Before former Liberian President Charles G. Taylor’s trial began he was guilty by local and international media, international community, including the world body and Western governments.

Charles Taylor was guilty long ago after betraying the confidence of his facilitators (yet to be identified) who wanted him to overthrow the late Samuel K. Doe through rebel incursion because according to them military coupe could not accomplish their mission.

The day Charles Taylor was arrested in Nigeria after his unsuccessful escape, he knew his days were numbered; especially after he was transferred to The Hague in the Netherlands. Taylor knows he betrayed the big powers and as such his chances to a free and fair trial are wiry. Truly he has a good reason to boycott the trial. He knows and the whole world knows he is guilty and that the trial is only a show.  

However, there is one question that victims of the war in Liberia and Sierra Leone continue to ask. Will life imprisonment or death to Charles Taylor restore the legs, arms, and other parts of the bodies of the babies in Sierra Leone? No.  But lawyers and human rights advocates would argue that at least justice is served to the victims and most importantly it serves as a warning to millions of rebel leaders out there.

Notwithstanding observers believe it took United Nations too long to arrest Charles Taylor. As a matter of fact, it cost Liberians another blood bath as LURD and MODEL marched on the capital to oust Charles Taylor. Though United Nations wanted Charles Taylor for war crimes, the world body, assisted by US and Britain used violent means to execute its arrest warrant.

Even though Liberians and Sierra Leonean people who are alive today and people in the sub region are relieved of the carnage, threats, and instability, the world body’s action is  still considered belated. In Sierra Leone, over 200,000 children and adult are living without their arms, legs, and other parts of their bodies. Millions of youths in Liberia and Sierra Leone still linger in fear, animosity, and rejection.  

As in Sudan, where the world powers preach rhetoric while future leaders of Africa go without food and water everyday and hundreds are buried around refugee camps, so were Liberians and the people of Sierra Leone from 1989 to 2003. When Charles Taylor blundered in the execution of the so-called violent regime change, his facilitators looked on for 14 years.

Dramatically in Nigeria, the hypocrisy of the world powers was unveiled when in less than 24 hours Charles Taylor was captured and returned to

The late US Pres. Reagan and Doe

A sierra Leone War victim

Taylor exiting power

 At the time of Taylor’s escape, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo was scheduled to meet with President George W. Bush in Washington. Upon hearing the news of Charles Taylor’s escape, President Bush became furious and ordered the meeting between him and Obasanjo cancelled unless Chares Taylor was arrested. The world stood still and cloud of uncertainty and suspicion overwhelm the people of West Africa.

A purported fugitive of America, the most technologically advanced country 20 years ago was captured by a developing country. There were only few harsh phone calls from Washington to Nigeria. And these phone calls took Charles Taylor to The Hague.  

It can be recalled Charles Taylor was arrested in New York in the 1980s on charges of looting his country. Former U.S attorney general, Ramsey Clark represented Charles Taylor during his 1985 fight against extradition from the United States to Liberia. Taylor allegedly escaped from Plymouth County House of Corrections in Massachusetts during the administration of late Ronald Reagan via knotted bed sheets and fled the United States.
For 14 years Charles Taylor remained a double fugitive. Still skeptics think Charles Taylor, if imprisoned, is likely to escape through the help of his former allies who may want to use him for clandestine operations worldwide.