Liberians who formed part of Sierra Leone’s rebel forces that wreaked havoc in the war-torn West African country were not members of Charles Taylor’s own rebel group and had no communications with the former Liberian president, a defense witness said today.
Martin Flomo George, a Liberian national and former Brigade Commander for the Sierra Leonean Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebel group, today told the Special Court for Sierra Leone that he and other Liberian RUF members were not sent to Sierra Leone by Mr. Taylor, and had no contact with him while they were part of the fighting force in their neighboring country.
“No. We never had communication with Charles Taylor,” Mr. George told the court.
Prosecutors have alleged that members of Mr. Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) rebel group fought alongside RUF rebels in Sierra Leone. These Liberian rebels, prosecutors have alleged, were sent to Sierra Leone by Mr. Taylor as part of his involvement in a joint criminal enterprise with RUF rebel forces. Prosecution witnesses, including RUF radio operators, have testified before Special Court to Sierra Leone judges that the RUF commanders such as Isaac Mongor used to communicate with Mr. Taylor and his troops in Liberia. Mr. Taylor has denied these allegations, saying that he never sent Liberian nationals to fight in Sierra Leone, that those Liberian nationals who went to Sierra Leone did not go there on his command, and that they did not have any communications with him.
Mr. George, a Liberian national himself and former member of the RUF today corroborated Mr. Taylor’s account. Responding to a question from Mr. Taylor’s defense counsel, Morris Anyah, as to whether Liberian nationals, especially Mr. Mongor, a former prosecution witness, Liberian national and senior commander in the RUF, communicated with Mr. Taylor, Mr. George told the court:
“While we were in the jungle, I never saw Isaac talking to Charles Taylor on the radio or even giving him message about any situation concerning the RUF war, never, no.”
Prosecutors have alleged that RUF commanders used to communicate regularly with Mr. Taylor’s Director of Special Security Services (SSS), Benjamin Yeaten. Today, Mr. Anyah sought to know whether such communication did take place with any other commanders in Liberia apart from Mr. Taylor. The witness today said this was never the case.
“Besides Charles Taylor, did he [Isaac Mongor] talk to someone else in Charles Taylor’s administration? Benjamin Yeaten, for example, or anyone else associated with Charles Taylor’s government in Liberia?” Mr. Anyah asked.
“At the time we were in the northern jungle, I never saw him [Isaac Mongor] communicating with Charles Taylor or any other Charles Taylor’s commanders for that matter,” Mr. George said.
Mr. Mongor, in his April 2008 testimony as a prosecution witness, said that he was first a member of Mr. Taylor’s NPFL. In the NPFL, he said he served as a bodyguard before he was asked by Mr. Taylor to join RUF leader, Foday Sankoh, and help train RUF fighters for the invasion of Sierra Leone. Mr. Mongor, who later became a senior RUF commander, said the RUF leadership used to communicate with Mr. Taylor. Mr. Taylor, in his own testimony, denied these accounts. As one of the Liberians who fought as a member of the RUF, Mr. George is now corroborating Mr. Taylor’s account.
Prosecutors will cross-examine Mr. George tomorrow.
Hey Guys,
I hardly can comprehend this media blitz of campbell, diamond and farrow story. This issue is a backburner. There are major issues that are worthy of headlines than campbell and diamond. Take for instance the media telling the world how the prosecution failed to produce the 5billions dollars they claimed taylor had.
This kind of headline would compel the judges to acquit taylor.
Isaac Mongor has being shown by many witnesses in this trial to be a liar. he said he was intructed by Mr taylor to go and Train people to fight in SL but it has been shown by other witnesses to be a lie he was not an instructor he was just an ordinary recruit like all the other vangards trained in Crabhole.
It is really interesting to hear the pro. and the con. sides of this trial. It is only God who will direct these Judges to critically examine the stories from both sides and including what they haven seen and heard, they will be able to give their verdict through the divine powers of God Almighty Allah. May they have the wisdom and knowledge as the one that was given to Solomon by God.
The defense witnesses have heard what their god father has said in court and therefore they should all be abided by his saying except for few because of the powers of God, they became confused and said things contrary to their god father.
Somebody was calling BLOOD DIAMOND on Kabba, Britain and Canada etc to fuel the anti-government fight against the RUF. Does the writer know the terrains of Sierra Leone? Did he know the areas that were under government control and RUF control? If you want to know more of Sierra Leone better read Geography of Sierra Leone for better understanding. For example, the executive outcome a South African Firm was operating in Sierra Leone during the Military rule of NPRC and not Kabba. Some of you guys who are crying foul for your god father, you just say things without the actual fact.
No defense witness will accept they sayings of the prosecution otherwise they will be betraying their god father just as Judas betrayed their lord and savior Jesus Christ. Bravo defense witnesses you are not the Judas type. But remember you took oath in court either through the Bible or the Holy Quran as being either a Christian or a Muslim. Hell be onto you for failing to say the truth because of money which is the root of all evil. For men shall be in trouble on account of me, On me shall mankind depend, Non shall be happy without me, Engage me in trouble I will go well, Yet, I am, What I am? The root of all evil. That is MONEY and the hell gate is waiting for you and your god father.
No Sierra Leonean ever went to Liberia and killed or maim neither burnt a house in Liberia not to say raped or abducted any Liberian Citizens. Today in court, some of you Liberians are testifying in court that indeed you fought in Sierra Leone and destroyed Lives and properties of unarmed civilians and yet some of your Liberian brothers are supportive of it. May God have Mercy upon you all.
Fuad,
You should also ask God to forgive prosecution witnesses that lied under oath for things that they did not see Mr. Taylor do in Sierra Leone. on the other hand, you must be a dreamer to ever think that Sierra Leone citizens did not killed people or burnt down homes, churches, schools, hospitals ect, in Liberia. Let me also inform you that Sierra Leone trained ULIMO and LURD rebel forces caused us more harm than any other warning faction in Liberia. Please take a look around you and rethink before you start pointing fingers.
Harris K Johnson
If your claim is that the defense witnesses heard what Mr. Taylor have said in court before their testimonies, you’ll have to hold the international community responsible for it because they set rules for Mr. Taylor to testified in his own defense first before any other witnesses could do so in his defense.
On the issue of Sierra Leonean fighting and killing Liberian, YOU ARE TELLING A LIE if you should say Sierra Leonean did not fight in Liberia and Killed Liberians. Infact, I know some of them who were fighting for both Taylor and Prince Johnson!
By saying that, pretty much tell me that you know nothing about the war in Liberia.
FUAD,
MONEY IS NOT THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL BROTHER! INSTEAD, THE LOVE OF MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL, OK?
Fuad,
This video will tell you things you may not know. This is what we called evidence.
WATCH THIS FUAD.
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=28164402
Hi Sierra — thanks for your comment but unfortunately we cannot post it in its current form as it is focussed on another reader. If you can reforumate it so that it focusses on the issue you wish to discuss and not on another reader, I will happily post it.
Best,
Tracey
Hi Sam, thanks for your comment on 28 April at 9:16am — alas I cannot post it in its current form as we have a policy not to focus on other readers. Would you mind reforumating it and resubmitting so that it focusses on issues arising from or related to the trial? I will be happy to post it then.
Best,
Tracey
Good Brother Harris,
i don’t need to comment further on this issue regarding citizens of Sierra Leone being involved in the liberian crisis. Needless say involved in the destrution of lives and properties.
Jacone, are you then admitting in your response to Fuad:”On the issue of Sierra Leonean fighting and killing Liberian,YOU ARE TELLING A LIE if you should say Sierra Leonean did not fight in Liberia and Killed Liberians. Infact, I know some of them who were fighting for both Taylor and Prince Johnson!
By saying that, pretty much tell me that you know nothing about the war in Liberia,” unqoute, that in fact there were fighters from Sierra Leone(RUF) fighting for taylor and killing Liberians? It mut be because according to you, you personally know about these individuals! You are a true patriotic NPFL sympathizer and I am following all your propaganda disinformation have a good day, Master Sergent.
Fallah,
I don’t know if you really know much about the war in Liberia. There were Krahn and Madengos fighting for NPFL as Madengos and Krahn were being killed by NPFL fighters. Again, I will tell you that anything I say on this iste I can prove it papay Fallah. I don’t talk about anything that I can’t prove. There were Sierra Leonean fighting alongside ULIMO, LURD. I am not going to call their first names of two Sierra Leonean who are brothers who were fighting for ULIMO.
Their last name is Bangura and their Sister live on GSA Road in Monrovia and their house is about 200 meters from the main Road going to Redlight in Paynesville! Infact, their sister is standing in my wedding scheduled for November 27 this year.
Amara Sesay something but I will not put his whole name out here, a Sierra Leonean who was fighting for LURD also.
Go to Bensonville and ask for an area called Local Village…… You will see many of them there who were resettle there by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Many of them were fighting for LURD! So I know what I am talking about here Fallah!
So what I am saying here is that, FAUD LIED BY SAYING SIERRA LEONEANS DID NOT FIGHT IN LIBERIA AND KILLED LIBERIANS…. RAPE, FORCESIVELY TAKE PEOPLE PROPERTIES. If you don’t believe me, let me know then I will give you names and numbers of Liberians women so they can tell you what Sierra Leoneans fighting for ULIMO did to them in 1993 and 1994 in Sanouyeah district, lower Bong County. Some of the women involved are family members of my who were living in our town along the ST. Paul river.
Go to Careysburg, and ask for one borbor Souko, he can tell you more about the Sierra Leonean who were fighting for ULIMO and some of the killing they did in Liberia! Sierra Leoneans fighters killed my cousin infront of his mother only because they asked him to show them the short cut leaving from David town Bong County to Kalaebla and he told them that the short cut along the ST. Paul river was closed due to farming along the river. They killed him for nothing and he was the only boy child for parents! So, if you people think Liberians never got killed by Sierra Leoneans fighting in Liberia, YOU ARE A BIG BIG LIAR!
Dear Jocone — every time I hear the horrors that happened either in Sierra Leone and Liberia, it reminds me of how painful it must be for those who lost family members and friends on this site, including yourself. I am sorry to hear of your cousin who was killed, and for the crimes committed against the women in your family too.
Jocone, you raised an important point which is worth us discussing here on the site. That is: we tend to like specificity here on this site — names, times, places, affiliations. Those things are very important when we are trying to discuss larger events. One issue that we may need to be aware of here, however, is the privacy and security of third parties. We will not be able to publish the names of people who were victimized during the war without their explicit permission, even though I understand the offer in this case was to be able to facilitate greater specificity and knowledge of the events during the war.
Thanks for your contribution to the discussion, though, as always, Jocone, and will look forawrd to your continued contributions.
Best,
Tracey
Thanks Tracey,
I just wanted people like Fallah to know that not everyone making comments here are supports or fighters of Mr. Taylor as he thinks! Many of us had lost family members to both Liberians and Sierra Leoneans fighters! So for one to claim that Sierra Leoneans are the one who are victims of Liberians or Sierra Leoneans fighters is a complete mis-information, dis- information and disgrace. It just amount to lot of known the facts of what really happened or deciding not to face the facts at hand!
Fallah where did Jacone in his comment mention that the sierra leoneans that fought for the NPFL and prince Johnson where RUF? that is a prosecution tactic that you have learnt and now adopting on this site. disinformation does not help intellectual arguments which we are supposed to be having on this site.
Fallah,
Truth will always overcome or overpower lies. Just the most recent ended war in Liberia, Sierra Leoneans and Guineans made up majority of LURD and MODEL fighting force. Do you remember LURD fighting slogan “mama day, no, papa day, no, send more mortals? We Liberians don’t speak like that. We don’t speak Creole. Fallah, Sierra Leoneans only got away to what they did to Liberia because of the International Support especially from Tony Blair.
I seriously think that those guys who are now testifying are playing some sought of a cat and mouse game and could be highly rated as DRAMA KINGS. How can you say one thing today and change it tomorrow in front of an international court. Look Mr. persecutor, I thing these guys should have their voices recorded every time the speak for the first time so that they will not have the chance to collaborate with their o called GOD FATHER Charles Taylor.
Jonathan Saah,
Apparently you may not know. These witnesses have a written deposition prior to them taking the witness stand. However, you can check what they previously wrote and compare it to their verbal testimony. By the way Saah, where is the 5 billion dollars the prosecution said President Taylor “has” and the money will be given to the victim of Sierra Leone? Where are the blood diamonds that this innocent has/had? Saah, it is the prosecution you need to be more worried about and not the defense. The defense is doing just fine without plus or menus you.
Faud;
i have been following this debate from the genesis of this trial. never dreamnt of making comments till today. If i may quote you right ” No Sierra Leonean ever went to Liberia and killed or mam neither burnt a house in Liberia not to say raped or abducted any Liberian” this sounds too odd. most of the inhabitants of Vai town, clara town infact the entire Bushrod Island are victims of their canage.
Do you remeber this saying ( u mama dey? u papa dey? more mortal.
All the best.