11 March 2008
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It is not known when witnesses for former President Charles Taylor will take the stand in his defense, but his alleged crime story seems to be continuing unabated.
Another witness claiming to be a former fighter of the Charles Taylor rebellious forces is on the witness stand giving insight of what he knows about the war, his role and that of the man facing 11-count charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The next Prosecution witness has been called. The man who called himself Isaac Mongor was examined by Nick Koumjian, a prosecution counsel of the trial.
He told the court he was born on November 21, 1965 here in Liberia and that he speaks Kru, his mother's language. According to Mongor, he served in Liberian National army during the administration of slain President Samuel Kanyon Doe in 1985.
Excerpts from his testimony
Wit: It was in 1985. He was trained but did not complete the training. He was not a member of the Liberian army for very long, 2-3 months, as he did not want to be a soldier. When he left the army, he started a business - he would go to the Ivory Coast for goods and then sell them in Liberia. He was involved in this for some period of time until "the war met us."
In "Christmas month" of 1989 the rebels who called themselves freedom fighters and identified themselves as the NPFL entered the village he was in. When they entered they shot guns. Some people ran away. When they ceased firing the villagers came outside, after which the rebels took the young men to their base. He did not recall the village he was in when he was captured. In the village there were no fighters.
The rebels handpicked some of them (young men and women) in the town and took them along. The range of ages included children, young women and young girls. They were taken to the base at Gborpaly for training. (Some discussion concerning the spelling of this camp)
This was a training base to fight for "our country" (Liberia). The rebels indicated that that their leader was Charles Taylor, known as the "CIC" (Commander in Chief), and Mongor was there when Taylor came.
Mongor was trained for 2 months. They were given guerilla training and taught how to fire guns. The ages of those being trained included small boys and small girls as well as adults.
Pros: Youngest age of those being trained?
Wit: There were people about 10 years.
Pros: Any ceremony at end of training?
Wit: No, just graduated us and said we had completed training.
Pros: Where assigned after training?
W: Assigned to fight on the war front and fought in same Nimba County in Ganta. When I fought there for some time in Ganta the CIC came there for some time before they could advance. They next moved to Gbarnga and fought from evening up to midnight up to the next morning until Prince Johnson was flushed out of the area.
Pros: Did your unit have a designation?
W: Yes. At the time we captured Gbarnga they took me to join the executive mansion guard, the CIC bodyguard group. The overall boss was [?]. He did not know exactly when he became a member of this unit, but said it was the next year after he had been captured.
The duties of the Executive Mansion guard included guarding Taylor, fighting on the front line and going with the CIC wherever he went. When he was there himself, he operated the heavy weapons and moved first before the whole group. At that time he was a sergeant. When he was using the AA (anti-aircraft gun) he was the advance team commander when the CIC went to the front line.
Pros: How often see Taylor?
W: I saw him every day because executive mansion guards had access to him. They would explain what was happening on the front line, so I saw him always.
Pros: Routine?
W: Used to have a parade when the "Pa himself" (Taylor) would come to inspect the troops. The CIC himself would come to see the men. At the parade ground, there were SBUs (small boy units), and some other units also such as the Artillery units, which he was a member. Age range of small boys was 10 - ? years. They were among the guards and used to go to the front line to fight.
Pros: How was security for the CIC arranged?
W: Sometimes when he was about to go somewhere he used to disguise himself, he didn't want people to know. Sometimes Taylor would be among the SBUs, and sometimes among others. I was at the head of the advance team and would always be in front.
Pros: Was Taylor considered by troops as military leader or political leader?
Munyard (objecting): Which troops? Objects to sweeping question.
Pros: I'll rephrase. Did you yourself receive any information on whether Taylor had any military training?
W: I heard Taylor was a soldier and someone who had been in the military. He was the commander for the fighters.
Pros: You ever witness Taylor giving military commands?
W: Yes, he would give people military commands where he would tell them to go the front line to fight.
Pros: When you were a member of the executive mansion guard, did you observe how NPFL forces were supplied with ammunition?
W: Ammunition was supplied to us on the Executive Mansion ground. When Taylor was ready to move to the front line the ammunition would be at the rear of the line where he was going. He kept it at the Coca Cola factory and gave the troops weapons to fight. This factory is in Monrovia.
Pros: Where was the Executive Mansion?
W: It was in different locations but the main location was Gbarnga. We had some other bases like Bong Mines (sp?) and Harbel, but Gbarnga was the main base for the CIC (Taylor). At Gbarnga, they kept the ammunition on the executive ground.
Pros: Where?
W: Where Taylor himself was.
Pros: Need permission to obtain weapons from that location?
W: Always have to ensure Taylor approved for ammunition to come out of that place. if not, no ammunition would come out to go anywhere.
Pros: Place where ammunition kept locked?
W: Yes. It was locked and there was somebody there to ensure that when "the Pa" (Taylor) needed ammunition he would come and open. Moses Duoh came to get ammunition.
Pros: You talked about SBUs. Do you recall names of any young members?
W: Well, we had like Mosquito (Christopher Varmah), Zevun (SBU commander).
Pros: At some time, did you get a new assignment?
W: Yes, there came a time when I had a new assignment. But before then I was fighting on the front line.
Pros: What locations were you fighting at on the front line before you took the new assignment?
W: Places where I fought: Bong Mines, towards Coca Cola factory, and then towards Monrovia. Didn't capture the whole city but captured some areas. Were very close. We could stand there and see the Mansion ground.
Pros: Any other forces fought against in Liberia?
W: Prince Johnson's group and the AFL.
Pros: Any other locations you fought at the front line?
W: Those are the places I can recall for now. I fought at Kakata of course. I went to AFL military base. At that time, Taylor himself who was among the attacking force, attacking an AFL barracks. Later they captured it. The barracks was Schefflin barracks.
Pros: The new assignment, what was it?
W: The new assignment was to go and train people who were to go and fight in Sierra Leone.
Pros: Recall the year given this assignment?
W: It was in 1990. That was the time I was given the assignment to go and train those people. This was in March or April. I cannot say exactly but it could be within that period.
Pros: How first learn about assignment?
W: Well, I was one of the executive mansion guards. I was able to get this assignment from the CIC to help his friend (Foday Sankoh) but at that time we were in Liberia and didn't know him by that name. Taylor called me and said to go with Sankoh. He told me I should go with "his brother" to help him train his people. I want you to know that at the time we were fighting in Liberia, Taylor used to talk over the BBC. He said to the Sierra Leonean people at that time they one day they would "taste the bitterness of war." This was because the alpha jets used to come from Sierra Leone and bomb them. Taylor gave the order to arrest the Nigerians. Most were put in jail, some were killed. He told me to go and train people who will fight in Sierra Leone.
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