This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/africa/7910841.stm
The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| S Leone trio guilty of war crimes | S Leone trio guilty of war crimes |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| A war crimes court has found three Sierra Leone rebel commanders guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity. | A war crimes court has found three Sierra Leone rebel commanders guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity. |
| RUF leaders Issa Sesay, 38, and Morris Kallon, 45, were convicted of 16 of the 18 charges, while Augustine Gbao, 60, was found guilty on 14 of the counts. | |
| The Freetown trial of the RUF rebel leaders, related to Sierra Leone's 10-year civil war, began in mid-2004. | |
| The court had heard how the trio were involved in the rape, mutilation and murder of civilians. | |
| It was the last case to be held at the special court. | |
| The BBC's Umaru Fofana at the court in Freetown said as the verdicts were delivered Sesay looked very serious and Kallon, clad in a smart light green suit, could have been mistaken for one of the lawyers, while Gbao buried his face in his hands and looked very dejected. | |
| The three committed atrocities during the 1991-2001 civil war as senior commanders of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF). | The three committed atrocities during the 1991-2001 civil war as senior commanders of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF). |
| According to the indictment, the rebel chiefs were involved in a joint criminal enterprise with former Liberian President Charles Taylor to control the diamond fields of Sierra Leone to finance their warfare. | According to the indictment, the rebel chiefs were involved in a joint criminal enterprise with former Liberian President Charles Taylor to control the diamond fields of Sierra Leone to finance their warfare. |
| The trial heard harrowing tales from 75 prosecution witnesses of rapes and killings at the hands of the RUF. | The trial heard harrowing tales from 75 prosecution witnesses of rapes and killings at the hands of the RUF. |
| Tens of thousands of civilians had limbs, noses or ears chopped off | Tens of thousands of civilians had limbs, noses or ears chopped off |
| Tactics favoured by the rebels included amputating hands and arms or carving the initials RUF into the bodies of their victims. | Tactics favoured by the rebels included amputating hands and arms or carving the initials RUF into the bodies of their victims. |
| The RUF was notorious for using the so-called Small Boys Units - child soldiers forcibly recruited and issued with AK-47 assault rifles - who had a reputation for particular cruelty among the civilian population. | The RUF was notorious for using the so-called Small Boys Units - child soldiers forcibly recruited and issued with AK-47 assault rifles - who had a reputation for particular cruelty among the civilian population. |
| By the time the conflict ended, some 120,000 people had been killed while tens of thousands were left mutilated, their arms, legs, noses or ears cut off. | By the time the conflict ended, some 120,000 people had been killed while tens of thousands were left mutilated, their arms, legs, noses or ears cut off. |
| The only trial still ongoing before the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone is that of Mr Taylor, whose case has been moved to The Hague for security reasons. | The only trial still ongoing before the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone is that of Mr Taylor, whose case has been moved to The Hague for security reasons. |
| The Sierra Leone conflict was depicted in the 2006 film Blood Diamond, starring Djimon Hounsou, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Connelly. | The Sierra Leone conflict was depicted in the 2006 film Blood Diamond, starring Djimon Hounsou, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Connelly. |