President Kabbah Meets West African Youths
By Yusuf
Alghali
In
the midst of general misgivings as to whether
deposed Liberian leader Charles Taylor would
ever be brought before the UN-backed Special
Court for Sierra Leone, President Ahmad Tejan
Kabbah has told a group of Liberian and Sierra
Leonean youths that "Ex- President Taylor
will not escape trial."
Addressing
a delegation from both the West African Youth
Network (WAYN) and the United Nations of Youths
- Sierra Leone Network (UNOY-SL) at the Presidential
Lodge Friday 15th August, President Kabbah indicated
that "even if they [the special court]
do not get him, or he doesn't appear in court,
the charges will remain". He added: "The
refusal to appear in court and answer to the
charges against him means Charles Taylor has
got some thing to hide".
Continuing,
he referred to the charges listed on the indictment,
which clearly stated that the erstwhile President
and rebel leader orchestrated the war in Sierra
Leone while benefiting from the country's diamonds
and other valuable resources.
In
this connection, President Kabbah disclosed
that his government would be taking legal action
to seek and obtain a just compensation from
Mr. Taylor's frozen Swiss accounts. "We
will be going after that money," the President
told his audience, pointing out that his government
was not going to target the Liberian people,
but Mr Taylor, who was, no doubt, a key player
in the decade-long plundering of Sierra Leone's
wealth.
Commenting
as to why the Ghanaian government failed to
nab the then President Taylor while in Accra
for the June 4 Liberian Peace talks, President
Kabbah said: "It would have appeared as
if President Kuffuor purposely lured Taylor
to be entrapped in Accra." He added that
such a development would not have augured well
for the Ghanaian leadership's image.
That
notwithstanding, President Kabbah described
Taylor as an unreliable former colleague, who
"will give you his word today and say something
different the next day". He was apparently
referring to Taylor's last minute boycott of
sub-regional talks designed to end the then
raging crisis in the Mano River Union basin.
He therefore encouraged the youths, as the regions'
leaders
of tomorrow, to be straight in their dealings
and to put their countries above all else.
Earlier,
in recognition of his "great leadership
and immense contribution to peace in the region",
the West African Youth Network (WAYN) resolved
that President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, whom they
described as "noble African Statesman and
a distinguished friend of young people,"
be presented the AFRICA'S FUTURE PLAQUE 2002".
According
to Liberian-born Miss Karina Varfley, who read
the citation: "His Excellency Alhaji Dr.
Ahmad Tejan Kabbah has carved for himself an
enviable record in public service during his
years of work with the United Nations;
"And
since his ascendancy to the high post of President,
Republic of Sierra Leone, His Excellency Alhaji
Dr. Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, has distinguished himself
amongst his colleagues in the region and has
been involved in the search of a wholesome
functioning region;
"And
owing largely to his policies of good governance,
the people of Sierra Leone are today enjoying
the respect of the international community;
"And
whereas the role of His Excellency Alhaji Dr.
Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, as it relates to youth empowerment
in the Republic of Sierra Leone, cannot be overemphasized;
"And
whereas, His Excellency Alhaji Dr. Ahmad Tejan
Kabbah has continued to play a pivotal role
in the search for peace and reconciliation in
the Mano River Union Basin;
"And
his policies on the rule of law and social justice
have become a model for the continent of Africa;
"Due
to these outstanding qualities," she added,
"His Excellency Alhaji Dr. Ahmad Tejan
Kabbah has now become
a role model for young people across the continent."
Last
February, the Board of Directors of the West
African Youth Network and the
Board of Trustees of the Africa's Future Plaque
Award met in Monrovia to deliberate
on nominations received from young people from
around the continent. Following
deliberations, the nomination of President Kabbah
was formally endorsed by youths
from seven West African countries, namely, Ghana,
Liberia, Guinea, Nigeria and
Cote D'ivoire and Sierra Leone.
The
acting Minister of Youth and Sports, Dr. Alfred
Bobson Sesay, presented the
delegation to President Kabbah.
-End-
