On Wednesday (Mar. 27), a French court sentenced 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 offences occurred between 1993 and 1994 during the First Liberian Civil War in Lofa County, located in north-western Liberia.
Civitas Maxima, an organisation that orchestrates a network of national and international legal experts and investigators supporting victims of international crimes, reported that the Court received testimony from 22 witnesses, 9 civil parties, and 5 experts during the proceedings.
Kamara had initially been sentenced to life in prison during a first trial in Paris in 2022.
While his lawyers welcomed the shorter sentence, they continued to argue that their client was innocent.
The 49-year-old 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 opposed the National Patriotic Front led by former President Charles Taylor.
Around 250,000 individuals are believed to have lost their lives in the West African nation during consecutive conflicts spanning from the late 1980s to the early 2000s.
In early March, Liberia’s parliament endorsed the establishment of a war crimes court.
Despite recommendations from a truth and reconciliation committee to establish a special tribunal for trying those accused of committing crimes, no action was taken.
Senators still need to vote on the bill in a country where some former warlords have held elective positions.
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