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UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has appointed a senior attorney with the US Department of Defence, David Crane, as the chief prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, UN News reported on Friday. Robin Vincent of the UK was appointed registrar of the tribunal, which will try war crimes committed during the 10-year armed conflict in the West African nation.
"The Secretary-General will now proceed with the appointment of judges for the Court, and as indicated in the Security Council resolution, the majority of these will be from Africa," UN spokesman, Fred Eckhard, said.
Deputy Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone, Ambassador Allieu Ibrahim Kanu, and UN Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, Hans Corell, last week exchanged the instruments that brought into force the 16 January agreement signed by the UN and the Sierra Leonean government that allowed for the setting up of a Special Court.
The tribunal has the power "to prosecute persons who bear the greatest responsibility" for serious violations of international humanitarian and Sierra Leonean law which have taken place since 30 November 1996, the date of a failed peace agreement between the government and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF).
During Sierra Leone's civil war, officially declared over in January, many serious human rights abuses were committed including deliberate limb amputations - perpetrated mainly by the RUF - murder, torture and rape.
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
