Concord Times (Freetown)
Mariama Khai Fornah
28 October 2008
The Hague — The defence in the trial of former Liberian President Charles Taylor has said that former Sierra Leone President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah and his government recruited Liberians who fought alongside his (Taylor) forces.
Defence lawyer, Morris Anyah said Kabbah had admitted to the recruitment of the Liberians. However, the elder statesman could not be reached for his reaction.
Anyah read out in court what he said were testimonies Kabbah made before his country's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, admitting to the recruitment of Liberians into the Sierra Leone security apparatus.
The document quoted President Kabbah as saying that fighters loyal to the Liberian dissident group, ULIMO, under the command of one Brigadier David Livingstone Bropleh were incorporated into the Sierra Leone security forces and renamed Special Task Force.
Anyah asked the 72nd prosecution witness, Alpha Jalloh, if he knew that those who amputated him on January 18, 1999 were ULIMO fighters. The witness denied knowing which faction they fought for but stressed that they were Liberian soldiers.
Continuing from the TRC document, Anyah quoted former President Kabbah as saying that Brigadier Bropleh later fled Freetown with the AFRC junta forces, and that the Liberian commander later fought against ECOMOG troops.
The defence lawyer went on to say that Bropleh's forces "played an active role in all the attacks that displaced ECOMOG and government troops in such places as Koidu, Makeni, Kamakwie and Lunsar" as well supported the January 6, 1999 attack on Freetown.
73rd Prosecution witness, Samuel John who had previously testified in the AFRC case in Freetown was only presented to the Defence for cross-examination.
74th prosecution witness, Akiatu Tholley said the rebels who entered Freetown on January 6, 1999 flogged and dragged her until she lost unconsciousness. She said the rebels entered a church and raped many of the displaced girls and women. Prosecution Lawyer Brenda Hollis asked Akiatu to explain what the rebels did to her.
"Well at the time we were in the church, James forced me. He raped me and he damaged me" she said. Asked what she meant by "damaged me", the witness said she needed sometime, apparently to stabilise her emotions. Courtesy: BBC World Service Trust
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 Concord Times. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
