Foday Sankoh fails to appear in court

Sierra Leonean rebel leader Foday Sankoh failed to appear in court on Wednesday where he faces charges of murder, attempted murder and other, related offences, amid reports that he is ill. The High Court of Sierra Leone in the nation's capital, Freetown, heard that Sankoh was receiving treatment for an unspecified illness in a prison hospital. The court was also told that one of Sankoh's co-defendants, 31-year-old Osman Conteh, had died in custody on 27 August. The trial of Sankoh and 49 co-accused from the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) was adjourned until 8 October to allow the government prosecutor a two-week break and for Sankoh to be brought to court, news agencies reported. The trial was last adjourned on 19 July. Director of Public Prosecutions Gerald Soyei told the court at that time that the accused would most likely be tried by a proposed United Nations Special Court. The RUF members face charges on 70 counts stemming from the May 2000 shooting at a crowd of protesters in front of Sankoh's house in Freetown. At least 20 people died in the incident. The accused have appeared in court several times, but without a lawyer, and deny the charges. The RUF is believed to have committed many atrocities during Sierra Leone's 10-year war, including forced limb amputations, murder and rape. The group renounced rebellion in January this year, registered as a political party and unsuccessfully contested presidential and parliamentary elections in May.