PRESIDENT BUSH TO MEET WITH NIGERIAN PRESIDENT OBASANJO
Citizens for Global Solutions Urges Transfer of War Criminal Charles Taylor to Special Court

WASHINGTON, DC – Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo will meet with President Bush tomorrow in Washington, DC. Citizens for Global Solutions calls on President Bush to discuss an important issue of national and international security – the transfer of Charles Taylor to the Special Court for Sierra Leone. President Bush should request the Nigerian leader and current chair of the African Union to:

• Transfer Charles Taylor to the Special Court for Sierra Leone, by which Taylor has been indicted for 17 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity for his role in destabilizing Sierra Leone during its civil war while head of state in Liberia.

In 2003, Taylor fled Liberia as rebels closed in on the capital, Monrovia. Nigeria agreed to offer Taylor asylum in return for a promise that he would stop trying to overthrow the governments of West Africa and permanently retire from politics. Taylor has reneged on this promise. Clear evidence has surfaced about Taylor continued meddling in the affairs neighboring states, as well as interfering in Liberian affairs.

David Crane, the Special Court’s Prosecutor, revealed that Taylor was also responsible for the recent attempt to assassinate President Conte of Guinea. Taylor has also left Nigeria to meet with co-conspirators and is collaborating with a Liberian lawyer to run a political party that is participating in Liberia’s presidential elections (both in violation of his asylum agreement). The Prosecutor indicated that the attempted assassination of President Conte was part of a plan to overthrow the governments of Guinea and Ivory Coast and install Taylor as President of Guinea.

“From Taylor’s actions, it is completely clear that this man remains a de-stabilizing force in West Africa,” said Harpinder Athwal, Director of Communications, Citizens for Global Solutions. “Recent news reports have also linked Taylor to current activities of Al Qaeda in West Africa. Allowing Taylor to continue his activities without accountability is a threat not only to regional stability but also to international security. President Obasanjo should be called upon to transfer Taylor to the Special Court, where he can be tried for his crimes and prevented from causing any more problems.”

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution today 421-1 calling on the government of Nigeria to transfer Charles Taylor immediately to the Special Court for Sierra Leone to be tried for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other serious violations of international humanitarian law. (CLICK HERE TO READ THE RESOLUTION)

 ###

Notes to Editors:

Click below for the following:
to read more about Charles Taylor

programs/law_justice/news/charles_taylor.html"> to READ citizens for global solutions' background

programs/law_justice/faqs/special_court.pdf"> a pdf fact sheet on the special court of sierra leone

The Special Court Prosecutor, David Crane, indicted Charles Taylor on 3 March 2003, and unsealed the indictment on 4 June 2003. Official copies of the indictment and warrant of arrest were delivered to the Nigerian government by the Court’s Registry on 27 November 2003, and the International Police Organization (INTERPOL) issued a “Red Notice” for Charles Taylor on 3 December 2003. On 31 May 2004, the Appeals Chamber of the Special Court for Sierra Leone rejected a motion filed by attorneys for Taylor, who sought to have the charges against him thrown out on the grounds that Taylor was a sitting head of state at the time of the indictment.

Updated May 4, 2005         
 

Contact:

Heather Hamilton
Vice President for Programs  
202 546 3950 ext 107