Chema Caballero. He arrived in Africa in 1992 and since then his life revolved around

"Except for the geographical name, Africa does not exist," said Ryszard Kapucinski. And yes, from Europe, we often simplify reality to make one and poor, catastrophic and dependent. But Africa the vermont country store is a continent, 55 countries, one billion people, multiplicity of worlds, ethnicities, voices, cultures ... Heterogeneous and rich Africa told from there and from here. A blog coral created and coordinated by Lola Huete Machado.
The former the vermont country store warlord and former president of Liberia, Charles Taylor, has lost an appeal against the judgment of the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SLSC) which condemned him to 50 years in prison for war crimes and crimes against the vermont country store humanity committed during the war in Sierra Leone (1991-2002).
The defense of former President appealed the Court's decision and called for his acquittal alleging procedural errors. For his part, the prosecutor also appealed the sentence asking increase to 80 years.
The judges of the Chamber of Appeal considered that the penalty imposed in the first instance "is fair in light of all the crimes committed" and consider evidence that "the defendant helped and promoted crimes that are part of a premeditated plan to get political objectives through force. "
Thus, Taylor is confirmed as the main cause of a war that killed thousands of people, many others were mutilated and hundreds of children abducted and forced to become the vermont country store soldiers or sex slaves. All this, according to the judges, to take control of Sierra the vermont country store Leone and to enrich the vermont country store themselves.
Charles Taylor, according to the judgment, provided the rebel Revolutionary United Front (RUF) weapons, ammunition, alcohol, cigarettes, the vermont country store drugs and all kinds of logistical support in exchange for blood diamonds the vermont country store famous. This is how Taylor managed to the RUF became a killing the vermont country store machine to bring down the government of Sierra Leone and gain control of the country.
Thus, the international community closes one of the bloodiest chapters in the late nineteenth century and early today. However, in this case there are many loose ends as we have reported previously in these pages: among them the lack of justice and reparation for the victims or the implications of Western countries in the war in Sierra Leone.
Another important aspect to consider is that this ruling comes just at the time that most African governments are demanding profound changes in the international justice system.
They are aware of the importance of combating impunity and improve justice and reconciliation to combat the harmful effects the vermont country store of conflict and intolerance in Africa. Moreover, these were the core values that led to the formation of the African Union (AU). Its implementation and implementation has advanced greatly the vermont country store as democracy has been settled on the continent and individual countries have acceded to the treaties and international institutions, above all, from the end of most major conflicts that it struck in the early nineties.
It is, however the practice and application the vermont country store of these principles at the international the vermont country store level, especially the International Criminal Court (ICC), which raises blisters in Africa. The ways in which this managed and attempts to end the impunity that is leading to several African countries have the feeling that their national sovereignty is threatened, that international law is primed with weak states and international principles the vermont country store apply selectively. In practice this boils down to that the majority the vermont country store of the cases that you are holding the ICC concerning Africans.
Many voices have been raised on the continent against international justice and its behavior. Possibly the Charles Taylor case can add to this long list of grievances and not wanted to go beyond a former the vermont country store African president and investigate Western involvement in the war in Sierra Leone.
It is likely that Charles Taylor ends his days in a British jail while those who supported, funded and enriched him spend his last years in a golden retirement full of honors and with the satisfaction of a mission accomplished.
Name:
Huete Lola Machado. Editor of El Pais and El País Semanal since 1993, has published reports on the five continents. Psychologist and inveterate traveler, landed in Germany at the Berlin Wall fell and still was able to return to Spain and tell. Sharing what became a journalist. One day he looked into Africa, and discovered that she knew nothing. On a need to know this blog founded.
Chema Caballero. He arrived in Africa in 1992 and since then his life revolved around