Sierra Leone: Annan names prosecutor, registrar of special war crimes court

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has filled the posts of chief prosecutor and registrar of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, a UN spokesman said today.

David Crane, a senior attorney with the United States Department of Defence, was named prosecutor, and Robin Vincent of the United Kingdom chosen to be registrar of the tribunal that will try war crimes committed during Sierra Leone's bloody 10-year civil war.

"The Secretary-General will now proceed with the appointment of judges for the Court, and as indicated in the Security Council resolution, the majority of these will be from Africa," spokesman Fred Eckhard said.

On Tuesday, the Deputy Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone, Ambassador Allieu Ibrahim Kanu, and the UN Legal Counsel, Hans Corell, exchanged the instruments that brought into force the agreement between the two parties that had been signed on 16 January.