The Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) judges in The Hague found Charles Taylor guilty of all 11 charges of aiding war crimes and crimes against humanity including rape and the use of child soldiers. The Court did not find that Taylor had control over the rebel groups as many human rights group had hoped.  Taylor denied [...]

Today the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) judges in The Hague found Charles Taylor guilty of all 11 charges of aiding war crimes and crimes against humanity including rape and the use of child soldiers. Taylor denied all charges and insisted that he was simply a peacemaker. The Court obviously did not agree with [...]

Child Soldier Relief is creating a three part series on the Charles Taylor Trial; the second report in the series explores Charles Taylor’s use of child soldiers. The Council of Foreign Relations reports that in the late eighties and early nineties Charles Taylor recruited child soldiers into his National Patriotic Front of Liberia movement and [...]

Child Soldier Relief is creating a three part series on the Charles Taylor Trial; the first explores the summary of charges against Charles Taylor concerning child soldiers. Charles Taylor is charged with war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other serious violations of international humanitarian law. According to Count 9 of the Indictment, Taylor is charged [...]

University of Wyoming professor Susan McKay is in the third phase of a research project studying former girl soldiers in Uganda, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Her findings have been wide-ranging, but her most recent discoveries have been concerned with the “stigma and marginalization” faced by the women, many of them young mothers, attempting to transition [...]

In a clinic that serves the needs of former child soldiers in Paynesville, Liberia, a common problem arises. There are not enough beds for the children – many of which arrive drug addicted or are diagnosed schizophrenic – and as a result many must leave the clinic after only three months. “The centre can’t keep [...]

…by a U.S. federal jury in Miami, Florida last week. Charles McArthur Emmanuel, aka Charles Taylor Jr., aka “Chuckie” Taylor is former Liberian President Charles Taylor’s son and was convicted on October 30 on “torture, firearms and conspiracy charges on the second day of jury deliberations.” From this article: Prosecutors said the 31-year-old Emmanuel was [...]

On Friday at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Liberia Thematic Hearing for Children in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County, Libera a former child soldier testified of his recruitment into Charles Taylor’s army in 2003. According to his testimony from the Inquirer: at age 9 he was recruited along with other children by former government [...]

Moses Blah, former vice-president for Charles Taylor, testified briefly about child soldiers on May 14th (see this post for his earlier testimony), but during the following week – on May 20th – Defense brought the topic up again. Here is the relevant testimony (full transcript is here at charlestaylortrial.org): Def; Lets move to another topic. [...]

Moses Blah, former vice-president for Charles Taylor, testified this week from Wednesday through Friday. The prosecution team, specifically Chief Prosecutor Stephen Rapp, questioned him on the use of Small Boy Units (SBUs). On Wednesday, Blah testified on his capture by SBUs while in Liberia, awaiting an arms shipment for Taylor: While waiting for civilian trucks [...]