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US $40m pledged for war crimes tribunal

    ABIDJAN

    The international community has pledged US $40 million toward the establishment of the proposed war crimes tribunal in Sierra Leone, the internet-based news provider Sierra Leone Web reported. This is $16 million short of the sum estimated the court would need to run for at least three years.

    Sierra Leone’s ambassador to the United States, John Leigh, said on the Voice of America that the United States - the largest contributor - had pledged US $15 million to the court, proposed last year by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. “We are very pleased with the way the United States is standing behind Sierra Leone and the United Nations,” Leigh said.

    The court will judge people accused of “very serious” crimes against humanity committed since November 1996, during the 10-year war in Sierra Leone. These will be people considered most responsible for serious violations of international humanitarian law.

    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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