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Former rebel leader in court again

[Sierra Leone] Kabbah and Sankoh Sierra Leone News Agency
President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah (left) with Foday Sankoh in happier times.
    ABIDJAN

    Former rebel leader Foday Sankoh appeared briefly again in court in the capital, Freetown, on Monday on murder charges, news organisations reported. He was first charged on 4 March, the first time he had been seen in public since his detention nearly two years ago.

    Sankoh, who led the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) during its 10-year fight against the government, and dozens of former RUF rebels are facing charges of murder and related offences. The case has been adjourned until 18 March to allow time for one of the defence lawyers to get a license allowing him to practice law in Sierra Leone, news organisations said. The head of Sankoh's six-strong defence team, Nigerian lawyer Edo Okanya, said he believed he had nothing to fear from representing the former rebel, the BBC reported. Okanya is due to be joined by five other Commonwealth lawyers, one from Ghana, two from South Africa and two from Britain.

    Sierra Leone's attorney-general Solomon Berewa, told the court that Sankoh, who is reportedly frail, would be allowed to see a private doctor even though he had been regularly seen by medical personnel provided by the government, the BBC reported.

    The charges Sankoh faces relate to an incident outside his house in May 2000, when his bodyguards opened fire on demonstrators outside killing at least 20 people. Also appearing in court were members of the former West Side Boys militia who were charged with rape, murder and robbery, the BBC reported. That case was also adjourned until next week.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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