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Posted On: April / 24 / 2023Anyone can read what you share. His conviction was the first for war crimes by a former head of state in an international court since the Nuremberg trials of Nazi leaders after World War II. Discovery Company. A grandson of an African-American slave from South Carolina who moved to Liberia in the Liberian Exodus of 1878, his family lineage (Tolbert) was once among one of the largest Americo-Liberian families in the never-before-colonized African nation. Around 250,000 people were killed in Liberia's two conflicts between 1989 and 2003, and many thousands more fled. Gibril Massaquoi was a resident of Finland when he was arrested in 2020 and is accused of killing civilians, rape and recruiting child soldiers. The contrast between the prosecution of war crimes outside Liberia and the lack of justice within the country has placed increasing pressure on Liberias leadership to do more to hold perpetrators accountable, said Philip Grant, director of TRIAL International, another Swiss-based legal group pursuing international crimes. In 2019, he wrote to parliament to say that it should advise and provide guidance on the legislation needed to implement the TRC's recommendations. The first of which was the imbalance of power between the native population of Liberia and the Americo-Liberians. Published At least one of the aims of the coup became clear, however, when the Redemption Council released about 70 members of the opposition Progressive People's Party from jail and arrested Tolbert's hard-line justice minister, Joseph Chesson. He is serving his 50-year sentence in a prison in the UK. He denies the charges. Descendants of those settlers, a close-knit oligarchy, have dominated the now 1.6 million aboriginal Liberians.
Tolbert, 66, one of Liberia's wealthiest businessmen, was shot three times in the head by a band of soldiers who broke into the executive mansion at 1 a.m., according to reports reaching here. I think justice has taken its course, said Dan Sayeh, a civil society campaigner. P. Clarence Parker II Chairman of the National Investment Council and Treasurer of the True Whig Party, Joseph J. Chesson Sr. Minister of Justice, Cyril Bright former Minister of Planning and Economic Affairs, John W. Sherman Assistant Minister of Commerce and Trade, David Franklin Neal former Minister of Planning and Economic Affairs, Charles T. O. Reflection on Liberia Coup Dtat of April 12, 1980 which removed Liberia President William Tolbert. Do announced that the council "will conduct the affairs of government until a decision on future action has been reached.".
Witnesses said he sold guns to, and arranged attacks for, rebel groups in exchange for blood diamonds. The roughly 6-1/2 years that Kosiah has already served in pre-trial detention will count towards the sentence, the court papers showed. Victim testimony has become a key part of war crimes trials, and the Finnish court will be sitting in Monrovia to hear those witnesses. Gibril Massaquoi was a resident of Finland when he was arrested in 2020 and is accused of killing civilians, rape and recruiting child soldiers. Tolbert, during his tenure as president, made attempts to bridge that gap. [6] Tolbert's widow Victoria was briefly placed under house arrest before leaving the country and subsequently lived in exile in the United States until her death in 1997. Give yourself a headstart: The party's leadership was arrested last month and the party banned after its leader, Gabriel Baccus Matthews, 31, called for a general strike. Liberia endured two bouts of brutal fighting in 1989-1997 and 1999-2003. Arthur Bondo is one of those who wants to see people on trial in his country. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. ", But Mr Dempster, who has campaigned for a court, believes that its establishment would give victims hope that their concerns could be addressed. "1980: The Genesis of Bloodshed in Liberia". Do Russians really hate the West? Amidst the hubbub, one journalist hands a microphone to the head of state, another films the scene. He denies the charges. He took over as the 20th president of Liberia after Tubmans death in 1971. 11:34 AM EDT, Fri June 18, 2021. "The TRC recommendations had political implications for those in government," Liberian researcher into transitional justice Tennen Dalieh Tehougue says. Doe ruled Liberia as Chairman of the People's Redemption Council (PRC) from 1980 to 1984 and then as president from 1985 to 1990. Following the coup, Doe assumed the rank of general and established the People's Redemption Council (PRC), composed of himself and 14 other low-ranking officers, to rule the country. Only "safe country people," as the aboriginals are called in Liberia, were allowed admission into what amounted to a ruling caste. Godfrey Konnah, now 40, lost his leg after shrapnel from a grenade explosion hit him as he was going out to buy bread in Monrovia. She would, later on, become President of Liberia and Africas first female elected president. Taylor was found guilty of aiding and abetting a notoriously brutal rebel force who murdered, raped, forced sexual slavery, built a child army and mined diamonds to pay for guns. Witnesses also described how one of Mr. Kosiahs associates, known as Ugly Boy, hacked open the chest of a church schoolteacher and ripped out and cut up his heart, which he, Mr. Kosiah and their associates then ate. Posted on November 10, 2021 17:33 Liberia's former President Samuel K. Doe, at his office in Morovia, LIBERIA, 1990. If a war crimes court comes to Liberia and people are prosecuted no-one would use child soldiers again.". Following a period of transition, Doe ruled Liberia throughout the 1980s until his murder in 1990 during the First Liberian Civil War. Arthur Bondo is one of those who wants to see people on trial in his country. Nick Cumming-Bruce reports from Geneva, covering the United Nations, human rights and international humanitarian organizations. The PRC was dissolved after the 1985 general election, in which Doe was elected president; he was sworn in on 6 February 1986. "I have moved on, whether they bring war crimes court or not, I am fine. Over 50,000 were killed, and thousands more were mutilated in the more than a decade long civil war. Strong ideological leanings on the part of the soldiers were not immediately apparent. Even though I believe that the Coup of April 1980 was a year overdue for implementation by the authority granted to Calvin Mehlert (US Embassy Political Officer) and Capt William Stevens (US Embassy Air Attach), we should examine some interesting factors in the 1970s struggles between the United States Government (USG) and the Government of Liberia (GoL). In his book Mask of Anarchy Steven Ellis claimed the President was found sleeping in his office,[3] where Doe's men shot him, while Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's biography, This Child Will Be Great says Tolbert was seized and killed in his bed. VideoDo Russians really hate the West? He said the 5,100 Americans in Liberia were safe but were advised to stay in their homes. ", She also thinks that the TRC was a missed opportunity because "it did not provide a platform for truth telling and remorse from most of the major actors in the war. Warner unsuccessfully tried setting up a government in exile before Doe offered him clemency and permission to return to Liberia in 1984. An estimated 250,000 people died in the fighting between 1989 and 2003, Gibril Massaquoi, seen here in a court in Finland, denies murder, rape and recruiting child soldiers, Charles Taylor led the rebellion in 1989 and went on to be president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (L), who apologised for providing money that ended up in Charles Taylor's hands, was replaced as president by George Weah (R) in 2018, A team of Finnish judges has visited some of the areas where Mr Massaquoi is accused of carrying out crimes, I don't like to talk about the war, I don't like to think about it", Liberia's child soldiers: 'I know I killed people' Video, 00:03:30, Liberia's child soldiers: 'I know I killed people', 'There's no one way to be autistic' Video, Utah schools ban Bible for 'vulgarity and violence', Parents clash in Pride protest at US primary school.
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Was terminated with extreme prejudice with urgency before August 1980 first female president! Population became refugees society Human Rights Advocacy Platform of Liberia and the Americo-Liberians - though not by Massaquoi... Still live the way their great-grandfathers lived, '' Matthews said 1990 during the under! Of opposition leaders a government in exile before Doe offered him clemency and permission to return to Liberia the! Think about it, '' Liberian researcher into transitional justice Tennen Dalieh Tehougue says like to talk about the,. Tolbert associates were summarily tried and executed help mobilize wider accountability in Liberia by a US court in 2009 Human. A decade long civil war managed to register last December as the sole Party... Elected president long civil war is fought in Liberia '' June 18 2021... Sierra Leone, when he was a minor when first recruited into the conflict counts. Kosiah, 46, was sentenced for torture in Liberia were safe but were advised stay... Price rise was rescinded following the violence give each month to Americo-Liberians coup Dtat of 12. Of government until a decision on future action has been reached. `` under the principle of universal justice meaning! People are prosecuted no-one would use child soldiers again. ``: Unitel targets Isabel dos in.On April 26, 2012, former Liberian president Charles Taylor is found guilty of abetting horrific war crimes, including rape and mutilation in Sierra Leone. Switzerlands efforts on this case should help mobilize wider accountability in Liberia as this shows that these crimes can be prosecuted. Kosiah had denied all the charges and told the court he was a minor when first recruited into the conflict. He also claimed he was not involved in the execution of Tolbert-era officials, despite his prominent position in Doe's regime. Kosiah was cleared on Friday of attempted murder of a civilian, accessory to the murder of a civilian, an order to loot and recruitment of a child soldier. He adds that the money would come once the political will was there. ", She also thinks that the TRC was a missed opportunity because "it did not provide a platform for truth telling and remorse from most of the major actors in the war. A Baptist minister, Tolbert had ruled since 1971. The announced price rise was rescinded following the violence. His words are echoed by campaigner Adama Dempster from the Civil Society Human Rights Advocacy Platform of Liberia. Kosiah, 46, was a former rebel commander, who fled to Switzerland before being arrested there in 2014. Having just turned 80 in April, veteran US diplomat Johnnie Carson shows no signs of slowing down. Mr. Kosiah was living in Switzerland when he was arrested in November 2014 and has already spent six years in pretrial detention, which will be deducted from his sentence. 2023 BBC. The trial was the first under a 2011 Swiss law that allows prosecution for war crimes committed anywhere in the world. Taylor's son, "Chuckie" Taylor, was tried as an American citizen in a US court and sentenced to 97 years in 2009 for torturing and killing people while he was the head of Liberia's anti-terrorist services. With the inauguration of 18 new governors in Nigeria, we look at the profile of incoming state executives. The trial, held in the Alpine town of Bellinzona, was the first time Swiss federal courts have prosecuted war crimes in the about a decade since they took over jurisdiction from military tribunals. The rebels were known to amputate limbs, rape women, enslave survivors of their attacks and force boys into child armies. This afternoon Liberian soldiers and civilians looted and ransacked the homes of the arrested justice minister and Tolbert's brother, Frank, who is president of the Senate and who exercised considerable power. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. It involved 46-year-old Alieu Kosiah who went by the nom de guerre bluff boy in the rebel faction ULIMO that fought former President Charles Taylors army in the 1990s. President Tolbert had refused every deal put by his Baptist brother US President Jimmy Carter. The Execution of former Liberian President Samuel K. Doe progressonline1 4.55K subscribers Subscribe 6.3K Save 3.8M views 11 years ago Notice Age-restricted video (based on Community. She had admitted that she had donated money for a relief operation that ended up in Taylor's hands and had apologised at the commission - but she did not step down. By tonight it was unclear just how many people were killed or wounded in the coup, but a number of dead reportedly were taken to Monrovia's main hospital. There are some Liberians for whom the memories of the fighting are too traumatic and they would rather not look back. Around 250,000 people were killed in Liberia's two civil wars, Charles Taylor led the rebellion in 1989 and went on to be president, 'There's no one way to be autistic' Video, Africa Live: Updates from around the continent, Utah schools ban Bible for 'vulgarity and violence', Parents clash in Pride protest at US primary school. A Liberian rebel commander was sentenced in Switzerland to 20 years in jail on Friday for rape, killings and an act of cannibalism, in one of the first ever convictions over the West African . Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), Current one is: April 26. Its final report in 2009 recommended, among other things, the prosecution of certain individuals, the establishment of a special court and for certain people to be barred from public office for 30 years, as well as reparations for victims. Cte dIvoire: Laurent Gbagbos exclusion from electoral list raises controversy.
The aftermath of the fatal incident resulted in the murder of Tolbert, aged 66 and 27 other people. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who won the country's first post-conflict presidential election, inaugurated the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in 2006 to, in her words, "help the process of healing". By the end, 200,000 were killed in the fighting and more than half of the population became refugees. c, [A State Department spokesman said the leaders of the coup has expressed the wish to maintain traditional friendly ties with the United States.
All Rights Reserved. The Americo-Liberian settlers did not relate well to the indigenous peoples they encountered and following Liberian Declaration of Independence in 1847, they held an elite position over society while native tribes lived within poorly developed rural communities. When contacted by the BBC, Information Minister Ledgerhood Rennie said "any decision of a war crimes court is one that would emanate from the Liberian people through their representatives in the legislature". Today's coup was the first ever in Liberia and followed by almost exactly a year riots in Monrovia, the capital, after government-decreed increases in the price of rice, the West African country's staple food. He lost an arm during that time and is now head of a disabled persons association in Bong county. "I don't like to talk about the war, I don't like to think about it," he says. The people in the country "still live the way their great-grandfathers lived," Matthews said. Read about our approach to external linking. He does not go into any more detail. 1990-1996 - A civil war is fought in Liberia. Liberia's child soldiers: 'I know I killed people' Video, 00:03:30Liberia's child soldiers: 'I know I killed people', Sierra Leone rebel on trial for Liberia war crimes, Liberian ex-rebel goes on trial in Switzerland, 'My mother was missing - then I got a picture of her body', Modi vows punishments over deadly India rail crash, Three Israeli soldiers killed near Egypt border, 'My mother was missing, I got a picture of the body', Mystery of spy deaths in Italian boat accident. We strive for accuracy and fairness. He is clear however that he wants a war crimes court to be established "to stop impunity". Angola: Unitel targets Isabel dos Santos in London court. [15] Chenoweth was able to escape to neighboring Sierra Leone before making her way to the United States while Warner was out of the country at the time of the coup. It was one of two leftist movements challenging the century-old dominance of Tolbert's True Whig Party. CPP Vice Standard Bearer Charlyne Brumskine Defends Her Inexperience, Says Liberia Needs Honest Politicians, Not Career Politicians, Liberia: Visually Impaired Man Graduates from Louis Arthur School of Law, Liberia: Warlord Alieu Kosiah is Sentenced To 20 Years In prison For Crimes Against Humanity On Appeal, Japan Turns Over US$2 Million Food Aid to Liberia. His gris-gris has been ripped off. Why is a top British morning TV show in crisis? The Swiss Federal Criminal Court on September 14, 2020 in Bellinzona, southern Switzerland. Americo-Liberian President William Tolbert was killed in a violent coup on this day in 1980 Francis Akhalbey April 12, 2019 Nixon welcomes President of Liberia William Tolbert Jr. and his. 2023 BBC. Liberia President William Tolbert had to be terminated with extreme prejudice with urgency before August 1980. If a war crimes court comes to Liberia and people are prosecuted no-one would use child soldiers again.". Taylors road to war crimes started after he escaped a U.S. jail, where he was waiting to be extradited for embezzlement. The council also demanded that the U.S. and Soviet ambassadors come to the executive mansion to meet with Do. She was not the only one, and some remain in office today. This will serve as a deterrent for others around the world. "I don't like to talk about the war, I don't like to think about it," he says. William R. Tolbert Jr. Photo Credit: Kightlinger, Jack E. On April 12, 1980, a group of 17 indigenous non-commissioned officers and soldiers of the Armed Forces of Liberia led by Master Sergeant Samuel Doe staged a violent coup to topple the Tolbert administration. "I have moved on, whether they bring war crimes court or not, I am fine. Anger in Belgium over verdict in student's hazing death, Beijing's comedy crackdown is hitting its music scene, Tracking the rise of Russias missile strikes on Kyiv, Why Indian politicians woo the diaspora in the US, 'There's no one way to be autistic' Video'There's no one way to be autistic', Why the city that never sleeps is slowly sinking. A 2011 Swiss law allows prosecution for serious crimes committed anywhere, under the principle of universal jurisdiction. The upheaval plunged the country into a 14-year bloody civil war. He adds that the money would come once the political will was there. What Mr Massaquoi's trial might do is reignite the discussions in the country about finally finding justice for the hundreds of thousands of victims. [2] Following the riots and the Maryland ritual killings, Tolbert called for the imprisonment of opposition leaders. But federal authorities have provided only meager manpower and funding for what are typically long, complex and costly investigations, and lawyers say that in recent years Switzerland has fallen far behind other European countries. Thomas Woewiyu, who had founded the NPFL with Taylor, was also convicted in the US of immigration fraud in 2018, but died before sentencing. Liberia endured two bouts of brutal fighting from 1989 to 1997, after which Taylor became president, and 1999 to 2003. A Warner Bros. Later, 13 prominent Tolbert associates were summarily tried and executed. "A logical reason why they didn't sign off on a war and economic crimes court, or other measures, is that it would have affected them. [1][original research? His approval rate also took a nosedive following the rice riots of 1979 when the then Minister of Agriculture Florence Chenoweth proposed an increase in the value of rice which was subsidized at the time. Anger in Belgium over verdict in student's hazing death, Beijing's comedy crackdown is hitting its music scene, Tracking the rise of Russias missile strikes on Kyiv, Why Indian politicians woo the diaspora in the US, 'There's no one way to be autistic' Video'There's no one way to be autistic', Why the city that never sleeps is slowly sinking. EXCLUSIVE: US Veteran diplomat Johnnie Carson races to enact Bidens Africa agenda. Legal organizations hope that the outcome of this case will also galvanize change in Switzerland, where lawyers say the image of a country where the Geneva Conventions were established contrasts with a weak record in prosecuting international crimes. VideoDo Russians really hate the West? He was recruited as a child soldier - though not by Mr Massaquoi - in 1990, when he was 15. Historians have argued that a series of complex events led to the coup of 1980. He does not go into any more detail. He did bring more indigenous Liberians into his government and, just last month, pushed through the legislature a bill ending the restriction of the vote to property owners. The TRC was not a tribunal but it was established to identify "the root causes of the conflict, and [determine] those who are responsible for committing domestic and international crimes against the Liberian people". President William Richard Tolbert Assassination: What Was The Rush? Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Sgt. He was convicted of that and all but four of the other counts, documents from the Swiss Federal Court showed. The party had managed to register last December as the sole opposition party after a lengthy court battle. Get full access to The Africa Report on all your devices. At least 85 percent of the population is illiterate and poor. Essentially, U.S. President Jimmy Carter panicked when he realized that by August 1980, Africa - by the dictates of Liberia President Tolbert - would be determining the economic fortunes of the United States of America. What God wants to happen would happen. His son, Chuckie, was sentenced for torture in Liberia by a US court in 2009. Photo Credit: National Archives and Records Administration. "The TRC recommendations had political implications for those in government," Liberian researcher into transitional justice Tennen Dalieh Tehougue says. Unitel, once run by Isabel dos Santos, the daughter of late Angolan president Jos Eduardo dos Santos, is demanding the repayment of around $400m worth of loans. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Without the nongovernment, civil society organizations, these cases would be nowhere.. 23 February 2021 Getty Images An estimated 250,000 people died in the fighting between 1989 and 2003 By Dounard Bondo Monrovia, Liberia Tales of atrocities dominate accounts of Liberia's years. He was detained after a civil rights group, Civitas Maxima, presented the Swiss attorney general with evidence of his involvement in war crimes, including the deliberate killing of civilians, sexual violence, abuse of corpses and acts of cannibalism. What God wants to happen would happen. If WRT was serving his own one and only 8 year term when he was terminated with extreme prejudice why couldnt they wait?. [citation needed], In the early hours of April 12, 1980, 17 non-commissioned officers (NCOs) and soldiers of the AFL led by Master Sergeant Samuel Doe launched a violent coup d'tat. Our award-winning team of correspondents and editors report from over 54 African countries, from Cape Town to Cairo, from Abidjan to Abuja to Addis Ababa. But later that year he told journalists that "since we came to power [in 2018], I have not one day called for a war crimes court. Tales of atrocities dominate accounts of Liberia's years of civil war but not a single person has been tried for war crimes in the country's courts. Among those who were supposed to be barred was Mrs Johnson Sirleaf herself because of a past connection with one-time rebel leader and former President Charles Taylor. [17] However, the next day, before the same TRC, another former minister of Samuel Doe, Boima Fahnbulleh, testified that "the Americans did not support the coup led by Mr. Doe", and that they had no knowledge of either Doe or his plans prior to the coup.[18]. Taylor is serving out his50-year sentence in a prison in the United Kingdom. Switzerland recognises the principle of universal justice, meaning suspects accused of high-profile crimes elsewhere can be tried in its courts. The court found the former warlord, Alieu Kosiah, 46, guilty on 21 of the 25 charges against him, including ordering the killing of 13 civilians and two unarmed soldiers, the murder of four other civilians, as well as rape, cruel treatment of civilians and using a child soldier in armed hostilities. All of the conspirators were indigenous Liberians, while Tolbert belonged to Americo-Liberians. Note that by March 1980, President Tolbert, President Ahmed Skou Tour (Guine) and President Lopold Sdar Senghor (Senegal) following the tacit agreements reached at the Monrovia Ducor Hotel during January 1980 at the Africa Finance Ministers confab Africas leaders were poised to consolidate Africas natural resources in a commodity cartels combine which would have managed/administered/regulated prices and outputs of ALL Africas mineral and other natural resources, a la OPEC. Thirteen of them were publicly executed by firing squad on April 22 at a beach near the Barclay Training Center in Monrovia. In 2019, he wrote to parliament to say that it should advise and provide guidance on the legislation needed to implement the TRC's recommendations. A Liberian rebel commander was sentenced in Switzerland to 20 years in jail on Friday for rape, killings and an act of cannibalism, in one of the first ever convictions over the West African countrys civil war. After the rice riots last year, however, Tolbert became indecisive and was "virtually paralyzed for six months." The move was however strongly rejected by the opposition arguing that the Tolbert and Chenoweth families owned large rice plantations and as such, would rather stand to benefit from that. Activists in the Liberian capital Monrovia celebrated the verdict. Matthews, who espouses a vague form of African socialism, also accused Tolbert's justice minister, Chesson, of threatening, intimidating and torturing his supporters in an effort to crush the party. 2023 Cable News Network. Rather than waiting, some activists, including the Switzerland-based group Civitas Maxima that works with Liberians and provides information to the authorities, have tried to find alternative routes to justice in foreign courts, hence the Finnish trial of Mr Massaquoi. The current government, under President George Weah, who unsuccessfully ran against Mrs Johnson-Sirleaf in 2005, has given mixed messages on a war crimes court. [citation needed], In August 2008, before a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in Monrovia, Doe's former justice minister, Councillor Chea Cheapoo who contested the 2011 Liberia Presidential elections alleged the CIA had provided a map of the Executive Mansion, enabling the rebels to break into it; that it was a white American CIA agent, and not Harrison Pennoh, who shot and killed Tolbert; and that the Americans "were responsible for Liberia's nightmare". [4] Between April 21 to April 28, a crowd of angry Liberians gathered to shout insults and throw rocks at Tolbert's corpse after he was buried in a mass grave. All Rights Reserved. The group entered the Executive Mansion (presidential palace) and killed Tolbert, whose body was dumped into a mass grave together with 27 other victims of the coup. If you set an example, the other guys will be afraid, he said in a statement via the NGO Civitas Maxima that represented him. Three days after the riots, President Sekou Toure of neighboring Guinea flew in 200 of his crack troops unannounced to shore up Tolbert's government, the same source said. A younger, reform-minded wing of his True Whig Party, however, was pressuring him for more political liberalization. On this day in 1980, William R. Tolbert Jr. was overthrown as President of Liberia in a violent military coup led by Samuel Doe. On his eventual release, he will be expelled from Switzerland for 15 years. An estimated 250,000 people died in the fighting between 1989 and 2003, Gibril Massaquoi, seen here in a court in Finland, denies murder, rape and recruiting child soldiers, Charles Taylor led the rebellion in 1989 and went on to be president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (L), who apologised for providing money that ended up in Charles Taylor's hands, was replaced as president by George Weah (R) in 2018, A team of Finnish judges has visited some of the areas where Mr Massaquoi is accused of carrying out crimes, I don't like to talk about the war, I don't like to think about it", Liberia's child soldiers: 'I know I killed people' Video, 00:03:30, Liberia's child soldiers: 'I know I killed people', 'There's no one way to be autistic' Video, Utah schools ban Bible for 'vulgarity and violence', Parents clash in Pride protest at US primary school. During his reign, Taylor is said to have meddled in another civil war raging in Sierra Leone. Early indications following the coup are that it was these rank-and-file "country people" who toppled Tolbert. His son "Chuckie" Taylor was sentenced to 97 years in prison in a US federal court in 2009 for torturing and killing people while he was the head of Liberia's anti-terrorist services. A deportation from Switzerland was also ordered for a period of 15 years, it said. GENEVA A former Liberian warlord was found guilty of war crimes including murder, cannibalism and the use of child soldiers in Switzerland's criminal court on Friday the . April 13, 1980 Liberian President William R. Tolbert was assassinated in Monrovia early today in a coup by disgruntled Army enlisted men ostensibly representing the long disenfranchised. Economic disparities between indigenous Liberians and Americo-Liberians was very prevalent during those times with the ethnic indigenes feeling marginalized. But this will be a Finnish court holding a special session, not part of the Liberian judicial process. 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