Communicating Justice

November 17, 2008

Charles Taylor. Monrovia, Liberia.
May 1995. Photo © BBC Archives

Former Liberian President, Charles Taylor was one of the candidates in the Liberian Presidential elections of 1997. But was he operating the rebel group the Liberia National Patriotic Front of Liberia at the same time as being a presidential candidate? And who facilitated the return of Former RUF fighters from Monrovia back to Sierra Leone after the SLPP government led by Tejan Kabbah was overthrow on May 25, 1997?  Mariama Khai Fornah reports on the disagreement between the Former RUF Strike Force Commander and Charles Taylor’s Defence team over the answer to these questions
Click here to listen to Mariama K. Fornah’s report (November 17, 2008)

November 18, 2008
The Prosecution's 82nd Witness, Former RUF Strike Force Commander, Augustine Mallah has spent five days on the stand speaking about his knowledge of the Sierra Leonean civil war and the alleged support of Charles Taylor to the RUF Rebels. Taylor’s Defence Team has been trying to impeach the credibility of the witness on account of differing versions of Foday Sankoh’s order to stop the 1996 election, the forceful taking of diamonds from Johnny Paul Koroma and the alleged raping of Koroma’s wife.
Click here to listen to Mariama K. Fornah’s report (November 18, 2008)

November 19, 2008
Reports from the decade long Sierra Leonean civil war speak of the horrible physical and emotional trauma suffered by the victims. The Prosecution has invited a Medical Practitioner who specialises in human anatomy that is the structure of the human body. The witness, only identified as TF1-358, is giving evidence related to the nature of the injuries suffered by civilians during the conflict in Sierra Leone, particularly during the attack on Freetown in 1999.
Click here to listen to Mariama K. Fornah’s report (November 19, 2008)

November 20, 2008
The Prosecution of the Special Court for Sierra Leone today tendered into evidence more than 60 photographs depicting horrific atrocities committed by the rebel in 1998 and 1999. The photographs provided by the Medical Practitioner showed several amputees including babies, burned bodies and destroyed buildings including police stations, and banks.
Click here to listen to Mariama K. Fornah’s report (November 20, 2008)

November 21, 2008
Prior to Sierra Leone's civil war, former Liberian President Charles Taylor was recorded saying that Sierra Leone would taste the bitterness of war. The Expert Witness on the stand today made reference to Mr. Taylor's alleged threat against Sierra Leone.
Click here to listen to Joseph Cheeseman’s report (November 21, 2008)