Taylor’s Surrender to Special Court Critical for Justice, Rule of Law in West Africa [news]
News Release Issued by the International Secretariat of Amnesty International
AI Index: AFR 34/003/2006 27 January 2006
(Monrovia, January 27, 2006) – Liberia’s new president, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, should take prompt action to ensure that former Liberian President Charles Taylor is surrendered to the Special Court for Sierra Leone, the Campaign Against Impunity said today in an open letter to President Johnson-Sirleaf, who was inaugurated on January 16.
The Campaign Against Impunity is a coalition of some three hundred African and international civil society groups that was formed to press for Charles Taylor’s surrender to the Special Court. Liberian partners in the Campaign are holding a press conference today in Monrovia at 2 P.M. (GMT) to further demonstrate their support in the fight against impunity in the sub-region.
“President Johnson-Sirleaf said her presidency will stand for accountability and the rule of law,” said Ezekial Pajibo, executive director of Centre for Democratic Empowerment (CEDE), a Liberian organization that is part of the Campaign. “Now she has a major opportunity to do just that. We hope she will seize this chance by requesting Nigeria to surrender Charles Taylor to the Special Court for Sierra Leone.”
The Special Court was set up in 2002 to try those most responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during Sierra Leone’s armed conflict. Charles Taylor has been accused of 17 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity against the people of Sierra Leone by the Special Court. The crimes include killings, mutilations, rape and other forms of sexual violence, sexual slavery, the recruitment and use of child soldiers, abduction, and the use of forced labor by Sierra Leonean armed opposition groups.
Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has thus far refused to surrender Charles Taylor to the Special Court since 2003 when Taylor went to Nigeria. However, President Obasanjo has indicated since then that he would consider surrendering Charles Taylor upon a request from a duly-elected Liberian government.
For the complete release: IS Amnesty International News Releases
my thoughts - this would certainly be essential to the stability of the region. The Special Court for Sierra Leone would be the most appropriate place to try Taylor. admittedly, I'm not sure how much better the Special Court for SL fares compared to the Tribunals in Arusha for Rwanda and for the former Yugoslavia. but there's no doubt that the failure to bring Taylor to justice would further demonstrate the weakness of democratic institutions in Western Africa, not to mention the rest of the continent. Somehow, we are always banging up against the wall of state soveriegnty -- how can we enforce elements in international law, specificially in regards to war crimes, when we have no effective enforcement agency? but do we really want such an agency?
AI Index: AFR 34/003/2006 27 January 2006
(Monrovia, January 27, 2006) – Liberia’s new president, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, should take prompt action to ensure that former Liberian President Charles Taylor is surrendered to the Special Court for Sierra Leone, the Campaign Against Impunity said today in an open letter to President Johnson-Sirleaf, who was inaugurated on January 16.
The Campaign Against Impunity is a coalition of some three hundred African and international civil society groups that was formed to press for Charles Taylor’s surrender to the Special Court. Liberian partners in the Campaign are holding a press conference today in Monrovia at 2 P.M. (GMT) to further demonstrate their support in the fight against impunity in the sub-region.
“President Johnson-Sirleaf said her presidency will stand for accountability and the rule of law,” said Ezekial Pajibo, executive director of Centre for Democratic Empowerment (CEDE), a Liberian organization that is part of the Campaign. “Now she has a major opportunity to do just that. We hope she will seize this chance by requesting Nigeria to surrender Charles Taylor to the Special Court for Sierra Leone.”
The Special Court was set up in 2002 to try those most responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during Sierra Leone’s armed conflict. Charles Taylor has been accused of 17 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity against the people of Sierra Leone by the Special Court. The crimes include killings, mutilations, rape and other forms of sexual violence, sexual slavery, the recruitment and use of child soldiers, abduction, and the use of forced labor by Sierra Leonean armed opposition groups.
Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has thus far refused to surrender Charles Taylor to the Special Court since 2003 when Taylor went to Nigeria. However, President Obasanjo has indicated since then that he would consider surrendering Charles Taylor upon a request from a duly-elected Liberian government.
For the complete release: IS Amnesty International News Releases
my thoughts - this would certainly be essential to the stability of the region. The Special Court for Sierra Leone would be the most appropriate place to try Taylor. admittedly, I'm not sure how much better the Special Court for SL fares compared to the Tribunals in Arusha for Rwanda and for the former Yugoslavia. but there's no doubt that the failure to bring Taylor to justice would further demonstrate the weakness of democratic institutions in Western Africa, not to mention the rest of the continent. Somehow, we are always banging up against the wall of state soveriegnty -- how can we enforce elements in international law, specificially in regards to war crimes, when we have no effective enforcement agency? but do we really want such an agency?
posted by Jennifer at 5:09 PM
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