Signature tune
Presenter: Hello and welcome to your favorite program Youth Watch coming to you from the Voice of Youth radio program and the radio station you are currently listening to. I am your presenter.
Ramata Fofanah
Signature tune
Ramata Fofanah (VoY): As we all know Charles Gangy Taylor, former President of the Republic of Liberia , is one of the main factors to the past eleven years of rebel war in Sierra Leone . This man is one of the indictees for the Special Court in Sierra Leone but he sought exile in Nigeria and stayed there for three years. The international community put pressure on the government of Nigeria to release Charles Taylor. He tried to escape from Nigeria but was captured at the Cameroon border, so the Nigerian government handed him over to the government of Liberia . The Liberian government in turn, handed him over to the Special Court in Sierra Leone on Tuesday, March 28, 2006. Voice of Youth interviewed some Sierra Leoneans about their own views on the trial of Charles Taylor. I first asked a trader at Sweissy, Saidu Kabbia.
Ramata Fofanah (VoY): What is your own opinion about Charles Taylor’s trial in Sierra Leone ?
Saidu Kabbia: My own personal opinion is that we as Sierra Leoneans are very happy for the trial of former President Charles Taylor in Sierra Leone but the problem is that our security is not so strong for that kind of man, so I prefer they take him to the Hague and try him there.
Ramata Fofanah (VoY): Which important role did Charles Taylor play in our rebel war in Sierra Leone?
Saidu Kabbia: He is a contributing factor to the war in Sierra Leone , he is the one that is been providing arms for the Revolutionary United Front (RUF).
Ramata Fofanah (VoY): Charles Taylor is insisting to have trial in Sierra Leone but the international community are suggesting that he should be tried in Hague. What do you have to say?
Saidu Kabbia: We are listening to the international community what ever they want do that is right, let them do it, because some of us are afraid of Charles Taylor and also thinking that here is not a safe place for him to be tried. And so we are pleading that he should be taken to Hague and tried there.
Ramata Fofanah (VoY): If you are saying that Sierra Leone is not safe, do you mean that Sierra Leone security is not strong for Charles Taylor’s trial? Saidu Kabbia: Well, we are having that fear in us, especially now that we are having problems with Guinea concerning the Yenga issue. The Guineans have entered about five miles into Sierra Leone territory. That is a very good example to show that our security is not strong, because a government should not allow any country to encroach into their land but this has happened in Sierra Leone .
Ramata Fofanah (VoY): That was Saidu Kabia giving his view about Charles Taylor’s issue. Our reporter Musa Salim Kargbo asked another cosmetics trader, Abigail Mahoi, about her view.
Musa Salim Kargbo (VoY): What are you doing in this place?
Abigail Mahoi: Well, I’m a cosmetic trader.
Musa Salim Kargbo (VoY): How do you feel about Charles Taylor trial in Sierra Leone?
Abigail Mahoi: Well I’m very happy that he is now in Sierra Leone , I know that we have already have peace.
Musa Salim Kargbo (VoY): Do you think it is right for him to be tried in Hague or in Sierra Leone?
Abigail Mahoi: He should be tried in Sierra Leone because that is the reason why the Special Court was set up.
Musa Salim Kargbo (VoY): How do you see the security in the country?
Abigail Mahoi: They have already trained our soldiers and also we have other peace keeping force, it will be good for him to be tried elsewhere. Now our soldiers are well mannered. I trust them.
Musa Salim Kargbo (VoY): So you have belief in the soldiers, as you know Charles Taylor has a lot of money, maybe he can bribe the soldiers due to our present situation. Don’t you feel so?
Abigail Mahoi: I don’t believe that our soldiers will do such a thing. They have changed for real and I believe in them. They will not allow anything like that.
Musa Salim Kargbo (VoY): Musa Kargbo talking to Abigail Mahoi. The international community said that trying Charles Taylor in Hague will be better, but Taylor refused and insisted to be tried at the Special Court in Sierra Leone . Our reporter Salifu Koroma gets an interview with a trader at Sweissy, Junior Gabesy, about this same issue.
Salifu Koroma (VoY): What is your opinion about Charles Taylor’s trial in Sierra Leone ? Junior Gabesy: To my own opinion, it is necessary to bring Charles Taylor in Sierra Leone because he has done evil to us. In another way let them take him to another country; he has cause trouble in our lives.
Salifu Koroma (VoY): W hat are some of the reasons for Charles Taylor to appear before the Special Court?
Junior Gabesy: According to what I know Charles Taylor is a contributor to our rebel war in Sierra Leone , he was an inspirator to the late Foday Sankoh. He is the one sending mercenaries to our country, they destroy every thing we have for our future. That’s why I said let them take him anywhere.
Salifu Koroma (VoY): Do you think that the Special Court has the security to keep him, because this man was once in a prison in the United States of America were he escaped. So do you think he will do likewise here?
Junior Gabesy: Well Charles Taylor is a man who had lived in Boston. If Charles Taylor have the mind to escape from a prison in America where they have the strongest security in the world, and he came down to Ghana and also escaped to Ivory Coast , and finally escaped to Liberia , I don’t have confidence in him. If they try him here, it will cause problems. We don’t want any trouble to take place, when we are in public transport we don’t want to have bomb exposures. According to President George Bush, he says that Charles Taylor is the third terrorist in the world.
Ramata Fofanah (VoY): Salifu Koroma with a trader, in Sweissy, Junior Gabesy. Now is time for music, Arata by B ow Waw Society.
Music Break
Ramata Fofanah (VoY): I hope you enjoyed that piece of music Arata done for us by B ow Waw Society. Don’t forget you are still listening to Youth Watch coming to you from the Voice of Youth radio program and the radio station you are listening to. Still in the program, Charles Taylor is a man who has caused great trauma in Sierra Leone especially the school going children and university students. To know more about this issue, our reporter Christiana Lappia talks to a schoolgirl, Alice Sharley.
Christiana Lappia (VoY): Will you tell me your own view about Charles Taylor’s trial in Sierra Leone?
Alice Sharley: I don’t like it because he is a troublemaker and has caused a lot of mischief in the world, I’m not happy about his presence in our country.
Christiana Lappia (VoY): So do you think that our security is not strong enough? Alice Sharley: Our security is not strong enough.
Ramata Fofanah (VoY): Christiana Lappia talking to a school going girl, Alice Sharley. That is not all, our reporter Ajaratu Conteh interviewed a student from Fourah bay College, Sahr Foma Fomber.
Ajaratu Conteh (VoY): What is your opinion on bringing Charles Taylor to Sierra Leone?
Sahr Fomer Fomber: Everybody knows that Charles Taylor is one of the architects of this rebel war in Sierra Leone , as well as the war in Liberia . I believe that Charles Taylor’s arrest gave a signal to those who want to abolish the culture of impunity. I believe his arrest will give account for all his trouble that he has caused in the sub-region for the past ten or fifteen years.
Ajaratu Conteh (VoY): What did he do for his arrest in Sierra Leone ? Sahr Foma Fomber: They indicted him for crimes against humanity. In this crime we have war crimes, enslavement of children, recruitment of child soldiers. All these crimes, I think they are all against international laws. It is necessary for him to face justice so that other individuals will not do such things Charles Taylor did.
Ajaratu Conteh (VoY): Do you think that Sierra Leone is safe if Charles Taylor is here?
Sahr Foma Fomber: That is a significant question, we are just from eleven years rebel war so we should be aware of security in our country. I think he should be tried in Sierra Leone , if they convict him, let them take him to a more sophisticated country. With regard to the trial he should be tried in Sierra Leone because he committed all the crimes here. This is a very important issue you raised because Charles Taylor is an international criminal and it will not tell well to try and jail this man here. Sierra Leone is trying to develop, not to train security for Charles Taylor.
Ajaratu Conteh (VoY): So what advanced prison do you prefer to take Charles Taylor?
Sahr Foma Fomber: I believe that the International Court of Justice in Hague, where they tried former Yugoslavian President, have better facility. Those that have been convicted have safer jail. Then you have the 1994 genocide in Rwanda . Those that have been convicted have their prison facilities, there are so many strong prisons in the world than ours in Sierra Leone so let them take him to either of these prison that I have named.
Ramata Fofanah (VoY): Ajaratu Conteh with Sahr Foma Fomber, a student of Fourah Bay College . Those are the views of some Sierra Leoneans. This is how today’s program is going to end. On behalf of my producer Salifu Koroma, editor Mohamed Sesay, and reporters I’m your presenter Ramata Fofanah saying good-bye
Signature Tune fades
