A former Liberian rebel is on trial accused of committing crimes against humanity, torture and acts of barbarism during the civil war in his country.

Kunti Kamara is 47 but he was younger than 20 when he was among the leaders of the Ulimo armed group in Lofa county between 1993 and 1994.

Kamara denies “complicity in massive systematic torture and inhumane acts” and says that he does not know any of the witnesses accusing him.

He faces life in prison if convicted.

According to court documents, his crimes include hitting a man and opening his chest with an axe to pull out his heart and eat it, along with allowing and abetting rape and sexual torture, and compelling people into forced labour.

Kamara, who is on trial in Paris, has admitted being a battlefield commander and leading about 80 soldiers during the war, saying he did this to defend himself against a rival faction.

He said he left Liberia after the end of the first civil war in 1997, heading to the Netherlands, then to Belgium before arriving in France about two years before his arrest in 2018.

Liberia: Twenty-nine die in stampede after gang attacks all-night Christian event in Monrovia

Man stranded in sea for 49 hours is rescued after cargo ship sank off Liberia coast

Man arrested in London on suspicion of Liberia war crimes

He is being tried under a French law recognising universal jurisdiction for torture and crimes against humanity. Previous trials have prosecuted crimes relating to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.

Elise Keppler, associate international justice director at Human Rights Watch, said the trial is especially important due to “the failure of Liberian authorities to hold to account those responsible for serious crimes during the civil wars”.

Liberia’s civil wars resulted in the deaths of an estimated 250,000 people between 1989 and 2003.

In 2009, the country’s post-war truth and reconciliation commission called for the prosecution of dozens of former warlords and commanders.

But that call has been ignored by successive governments

The trial in Paris is expected to last four weeks.

Related posts:

Myanmar protests: Armoured tanks roll into cities as tensions rise Children as young as 11 ‘being beheaded’ amid Islamist insurgency in Mozambique Vladimir Putin passes law that may keep him in power until 2036 Chinese safari park ‘sincerely sorry’ for not telling public escaped leopards on the loose Yellow Wiggle to quit children’s music group after 11 years Stunning pictures show inside otherworldly ice caves appearing in the Austrian Alps Brazil’s president should face homicide charges over 95,000 COVID-19 deaths, draft report finds Russian aircraft ‘buzzed’ Royal Navy aircraft carrier, says defence minister, as sea search continues for ditched stealth fighter ‘It’s a crime’: Deforestation in Brazilian Amazon reaches highest level since 2006 Nineteen people shot dead at clandestine cockfight as Mexican drug gang violence worsens Abramovich and Ukrainian peace negotiators ‘suffered symptoms of suspected chemical weapons poisoning’ Nadal pulls out of Wimbledon with injury – for Kyrgios to compete in final