[A-List] EU sub-imperialism: Liberia, DR Congo

["Michael Keaney" <michael.keaney@xxxxxx>]

War crimes charge for Liberian leader

Jonathan Steele
Thursday June 5, 2003
The Guardian

Panic swept through the Liberian capital, Monrovia, yesterday after
President Charles Taylor was indicted by a UN-backed court for crimes
against humanity during the civil war in neighbouring Sierra Leone. Fearing
clashes, thousands of people reportedly fled their homes.

The charges, which follow the government's loss of nearly two-thirds of the
country to two rebel groups which are now within a few miles of Monrovia,
were made public as Mr Taylor engaged in peace talks with the rebels in the
Ghanaian capital, Accra.

Some analysts described the timing of the indictment as a politically
motivated slap in the face to the peace talks' mediators, who include South
Africa's President Thabo Mbeki, Nigeria's Olusegun Obasanjo and leaders of
Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, and Ghana.

Prosecutors called on Ghana to arrest Mr Taylor, but the for eign minister,
Nana Akufo-Addo, said the Accra government had not received a formal request
to extradite him.

Minutes after the indictment was made public, Mr Taylor appeared in a
motorcade at the talks' opening ceremony, looking tense.

The president reportedly offered to resign some weeks ago if plans for an
indictment were dropped. After it was issued, he again hinted he might step
down in January if this helped bring peace.

"My government, whose mandate ends in January, will seek upon my return to
Liberia a national unity government immediately. Following my term as
president, there must exist a transition. I will strongly consider a process
of transition that will not include me _ If President Taylor removes himself
for the Liberians, will that bring peace? If so, I will remove myself."

Alex Vines, the head of the Africa programme at the Royal Institute for
International Affairs, and a former member of the UN's panel of experts on
Liberia, said he was surprised by the timing of the indictment. "It is an
opportunistic move, and Ghana is under intense pressure to act on the
indictment," he said.

He added: "Some on the security council seem to believe regime change is
desirable but lack any vision of what happens once Taylor is gone".

Two rebel groups from different tribal backgrounds, one supported by Guinea,
the other by Ivory Coast, have seized most of the country but there is no
guarantee they will not turn and fight each other if the Taylor government
falls.

Britain and France, with their special interest in Sierra Leone and Ivory
Coast respectively, resent Mr Taylor's earlier efforts to destabilise the
countries. They apparently want him out, whatever the consequences.

Liberia is already under UN sanctions, including an arms embargo and a
travel ban for Mr Taylor and other top government officials, for spreading
regional instability.

. EU ambassadors in Brussels yesterday approved sending its new peacekeeping
force to Congo to separate warring rebel groups, just five days after the UN
security council backed a 1,400-strong multinational force.

It is the first deployment since the force was declared ready to go last
month, and comes as the EU seeks to increase its influence by speaking and
acting together in foreign affairs. AP