In his second week on the witness stand, a former Sierra Leonean rebel leader convicted of mass crimes during Sierra Leone’s brutal 11-year conflict pointed away from Mr. Taylor when speaking about support provided to his forces by outsiders. This week, the witness said that the Ivorian government helped his rebel group much more than [...]
As the trial of Charles Taylor moved into a week-long judicial recess today, news broke that the much anticipated appearance by British Supermodel Naomi Campbell may no longer take place at the end of July. According to prosecution counsel, Nicholas Koumjian, Ms. Campbell planned to ask the judges to reschedule her appearance and would soon [...]
The trial of Charles Taylor took an early adjournment today as the former Liberian president’s defense counsel, COurtenay Griffiths, was absent from court. The Special Court for Sierra Leone discussed Mr. Griffiths absence in a private session, and the Trial Chamber’s Presiding Judge, Justice Julia Sebutinde, informed the court in a public session that the trial could [...]
July
14
2010
Decision To Keep RUF Commander Sam Bockarie In Liberia Was Taken By West African Leaders, Issa Sesay Testifies
The decision to relocate a fellow rebel commander from Sierra Leone to Liberia in 1999 to promote peace in the war-torn country was not taken by Charles Taylor alone, but rather by West African leaders acting jointly, a former Sierra Leonean rebel leader told the Special Court for Sierra Leone said today. Today, Issa Sesay – former [...]
July
13
2010
Atrocities Increased In Sierra Leone When The RUF Joined Forces With AFRC, Issa Sesay Says
Atrocities committed during the 11-year conflict in Sierra Leone increased when rebel forces teamed up with disgruntled members the Sierra Leone armed forces after a 1997 military coup in Sierra Leone, according to testimony by a top level former rebel commander in The Hague today. Issa Hassan Sesay, former interim leader of Sierra Leone’s Revolutionary United Front (RUF) has [...]
July
12
2010
Ivorian Government Provided Accomodation For The RUF Longer Than Charles Taylor Did, Former Rebel Leader Testifies.
As he took the witness stand for a second week, a Sierra Leonean rebel leader today testified that the Ivory Coast government gave his rebel group a base to stay for far longer than former Liberian president, Charles Taylor – again distancing the former Liberian president from charges that he supported and controlled the neighboring [...]
July
10
2010
RUF Leader Testifies: Says Taylor Neither Supported Rebels, Nor Receive Diamonds From Them
A former Sierra Leonean rebel leader – released from his jail cell in Rwanda to testify on behalf of Charles Taylor – this week distanced the activities of his rebels from the former Liberian President. Mr. Taylor did not control the rebels’ actions, receive diamonds from them, nor provide assistance to them during Sierra Leone’s bloody civil conflict, he [...]
July
9
2010
RUF Bought Ammunition From Top Liberian Security Personnel But Taylor Didn’t Know, RUF Leader Says
Sierra Leonean rebels bought arms and ammunition from top Liberian security personnel to help fuel the brutal 11-year conflict in the West African nation – but Charles Taylor did not know about it, according to a former Sierra Leonean rebel leader. Issa Sesay, formerly a leader in Sierra Leone’s Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebel group, said [...]
Charles Taylor was not the man who ordered or planned the attack on a diamond-rich town in Sierra Leone in 1998, a former rebel leader has told the Special Court for Sierra Leone today. On his fourth day on the witness stand, Issa Sesay today said another rebel group supplied the ammunition used to attack the [...]
July
7
2010
1997 Arms Shipment Into Sierra Leone Was Not Facilitated By Charles Taylor, RUF Leader Testifies
A former Sierra Leonean rebel leader today again took pains to distance Charles Taylor from a shipment of weapons that prosecutors say was bought with the same batch of diamonds as those he allegedly gave to supermodel Naomi Campbell after a star-studded dinner in South Africa in 1997. On his third day of testimony, Issa [...]
