Free article preview  

War crimes trials start this year but the causes of the war still fester

Some 20 to 30 people accused of the most heinous crimes in Sierra Leone's brutal civil war are to be tried this year at the Special Court in Freetown, operating from Slovenian-made prefabricated buildings. The Court, whose President is the London-based barrister Geoffrey Robertson, is meant to be more effective than the widely derided and under-resourced tribunal in Arusha, Tanzania, on the Rwandan genocide. Set up last August, the Court wants to complete its investigations in June and issue indictments soon after. The hope is that a swift trial of the accused will help reconciliation. Distrust from the war era lingers, shown by the recent coup plotting accusations against former military leader Johnny Paul Koroma....

(This article contains approximately 1325 words)

end of free article preview

Current subscribers: log in now to read the complete article. Misplaced your password? Then click here for a password reminder.

Not a subscriber? Then you can read this article in full either by becoming a subscriber now, for 3, 6 or 12 months, or you can buy this individual article.

  • Subscribe to Africa Confidential:
  • Buy this article:
  • 3-month subscription
    Prices from £205.00 (+ VAT where applicable)
    6-month subscription
    Prices from £376.00 (+ VAT where applicable)
    12-month subscription
    Prices from £705.00 (+ VAT where applicable)
  • UK & European Union
    £17.00 (+ VAT where applicable)
    Rest of the world
    $27.00

  • If you have a print subscription already, click here for a password that gives you full access to the website.
  • If you are logged in, but still cannot access the full text of this article, email customer services or telephone us on +44(0)1638 743633.

Keywords:

Slovenian, Geoffrey Robertson, Tanzania, Rwandan, Johnny Paul Koroma, Taking judges more seriously, United States, David Crane, Yasmin Jusu-Sheriff, Salia Jusu-Sheriff, Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, Oluyemi Adeniji, Gambia, Ajaaratou Satang Jow, William Schabas, Canadian, Ireland, Yasmin Sooka, South Africa, Franklyn Bai Kargbo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, A dry run for Saddam, Iraq, Saddam Hussein, Britain, Afghanistan, Yugoslavia, Solomon Berewa, Liberia, Charles, Taylor, Côte d'Ivoire, Sam Bockarie, Momodu, Koroma, Libya, John Benjamin, Valentine Strasser, Kadi Sesay, Andrew Turay, Hajj, Al Qaida