Liberia: French court hands ex-rebel leader 30-yr jail term

Former Liberian rebel commander Kunti Kamara was sentenced to 30 years in prison by a French court on Wednesday (Mar. 27) for his involvement in violence against civilians and complicity in crimes against humanity during the First Liberian Civil War in 1993 and 1994. The Court heard from 22 witnesses, 9 civil parties, and 5 experts during the proceedings, coordinated by Civitas Maxima, a group dedicated to seeking justice for victims of international crimes.

Kamara, a regional commander of the ULIMO rebel group, had previously been sentenced to life in prison in Paris in 2022. His lawyers maintained his innocence but acknowledged the reduced sentence. He was arrested in France in 2018 after being accused of fighting against former President Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front.

Approximately 250,000 people were killed during the conflicts in Liberia from the late 1980s to the early 2000s. The country’s parliament recently supported the establishment of a war crimes court, following recommendations from a truth and reconciliation committee. However, the bill still needs to be approved by the Senate in a country where former warlords have held political positions.