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Sierra Leone: Ulimo Blocked RUF, NPFL Routes
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The Analyst (Monrovia)
DOCUMENT
3 July 2008
Posted to the web 3 July 2008
Yesterday, the trial of former president Charles Taylor resumed following days of break with chief prosecution witness co-named TF1-567 currently on the stand alleging that the accused had ordered former RUF head Foday Sankoh to send more men to areas then seized by forces of the United Liberation Movement (ULIMO), to help open the blocked routes.
The witness said the Taylor's order was in reaction to the blocking of the routes leading to the areas then controlled by the RUF and NPFL during their marriage in Sierra Leone.
Excerpts fromopening testimony cued from Taylor Trial Website (Unedited)
Court convened at 9:30 on Wednesday July 2, 2008. The Presiding judge asked that representations to be announced, which both prosecution and defence did. Mr. Taylor was present in court, wearing a blue suit, white shirt and a blue tie. The witness is an RUF insider who served as bodyguard to Foday Sankoh from 1991 up to the time Sankoh was arrested in May 2000.
Prosecution called Witness TF1-567. Prosecution, represented by Ms. Brenda Hollis indicated that pursuant to Trial Chamber decision of March 13, 2008, regarding protection of witnesses, the witness has protective measures, with both facial anf voice distortion, and that there might be closed sessions when necessary.
Ms. Hollis stated that the witness will testify in Krio. She also stated that the witness will commence his testimony in private session for the purpose of obtaining his persoinal data. The Defence, represented by Lead Counsel Courtney Griffiths stated that he had no objection to this.
Witness is sworn by Court Attendant
Court goes into private session in order to obtain the personal data of the witness. Court is back in open session. The prosecution asked the wtiness about the languages he speaks, to which he responded that he speaks Krio, Mende and Liberian English. The witness also indicated that he understands spoken and written English.
Witness is captured by rebels and taken to the Bunumbu Training Base in May 1991. The witness stated that in May 1991, he was in Pendembu town when he heard that the rebels had entered the town in May 1991. He said there were no government forces when the rebels entered Pendembu. Asked about the kinds of weapons the rebels had when they entered Pendembu, the witness stated that he saw RPGs, Berritas, and AK-57 rifles. The witness said when the rebels attacked, he was captured together with some other people by small boys who had guns.
He said he was even older than some of his captors. The witness said among those who were captured were small boys, adult men and women. The witness said that upon being taken to the Court Barray, they were punished there and later taken to the training base. He said most of the rebels spoke Liberian English. The witness said that the training base was at the Pendembu Vocational Training compound.
Upon arrival at the training base, the witness said that somebody introduced himself as Charles Timba and said he was the training comandant at the base. He said Timba told them that he was from the NPFL and that he was in Sierra Leone to help them fight the war. He said Timba introduced two Sierra Leoneans to them at the training base in the persons of Morris Kallon and Kaifa Wai.
The witness said Timba further told them that Kallon and Kaifa Wai were Vanguards who were trained at Camp Nama in Liberia. The witness stated that among those who were taken to the training base were children, women and men.
He said that the ages ranged from 13 years upwards. Asked how long he was at the training base, the witness stated that he spent two months there. The witness said he underwent ambush training, AK-47 training, barbed wire crawling and Halaka training.
Prosecution asked whether anyone refused the training. The witness said that while at the training base, those who said they were tired would be beaten and those who refused to train were beaten at the Halaka place. He said that the halaka was a circled place with cement blocks, with sands in the middle. He said individuals will be placed there and beaten by the trainers.
The witness said that after his training, the number of trainees that flooded the base was upto 800 people, comprising boys, girls, men and women. When asked whether trainees were organized into any sorts of units, the witness said they were put into plantoons, companies, the WAS Unit.
Asked the meaning of WAS unit, he said those were groups comprising girls and women. He said the boys were in the Small Boys Unit (SBU). The witness stated that other than Charles Timba, a female training commander by the name of Monica Pearson was also there.
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He said that Monica Pearson told them she was also trained at Camp Nama in Liberia. The witness said they also received training from Mathew, Jah Glory, and others whose names he cannot recall now. He said that these trainers were also Liberians from the NPFL.
For sake of humanity the trial of Mr. Charles Taylor is a mockery to justice anywhere and eveywhere.In fact the trial in itself appears to be a forum for few selected people called judges and lawyers to amass wealth. Where in the world would key players like Moses Blah, TF1-567 etc. be witnesses when they were also individuals who fully executed the wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone. If justice is to prevail, let all of these criminals be judged and face the full force of justice.
The mandate of the court is to trial all who bear the greatest responsibility. To do that, the Prosecutions have to sacrifice some middle fish to get to the big fish and also the victims can not tie the big fish to the crimes as they have no knowledge about the command and control of the organization's headed or formed by by these big fishes. Hence the need for insider witnesses.
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