Totaling 117 years, 3 former Revolutionary United Front leaders have today been sentenced by an international tribunal. The UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone handed down 52 years to Issa Sesay, 40 years to Morris Kallon and Augustine Gbao was sentenced to 25 years in prison. The trial began in mid-2004 and over the past 5 years the court has heard evidence of the rebel commanders' role in the conflict. In a joint statement by the judges chamber, it was concluded that the “inherent gravity of the criminal acts for which Sesay, Kallon and Gbao have been convicted is exceptionally high." Ten other RUF leaders were brought to trial with the trio, all were charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the 1991-2001 conflict. When the three were convicted in February this year, the judges on the case noted that the defendants had "significantly contributed" to a joint criminal enterprise with former Liberian President Charles Taylor to control the diamond fields of Sierra Leone to finance their warfare. Mr Taylor now faces 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to his role in the conflict and his trial has now moved to The Hague for security reasons.
