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Liberia: Prosecution Examination of Former AFRC Combat Commander Ends With Dramatic Testimony

25 April 2008

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The monitors of former President Charles Taylor's trial report for www.charlestaylortrial.org

Prosecution Examination of Former AFRC Combat Commander Ends With Dramatic Testimony of Meeting With Taylor; Defense Cross-Examination Begins Amid Controversy Over Witness Protection

Prosecutor Shyamala Alagendra completed her direct examination of Alimamy Bobson Sesay today. The witness gave a dramatic direct account of a meeting with Charles Taylor, in which Taylor stated that he provided arms and ammunition for the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) and Revolutionary United Front (RUF), as well as armed reinforcements for the invasion of Freetown.

Earlier in the day, Sesay recounted a series of attacks and atrocities by the West Side rebel group in western Sierra Leone, as well as their abduction of ECOMOG and United Nations officials. In the afternoon, Defense Counsel Morris Anyah began the cross-examination of Sesay. Anyah wasted no time in aggressively seeking to cast doubt on the witness's credibility. His questions about the current locations of Sesay's family members sparked a clash between the defense and prosecution over witness protection issues. After some deliberation, two of the three judges decided to reject a prosecution motion to redact the public record to remove information on the location of Sesay's family members. The motion had not been opposed by the defense.

Establishment of the West Side base

After clarifying several matters arising from his previous testimony, Alagendra began the day by asking Sesay about the establishment of the West Side base under the command of Ibrahim "Bazzy" Kamara. Sesay recounted numerous appointments made by Bazzy at the town of Magbeni. Among these, the witness said he was appointed as aide-de-camp to the second-in-command to Bazzy, Hassan Papa Bangura ("Bomb Blast"). Sesay said that in May or June of 1999, Bazzy sent one commander named Keforkeh and about 50 fighters across the river from Magbeni to Gberibana to kill all of the civilians there so that no one would know that Gberibana was their base. The entire force proceeded to establish the "West Side base" at Gberibana and the surrounding villages. Sesay said that there were around 500 fighters, including about ten Liberian members of the Special Task Force (STF), and a further ten Liberians who were former members of Charles Taylor's National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL).

In addition to the armed rebels, Sesay testified that around 400 civilians who had been abducted, including many from Freetown, were also based at West Side. There, they were forced to go on "food-finding missions" and to pound rice. Sesay testified that young girls and women were raped by the fighters. He said that Bazzy would select among the women and girls in camp to have sex with him. Sesay testified that his own cousin, a small 16 or 17-year-old girl, had been selected by Bazzy one day. When she refused to have sex with him, Bazzy ordered her beaten until she finally relented. Sesay said he heard her screams from the room where she went to join Bazzy, but said there was nothing he could do.

Sesay testified that among the combatants were about 200 child soldiers aged 8-12. He said there were both boys and girls, but mostly boys. The child soldiers had been captured in places that the rebels had taken, including Kono and Freetown. Sesay said the children went on operations with the other combatants and carried AK-47s.

Attacks from the West Side base in the western area of Sierra Leone

Following a delivery of ammunition that Sesay said had been arranged by RUF leader Sam Bockarie ("Mosquito") following radio communication with Bazzy, Sesay testified that Bazzy began ordering various attacks in the area. According to Sesay, Bazzy said that civilians should be killed and houses burned down.

• Port Loko town: Sesay testified that in June 1999, Bazzy ordered an attack on Port Loko town because he'd heard that there were Guinean and Malian ECOMOG forces there. Sesay said he was part of the operation. The forces burned two villages on the way to Port Loko, and hacked a woman to death. In Port Loko, the troops attacked the Guineans and Malians, and captured two Malian commanders in the process. After burning the ECOMOG headquarters at a school, the force returned to West Side. The witness said he was present when Bazzy called Mosquito on the radio to tell him of the operation and the two Malian peacekeepers. Shortly afterward, they heard Mosquito on a BBC radio broadcast threatening to execute the two commanders unless Mali withdrew its forces from Sierra Leone. Shortly afterwards, Mali withdrew its contingent from the ECOMOG force.

• Makolo: Sesay testified that soon after the Port Loko attack, Bazzy ordered an attack on the town of Makolo. Sesay said he was part of the operation. In a dawn attack, the rebel force captured and executed Nigerian ECOMOG soldiers, burned vehicles and houses and the few killed civilians they encountered. Sesay said a commander named "Captain Blood" executed about three captured civilian women with an axe to the head, "like when you split wood". The force took ammunition from the ECOMOG base and withdrew. When they got back and reported to Bazzy about everything they'd done in Makolo, Bazzy responded, "wow, you've really done me proud".

• Gberi Junction: Still in June 1999, Bazzy sent a commander named Amara Kallay to lead an attack on Gberi Junction at which the witness was not present. He said that when Kallay's force returned it had many looted items, but that his men told Bazzy, that all Kallay had ordered done was looting - he had not attacked Gberi Junction. Bazzy ordered Kallay beaten, and two days later a second operation was launched in Gberi Junction. Sesay said he went on this operation. He said they attacked ECOMOG forces there, burned houses, took ammunition and withdrew.

• Magbutuso (also called Mile 38): Sesay testified that two days after the second operation in Gberi Junction, Bazzy ordered an attack on Magbutuso. The witness participated. He said they attacked ECOMOG, burned some of their tents, took ammunition and withdrew back to West Side.

• Mansumana: Shorly before a cease-fire was declared, Bazzy ordered an attack on Mansumana in order to claim more territory. A commander called Keforkeh led a group there and created a checkpoint.

Taking ECOMOG and UN officials hostage

Sesay testified that following the July 1999 Lomé Peace Accord, Bazzy grew angry that the agreement made no mention of the AFRC or its leader, Johnny Paul Koroma. Sesay said that at this time, after the cease-fire for the peace talks took effect, there was direct communication between the opposing sides. He stated that Bazzy radioed the protocol officer of President Ahmad Tejan-Kabbah in Freetown to tell him that he wanted to hand over some child combatants to the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL).

According to Sesay, shortly after this discussion, a group of ECOMOG and UNAMSIL officials arrived in Magbeni together with a bishop and some others. Sesay testified that on Bazzy's orders the West Side group feigned a handover of the child soldiers, then moved in to take the international officials hostage at gunpoint. A journalist with the group, Christo Johnson, spoke with Bazzy and said he could publicize the demands of the group at West Side. Johnson was released, and Sesay testified that later that day, they heard Johnson's reports on BBC and Voice of America. According to Sesay, Johnson reported that the West Side group demanded their reinstatement in the Sierra Leone Army and a position in government for Johnny Paul Koroma in exchange for the release of the ECOMOG and UNAMSIL officials.

Sesay testified that on the day of the radio broadcasts, Sam Bockarie called Bazzy and told him to release the hostages. Bazzy told Mosquito that he needed to speak with Johnny Paul Koroma, whom he believed had been detained by the RUF in Kailahun, before releasing the officials. Shortly afterwards, Sesay said, Johnny Paul Koroma called Bazzy on the radio and told him to release the officials. Bazzy told him he needed to see him in person before doing so. Koroma called back later that day, telling Bazzy that Liberian President Charles Taylor was sending a helicopter to pick him up in Kailahun and take him to Liberia. Koroma told Bazzy to prepare a delegation to travel to Freetown, which should then fly to meet him in Liberia to discuss the problem.

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