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Sierra Leone: UN-backed court indicts former rebel leader ‘Bazzy’ Kamara

Sierra Leone: UN-backed court indicts former rebel leader ‘Bazzy’ Kamara

The United Nations-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone has netted three more suspected war criminals, including former rebel leader Brima “Bazzy” Kamara, who has been indicted for alleged atrocities committed during the country's decade-long civil war.

The United Nations-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone has netted three more suspected war criminals, including former rebel leader Brima “Bazzy” Kamara, who has been indicted for alleged atrocities committed during the country's decade-long civil war.

“The people of Sierra Leone can rest easier knowing that this man will face the Special Court”, Deputy Prosecutor Desmond de Silva said in Freetown today as he announced the indictment against Mr. Kamara, a former senior commander of both the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) and the “West Side Boys.”

Mr. Kamara was taken into custody two days ago and has been indicted for war crimes, crimes against humanity and other serious violations of international humanitarian law. “Wearing a military uniform does not give you permission to direct violations of international humanitarian law,” Mr. de Silva said.

Two other people, Moinina Fofana and Allieu Kondewa, have been provisionally detained under a court rule that allows suspects to be held for up to 30 days before being formally charged. Both individuals are affiliated with the former Civil Defence Forces.

To date, the Court has indicted nine individuals, including Foday Sankoh, Issa Sessay, Sam Bockarie, Morris Kallon, Augustine Gbao, Johnny Paul Koroma, Alex Tamba Brima, Brima ‘Bazzy’ Kamara and Samuel Hinga Norman. Seven of those individuals are in custody. Mr. Bockarie was killed earlier this month in neighbouring Liberia while Mr. Koroma remains at large, purportedly holed up in a small Liberian village.

The Court’s Chief of Investigations, Alan White, again called on Liberian President Charles Taylor to deliver the fugitive Mr. Koroma alive to the tribunal. “We’ve got ‘Bazzy’. We want Koroma,” Mr. White said, “the AFRC must answer for what they did to this country.”