Liberia: Former warlord go face trial 20 years after civil war
Wia dis foto come from, ALAIN BOMMENEL/AFP/Getty Images
- Author, Daniel Semeniworima
- Role, BBC Pidgin, Lagos
Two decades after di Liberia civil war finish, wetin people no believe say go happen, don begin inside one courtroom for Philadelphia for US.
Na for there chief prosecutors for America dey drag one former warlord wey dem accuse say im commit plenty crime including rape, murder, eating of human being, butcher of people and to carry people do slave.
Di former warlord na one 50-year-old business man wey be, Mohammed Jabateh but im run comot from Liberia sharp-sharp enter US even before di war end.
For di trial wey go start on Monday 2 October na im US prosecutors dey hope say dem go fit convince court say Mr Jabateh — na im be di same person wey commit all di crime, even though dat time im name na "Jungle Jabbah" for Liberia.
Di main tin wey government lawyers for Philadelphia wan do with dis case na to show say Jabateh commit wetin dem dey call immigration fraud, meaning say im lie about im past when dem give am visa to become US citizen.
Tori be say to prove dia case, di government must also connect Jabateh to di bad tins wey Jungle Jabbah do during di Liberian Civil War.
Already di Immigration authorities don even give sign say dem go seek approval to deport Jabateh whether di court find am guilty or not.
Wetin all dis one mean?
Dis case na di first time wey dem go try any former warlord on top di Liberia civil war.
But Jabateh go be di second Liberian military commander wey go show for court after former president Charles Taylor wey dem bin try for 2012.
But Taylor own dey different because na only International Criminal Court handle im case, and na on top di matter of di Sierra Leone civil war wey dey different from di war for Liberia.
Liberia civil war
Di war na plenty fight-fight and kill-kill wey last from 1989 until 1997 and na like 600,000 people die inside di Liberian war.
Liberia na small country for West Africa wey get over four million people. Dem bin get their freedom from USA on 26 July 1847.
Di Economic Community of West African States and United Nations shake bodi for di war and na until dem overthrow Samuel Doe government, come elect Charles Taylor President of Liberia, na im di war end.
