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Thursday, May 15, 2008 - Web posted at 9:02:35 GMT Former Liberian president testifies against Charles Taylor THE HAGUE, Netherlands - Libyan authorities trained Charles Taylor's rebel force in the 1980s before it violently overthrew Liberia's government, the man who succeeded him as Liberia's president testified yesterday at Taylor's war crimes trial. |
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Moses Blah briefly served as Liberian president in 2003, taking leadership of the war-ravaged country after Taylor was forced into exile. He is the 27th and highest-ranking witness to take the stand against Taylor since his trial began early this year. The 61-year-old Blah had previously served as vice president under Taylor. Neither man looked at the other as Blah, walking with the help of a cane, entered the Special Court for Sierra Leone trial chamber. He is expected to describe later how Taylor allegedly controlled rebels in neighbouring Sierra Leone from his presidential power base in the Liberian capital, Monrovia. Such evidence is critical to prosecutors seeking to link Taylor to a savage conflict in another country. Blah said he was among about 180 rebels recruited by Taylor and flown to Libya to undergo months of military training that included learning to use AK-47 assault rifles and surface-to-air missiles at a military camp in Tripoli. Rebels from countries including Gambia, the Philippines and Sierra Leone were also at the camp, Blah said. Among them was Sam Bockarie, one of the Sierra Leone rebels Taylor is accused of supporting. "Bockarie called him (Taylor) chief," Blah said. While at the camp, Taylor promoted Blah, a trained mining engineer, to the rank of adjunct general, Blah told judges. He later was again promoted to Inspector General of Taylor's National Patriotic Front of Liberia, in charge of discipline. Taylor's forces entered Liberia late in 1989, triggering a deadly civil war with forces loyal to Samuel Doe, who had grabbed power in a 1980 coup. Blah was subpoenaed to testify and had originally been slated to give evidence anonymously, but he later decided to speak in open court despite a death threat e-mailed to his family. His testimony was expected to continue several days. Taylor has pleaded not guilty to charges that include murder, rape, torture, enlisting child soldiers and pillaging towns and villages during Sierra Leone's 10-year civil war that ended in 2002. Prosecutors allege he orchestrated the atrocities from his presidential power base in Liberia's capital Monrovia. His trial is being held in a courtroom rented from the International Criminal Court in the Hague because of fears prosecuting him in Sierra Leone could spark new violence. Nampa-AP |
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