MONROVIA, Liberia—Two former soldiers of Sierra Leone’s Revolutionary United Front (RUF), have distanced an ex-commander of the group from a notorious name that has been a key issue of his war crimes trial.
By Varney Dukuly with New Narratives
The soldiers claimed before the Turku Court of Appeal of Finland in Monrovia on Wednesday that Gibril Massaquoi, who is being prosecuted for murder, rape, and other alleged human rights violations, was never called “Angel Gabriel,” as alleged by prosecutors.
“Yes. I know of one Angel Gabriel, said “Defense 3” [name and names of other witnesses withheld to protect them from retributions]. Defense 3 claimed the man was killed by the Kamajors, a group of traditional hunters, who were loyal to Ahmed Tejan Kabbah, the Sierra Leonean President at the time. “We were all fighting for one battalion, but he died. He was a RUF member, they used to call him sergeant. He used to have two or three persons as bodyguard.”
“Angel Gabriel lived in Jujuma[Sierra Leone], said “Defense 6.” “He was a sergeant …that is what I heard from the field radio.”
Prosecutors and their witnesses have claimed that Massaquoi, now 53, introduced himself by the controversial name to civilians or his fellow soldiers at Waterside in Monrovia before killing them. Witnesses have told the Appeal Court and the Pirkanmaa District Court of Tampere, which a little over a year ago acquitted Massaquoi of all charges because, prosecutors did not prove them “beyond a reasonable doubt,” that by the alleged killings, Massaquoi “sent his captives to God.”
Prosecutors say the alleged crimes were committed between June and August 2003, when Massaquoi came to Liberia, having breached rules of the so called “UN safe house.” They alleged he and other RUF soldiers backed up Liberian government forces, who were countering an insurgency from the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy.
But like many other witnesses, Wednesday’s two defense witnesses questioned his charges and exonerated him of such. Charges. They also corroborated the testimonies of other defense witnesses that Massaquoi did come to Liberia in the early 2000s, but only for peace purposes.
“The Obama peace agreement one was in 2000,” said Defense 3. “The Obama two peace agreement was in 2001.”
But his classification of the peace talks contradicts the testimonies of other defense witnesses. They said the talks were an “ECOWAS Peace Talk.”
The trial continues on Thursday.
This story was produced in collaboration with New Narratives as part of its West Africa Justice Reporting Project.