A former Liberian rebel is on trial in Paris on charges of crimes against humanity, torture and acts of barbarism during the West African country’s civil war in the 1990s. Kunti Kamara, 47, is notably accused of “complicity in massive and systematic torture and inhumane acts” against the civilian population committed in Liberia’s Lofa county in 1993-1994, as one of the leaders of the Ulimo armed group. He was then less than 20 years old. He was arrested near Paris in 2018 and faces life imprisonment. The trial by the Paris criminal court has been made possible under a French law that recognizes universal jurisdiction for crimes against humanity and acts of torture. Rights groups hailed it as an important step to bring justice to victims. It is “a victory for Liberian victims and a warning to perpetrators that no matter where they are, we’re going to make sure they’re held accountable for the crimes they committed in Liberia,” Hassan Bility, head of the Global Justice and Research Project, told the Associated Press. Bility’s nongovernmental organization is dedicated to the documentation of wartime atrocities in Liberia and to assisting victims in their pursuit of justice for these crimes.
SOURCE: AFRICA NEWS
