Prosecutors today said that Charles Taylor lied under oath when he said that Sierra Leone’s rebel leader only visited him in Liberia for a few days, but did not stay there for months during the civil conflicts in both Liberia and Sierra Leone. Fayia Musa, a Sierra Leonean rebel insider, today told the Special Court for Sierra Leone that at some point [...]
April
19
2010
Witness Did Not See Liberians As Part Of The RUF Invading Force In Sierra Leone; RUF Did Not Use Forced Labor, He Says
A defense witness for Charles Taylor today claimed he did not see Liberians among the Sierra Leonean rebel forces which attacked the country in 1991. He also dismissed allegations that Sierra Leonean rebels subjected civilians to forced labor during the country’s 11-year civil war. Fayia Musa, a former Spokesperson and Agricultural Officer for the Revolutionary [...]
April
17
2010
Sierra Leonean Rebels Were Responsible For Atrocities Committed In Sierra Leone, Former RUF Members Testify
Two former members of the Sierra Leonean rebel group which wreaked havoc during the country’s brutal 11-year civil war told judges this week that they had only themselves to blame for the atrocities committed during the conflict – Charles Taylor had no responsibility for the crimes. Mr. Taylor is on trial for allegedly supporting and [...]
Despite prosecution fears that their case will be “irreparably prejudiced” if they do not gain access to important background statements by Charles Taylor’s current defense witness, judges today disagreed, and ordered cross-examination to start on Monday. Fayia Musa, a Sierra Leonean national and former spokesperson for Sierra Leone’s Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebel group has [...]
April
15
2010
RUF Leader Foday Sankoh’s Intransigence Caused A Delay In Ending The Sierra Leone Conflict, Defense Witness Says
The conflict in Sierra Leone was prolonged because of the intransigence of the country’s rebel leader who did not want a peaceful end to the conflict, a defense witness for Charles Taylor told Special Court for Sierra Leone judges today in The Hague. Fayia Musa, a Sierra Leonean national and former spokesperson for the country’s [...]
April
14
2010
An Overview of Charles Taylor on the Witness Stand….
Dear Readers — please find below the latest report from our colleagues Jennifer Easterday and Judy Mionki, the U.C. Berkeley monitors, who have provided us with an extensive overview of Charles Taylor’s time on the stand. I hope you enjoy it! Best, Tracey 1. Introduction This report provides an in-depth review of the cross-examination [...]
April
14
2010
Relationship Between The RUF and Charles Taylor’s NPFL Ended In A Bloody Battle in 1992, Defense Witness Says
The relationship between Sierra Leonean rebels and Liberian rebels loyal to Charles Taylor ended in a bloody battle in 1992, a defense witness for the former Liberian president told Special Court for Sierra Leone judges today in The Hague. Fayia Musa, a Sierra Leonean national and former spokesperson for the country’s rebel group, the Revolutionary [...]
April
13
2010
“All Atrocities Committed By The RUF Are Not The Concerns Of Mr. Taylor,” Defense Witness Says
Atrocities committed by Sierra Leonean rebels during the country’s 11-year civil conflict should not be attributed to Charles Taylor as he had no role to play in them, a defense witness for the former Liberian president told the Special Court for Sierra Leone. Those most responsible for the crimes, he said, have already been punished [...]
April
13
2010
Atrocities In Sierra Leone Were Committed By Sierra Leoneans Rebels, Not Charles Taylor’s Forces, Witness Says
After a week-long recess the Charles Taylor trial restarted today, with a defense witness testifying that crimes committed in Sierra Leone during its brutal 11-year long civil conflict were perpetrated by its own rebel forces — not by rebel forces loyal to the former Liberian president. Charles Ngebeh, a Sierra Leonean national and former member [...]
