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French Court Hands Life Sentence to Liberian Warlord

Since October 10, former Liberian militiaman Kunti Kamara has been on trial in France for complicity in crimes against humanity. His trial mirrors the one held in Switzerland against a senior officer, Alieu Kosiah, convicted in June 2021 and invited to testify on October 21 at the Paris Court of Assizes.

The French court has convicted and sentenced Kamara to a life sentence for complicity in crimes against humanity, torture and barbarism following a dramatic three-week trial in Paris.

After nine hours of deliberation the nine-person jury found Kamara, 47, guilty on all 11 counts in his indictment for crimes committed while he was a commander with the United Liberation Movement for Democracy (Ulimo) rebel group in Foya, Lofa County in northern Liberia in 1993.

The judge abruptly adjourned the hearing on Tuesday after an inconsolable witness began a graphic description of her alleged rape by a soldier under Kamara's command.

Kamara is just the second Liberian to be convicted for his or her role in any of the country's two civil wars. The first was Alieu Kosiah, another former Ulimo commander who was sentenced to 20 years in a Swiss court last year. His appeal will be heard in January.

InFocus

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Acquitted (file photo).

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