation. The signature attack of the rebels during the conflict was the cutting off above the hand of their victims, commonly known at the time as ‘long sleeves’ or above the elbow, also known as ‘short sleeves’. The Court surmised that the sole purpose of these atrocities was to instil terror in the civilian population.
The Special Court for Sierra Leone
The Special Court for Sierra Leone was founded in 2002 and was accorded the rather unsavoury task of bringing the perpetrators of atrocities committed during the 11-year civil war to justice. The Court has so far been successful at fulfilling its remit of bringing to justice individuals which include feared RUF rebels Issa Hassan Sessay and Augustine Gbao to justice.
Global Reaction
The conviction of Taylor has been welcomed by human rights organisations, world governments, as well as victims and survivors of the atrocities. White House spokesman Jay Carney, in the aftermath of the conviction, said: "While there is no way fully to redress the suffering and loss of those who were killed, tortured, raped, and enslaved in the service of Taylor's criminal schemes, we are hopeful that today's ruling will help to dissuade others who might follow in his footsteps”.
“Taylor's conviction sends a powerful message that even those in the highest-level positions can be held to account for grave crimes," added Elise Keppler, senior counsel for Human Rights Watch, in a statement. Touchingly Halimatou Jalloh, whose sister was raped and killed by the rebels was spotted by Reuters reporters in the Sierra Leonean capital, Freetown, holding a sign with the words: “Orphans, widows, widowers, rape victims, amputees, and all the war affected, wipe your tears as the dawn of justice has come." Jalloh’s statement couldn’t be more poignant in the circumstances as it succinctly encapsulates the feelings of all those directly and indirectly affected by the Taylor’s deeds.
The Future
One hopes that the conviction of Taylor, once the world’s third most wanted man, will leave individuals of his ilk quaking in their boots, from Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad to Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir. Last year the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrested former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo, who is charged with individual responsibility on counts of crimes against humanity, murder, rape and other forms of sexual violence, persecution, and other inhuman acts. Gbagbo currently awaits his day in a court which is likely to arrive at the same verdict handed down at the conclusion of Taylor’s trial. The victims and survivors of the brutal war which left 50,000 people dead will sleep easier from this point on, but the scars imprinted by the acts of the soon-to-be-jailed criminal will unfortunately be difficult to erase.
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