Liberian Rebel Leader Faces Trial

Kunti Kamara, a former Liberian rebel leader, will face charges of rape, murder and torture today, Monday 10 October.

The trial will be held in Paris, France under universal jurisdiction, which covers acts of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. Kamara has been accused of committing these crimes more than 25 years ago, during the country’s two civil wars between 1989 and 2003.

A former head of the United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy, a rebel militia unit, the 47-year-old has been accused by numerous witnesses who will testify throughout the trial.

Kamara was arrested in France in 2018, where he was believed to have been hiding. According to reports, he was released due to a “procedural error” before being rearrested while trying to leave the country in 2020.

Tarek Koraitem, Kamara’s lawyer, is adamant that his client is innocent.

Speaking with an international publication just before the trial began, Koraitem said: “It isn’t justice, it’s a theatre show. Every one [of the charges] is false. He denies everything. He had a few men under his control on the frontline during the civil war. He is responsible for nothing.”

The trial is expected to end on 4 November, barring any setbacks.

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