War crime trials lined up for other African leaders
ONE WARLORD down, two dozen still to go? The verdict against Thomas Lubanga has raised hopes the International Criminal Court can at least deter the more savage warlords of Africa, if not stamp them out entirely.
Coming up next in The Hague is former Liberian president Charles Taylor, who will appear on April 26 at the Special Court for Sierra Leone. Dozens of witnesses have testified to his criminal undertakings as a warlord, including the setting up of a Small Boys’ Unit – orphaned child soldiers, eyes glazed with amphetamines, trained to 1990s.
Also waiting is Laurent Gbagbo, the former Ivory Coast president, who is charged with crimes against humanity including murder and rape.
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Top of the wanted list, however, is President Omar Hassan alBashir of Sudan, accused of orchestrating the mass killings in the Darfur region. The ICC has issued arrest warrants – the first against a sitting head of state – for crimes against genocide.
Not on the ICC list is Joshua Milton Blahyi, dubbed General Butt Naked because he would often fight in Liberia’s 14-year civil war wearing only a pair of combat boots. He publicly claimed to have killed 20,000 people. He has since converted to Christianity and, as an evangelist preacher, has been touring the country asking for forgiveness.
Other warlords, such as Prince Johnson of Liberia, also claim to have hung up their guns. Damning video footage showed him sipping a beer while his fighters tortured and mutilated ousted president Samuel Doe.
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