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Jun. 4, 2007 Charles Ghankan Taylor needs no introduction as his name rings a bell internationally. Through the audacity of a rebellion cum civil war in Liberia Mr Taylor captivated the world community with his polished American-Liberian-accent English and his sheer capacity for terror and mischief. When in early 90's late Samuel Doe was the president of Liberia, a high position he cornered for himself as a Sergent in the Liberian Army after a bloody coup d'etat that saw the bloody elimination of William Tolbert Liberians were the happiest people in Africa having gotten independence over two hundred years ago when many African countries were still living rurally without conventional forms of government. Before the advent of colonialism in Africa and Apartheid in South Africa Liberians were living in freedom as 'the search for liberty brought us here'. People who visited the beautiful land then especially before the breakdown of law and order gave testimonies of civilisation and its concomitant good life: electricity, drinkable water, good roads, houses and transportation. The situation suddenly changed when Taylor formed his National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) with which he attacked Liberia from a neighbouring country. As Taylor and his conscripted rag-tag army trained to exercise no restraint and to kill and destroy until Monrovia fell announced his rebellion with capturing one town and village after another progressing rapidly the Liberian national Army could not match or withstand NPFL's ferocity and audacious guts and armoury. The war raged on and Taylor was at the verge of a complete conquest when ECOWAS leaders led by the Nigerian dictator then Ibrahim Babangida decided to halt Taylor's easy ride to victory by dispatching a military outfit known as ECOMOG. ECOMOG in Liberia soon tasted Taylor's terror as he was totally against their intervention seeing that his mission and ambition was threatened. Of course Taylor was somewhat right because IBB and his colleagues were out to shield Doe from being disgraced from power as his visionless and diffident administration headed towards its eclipse. Taylor on more than one ocassion clashed with ECOMOG troops laying successful ambushes and killing many soldiers and sending the message that his 'army' was not a run-over by any means. Rtd Brig. Tunji Olurin who recently militarily administered Ekiti State once escaped as ECOMOG commander a barrage of airborne attack from the Taylor men. Two resourceful Nigerian journalists dispatched to cover the war by their various media outfits never returned home to Nigeria as they were executed on Taylor's orders. Tayo Awotunsin and Kris Imodibe were killed by Taylor who saw in ECOMOG an attempt by Babangida's Nigeria to prevent him from reaching Monrovia and deposing Doe and his inept government. As the Liberian civil war intensified with many factions announcing their own rebellions outside Taylor's NPFL Liberians were at the receiving end of the terror of men and women prowling with all sorts of ammunition high on drugs and alcohol out to inflict maximum damage to the system. A general election was held after Prince Yormie Johnson had succeeded in capturing late President Doe and made a barbeque of his scrotum and ear parts. Doe was arrested inside the ECOMOG headquaters building in Monrovia where he went with a horde of bodyguards to register his displeasure with ECOMOG high command on a decision he thought disfavourable. His armed men were massacred outside as they waited for him and Prince Johnson wasted no time by siezing Doe armed with an automatic riffle. The power intoxication and addiction which had eaten deep into the psyche of Doe was evident when in the middle of torture and abuse he told Prince Johnson that his grievances would be looked into when next the executive council met! Charles Taylor ran against the current president Mrs Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf in the presidential election and won. In the campaigns before the D-Day Taylor was quoted in the BBC African service as saying arrogantly that in Africa it is wrong for a woman to present a challenge to a man in a contest. Today Johnson-Sirleaf as President received Taylor in Monrovia when the Nigerian government decided to hand him over to his home government after Taylor's infamous escape strategy from Nigeria was foiled. Charles Taylor after presiding over the Liberian presidency for years never improved the fortunes of Liberians rather he was busy divorcing his wives and constructing the best houses for himself in Monrovia. To end his terrible reign in power Americans arranged with ex-president Obasanjo to have Taylor granted exile status. While in Nigeria with a horde of his NPFL fighters Taylor was given a huge villa in Calabar city to dwell. There he lived like a king, an outlaw! According to reports Taylor was served fresh Calabar girls (famous in Nigeria for their sexual ingenuity) day in day out to satisfy his hard sexual drive. When criticisms and demands for Taylor to be tried became deafening with the support of the Liberian government the international tribunal in the Hague issued a warrant for Taylor to appear before it to defend his many atrocities while in the rebellion and in power Taylor behaved true to type: he sought to escape from Nigeria using the back door provided by a town in Borno state with border with Cameroun. If Taylor had escaped the Obasanjo government would have been seriously reprimanded and even accused of aiding his escape. So as soon as Taylor was caught sneaking out Obasanjo gave express orders for him to be handed over immediately to his home government. And lo and behold he was so handed over to the Liberian authorities. Remember Taylor once escaped from an American prison breaking jail and running away home in early 80's, so he is a professional when it comes to Mafia-like jail-break and evasion of justice. From the BBC African service I was one of those who persistently called for Charles Taylor's prosecution. I had maintained through that global credible medium that allowing Taylor to have an anxiety-free retirement in Calabar is senseless and obnoxious. As the celebrated trial of Taylor begins in the Hague sad and sadistic memories of his NPFL invasion are going to be rekindled and echoed as many victims of his many atrocities and gross human rights abuses reflect on their gory fate and plight in the aftermath of the Liberian horrible civil war. Taylor is facing an 11-count charge of breaching international humanitarian law, including offences like murder, rape, sexual slavery, acts of terror and conscription of children into an armed force in the decade-long civil war in Sierra Leone. With late Foday Sankoh Taylor turned Sierra Leone into a jungle where everything revolved around obscenity and debasement of humanity and creation. With president Blaise Compaore of neighbouring Burkina Faso (who shed the blood of his best friend Thomas Sankara to be where he is today) Taylor and Sankoh were accused for trading on 'blood diamonds' and importing and supplying arms and ammunitions to Sankoh's boys. As Taylor the terror stands on the dock from today for justice to take its natural course, be done and seen to be done one cannot but wish Taylor a tailor-made dead like Iraqi Saddam Hussein and Yugoslav Slobodan Miloshevic. May his remaining days among decent men and women be agonising, rough and tough! ------------ About the author: Sunny Chris Okenwa is a U-K contributor based in Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire. Email: soco_abj_2006_rci@hotmail.fr Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com. Please link to this article rather than copying and pasting it onto your site (which would be unauthorized and illegal). |
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