The Hague, Netherlands, 31 July-(ANA)-Former Liberian President Charles Taylor has blamed the beginning of his legal troubles on a former U.N. envoy, who he claimed misidentified Liberians fighting in Sierra Leone as his men.
Taylor is testifying in his defence against 11 counts of war crimes for allegedly arming, training and financing rebels in Sierra Leone who were notorious for hacking off their enemies' limbs and raping women during the 1991-2002 civil war.
Taylor said in 1998 he heard that special U.N. envoy Francis G. Okelo had reported that Liberians were fighting alongside rebel forces in Sierra Leone.
He told the war crimes court the Liberians were mercenaries and had nothing to do with his government. But he said that report has landed him in prison. (ANA)
Amnesty/Report