A French court has rendered a verdict sentencing former Liberian rebel commander Kunti Kamara to 30 years in prison for his involvement in violence against civilians and complicity in crimes against humanity. The crimes in question occurred during the First Liberian Civil War between 1993 and 1994 in Lofa county, located in north-western Liberia.
Throughout the legal proceedings, the court heard testimonies from 22 witnesses, 9 civil parties, and 5 experts, as reported by Civitas Maxima, an organization that coordinates a network of legal professionals and investigators advocating for victims of international crimes.
Kamara had previously been handed a life sentence during his initial trial in Paris in 2022. While his lawyers welcomed the reduction in sentence, they continued to maintain their client’s innocence.
The 49-year-old former rebel commander was apprehended in France in 2018. He served as a regional commander of the United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy (ULIMO), a rebel faction that clashed with the National Patriotic Front led by former President Charles Taylor.
The conflicts in Liberia, spanning from the late 1980s to the early 2000s, resulted in an estimated 250,000 casualties. In response to these atrocities, Liberia’s parliament recently endorsed the establishment of a war crimes court. This move follows recommendations from a truth and reconciliation committee, which proposed the creation of a special tribunal to prosecute individuals accused of war crimes. However, no concrete action had been taken until now.
The bill to establish the war crimes court still awaits approval by the country’s senators. This step is crucial in a nation where some former warlords have ascended to elective positions, underscoring the significance of accountability and justice in Liberia’s path towards reconciliation and peace.