journal 7 by monica

Charles Taylor and associated war crimes:

Charles Taylor was a man of many horrible things, he was the cause of over 50,000 deaths of people in Liberia in June 1990 when the rebels began killing for him. Taylor engulfed Sierra Leone of rape, murder, torture and dismemberment. It was revenge killing of ethnic groups. Here is a little part of something I would like to share with you, one man named Mr. Brown took his son to work when this started for his son to witness what was going on and what else was to come to others. “First, the soldiers stripped Mr. Brown to his underwear and sat him on the ground. They shot him from behind, then stabbed him in the stomach. Then they dragged the knife up through his chest. And when they were done, the man who wielded the knife that killed Mr. Brown walked up to his son, patted him on the head, and said, “Don’t cry.” And Mr. Browns son name was Ishmael! Devastating right! I thought so too, but this was just the beginning of it all. Taylor had rebels kidnap many young boys and girls to force them to become child soldiers. As this was happening Charles destroyed any and all communication for Liberia. Meaning mail services and phones as well. Charles was motivated to do this by the thirst for power. At some point in this, Taylor had a secret bonding with a couple people that they all ate a human heart! From 1990-1996 more than 150,000 people were killed and more than half of the population became refugees. In 2003 Charles Taylor was pushed out of office as rebels marched on his capital to stop the shedding of more blood. It wasn't until May of 2012 that Taylor was sentences 50 years in prison, he would end up dying there.

                                             

A young female prisoner.

 Mohamed Traore, in Freetown, shows the injuries he suffered during the violence in Sierra Leone. Former Liberian President Charles Taylor was convicted of arming rebels in Sierra Leone’s civil war in exchange for “blood diamonds,” among other crimes.

https://www.propublica.org/article/firestone-and-the-warlord-intro