The Special Court for Sierra Leone court room at The Hague / Photo by Robert Vos, ReutersYesterday afternoon CNN.com posted this AP article about the testimony of Joseph “Zigzag” Marzah, a prosecution witness at Charles Taylor’s war crimes trial. Marzah was a senior commander in Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL). The article focuses on Marzah’s description of cannibalism and executions, and portrays him as a border-line sociopath:
He appeared unfazed by Griffith’s blunt queries, and responded in matter-of-fact tones to such questions as “How do you prepare a human being for the pot?”
I am badly addicted to the informal trial transcripts, which are posted on The Trial of Charles Taylor blog. Trial proceedings yesterday were gripping–and I admit to reading through the whole day’s transcript. I think Taylor is guilty of fueling the war in Sierra Leone just as much as the next person, but the defense’s cross-examination left me without a doubt that Marzah was not a credible witness. I don’t think the AP was right to consider his testimony on cannibalism as fact after the defense caught him in a number of lies on other matters.
My guess is that most of what Marzah said was true. But, while I won’t speculate on his motivation, I think he lied on a number of things. For example:
Def: Apart from Israel and Liberia, did you do any military training in any other country?
Wit: No.
Def: I don’t want to be accused by anyone of misleading you. Did you do any military training in any other country besides Israel and Liberia?
Wit: No.
Def: (references document) “Witness stated that he had met Foday Sankoh in Burkina Faso in late 1986, being introduced by Charles Taylor. Witness part of a group training in Burkina Faso.” Is that the truth?
Wit: No. I made a clarification to the prosecution that this statement was not true.
Def: At a later date, you corrected that?
Wit: When they read the statement to me, I told them no. Sankoh was introduced to me in Liberia after Taylor crossed.
Def: “Witness stated that he had met Foday Sankoh in Burkina Faso in late 1986, being introduced by Charles Taylor. Witness had been a group of NPFL combatants training Burkina Faso. Training commander identified as Capt. Mohammed. Two white male S. Africans also provided training at the base. Training directed at basic infantry skills.” Where did the investigator get all of that detail from?
Wit: I did mention the two white S. Africans that were training at the anti-artillery base in Batala (sp?). Sankoh was introduced to me in Borplay after Taylor’s arrival. I did not see Burkina Faso.
Def: Where did they get the name Capt. Mohamed from?
Wit: Sometimes they do not understand my English and they make mistakes.
Here’s another example:
Def: Did Taylor issue written documents seeking to discipline Special Forces for their misbehavior?
Wit: I didn’t see a document. They mentioned that SBUs had been deployed. Special Forces were not fighting and were in the rear – the SBUs disciplined them. Those at the front raped, looted and executed at Taylor’s orders.
Def: Did Taylor issue a written document?
Wit: I don’t know about paper business. I followed Taylor’s spoken orders.
Def: Then why did you tell prosecutors this in September 2006 – that there was a written order?
Wit: Maybe they misquoted me. I told them I’m not educated and that I’m only taking instructions from Charles Taylor.
I think Marzah took many orders from Taylor, but I also think he exaggerated and lied in his testimony. At the least, the AP should have noted this. I’m also so sick of reading news reports about Taylor’s trial that focus only on revelations of more horrific and barbaric crimes that were committed during the war. Certainly this is newsworthy, but there are so many other things that people could be writing about.
One more excerpt:
Wit: America is the same thing as Europe. The white people’s home I know is America. This is the first time I came to the other side.
Def: All white people are the same?
Wit: I thought you were African. I don’t know if there are black people in America.
I believe Marzah’s first quote (”The white people’s home I know is America”) but not his second. When I was in Liberia, almost every Liberian knew there was a chance that a black man might become the next US president.
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Shelby,
After reading your comments I wondered if I should express my own observations. For what it is worth, I met many Liberians (during Taylor’s time) who did not know black people lived in America, even if I pointed out that their own family members lived there. I also was told many other things about Americans that were obvious misinterpretations from what those family members told them about America and Americans. It is complicated. I think when you read what the witness is saying you also have to take into account the time he was talking about, the cultural norm then, what was going on in the country under Taylor and his cronies, the belief system of the different tribes, general superstitions, what role the poro societies played,loyalty issues to Taylor, family and/or other war leaders or ex-leaders, the lack of information from the outside and the lack of “exposure” (for many people – especially in the interior where the warring factions were mainly based) to the outside world. Like anywhere, life can be very different under different regimes. Today in Liberia, people are much more free to get information from many areas and there is a huge influx into the country of foreigners and Liberians from abroad. People are also free to question what is told to them.
Many of the things the witness is saying is not news to Liberians and foreigners who lived in Monrovia at the time, although very disturbing. Many of those fact about Taylor and his co-horts (some still in power or well-off in Liberia) kept people quiet and fearful.
Be careful to accuse someone of lying if you did not live in Liberia at that time – it would be hard to understand how different it was then.
After years of living there I am commenting and giving my little two cents but I am not foolish enough to use my name, for that very reason.
I commend those who have faced the TRC and Taylor’s trial to tell their own ugly deeds. It must be a relief emotionally to expose your sins and ask for forgiveness. I can admire them for trying to find peace and forgiveness.
I personally hope that a real healing will come to Liberia but I fear that the rush to gain money from its resources will deepen the already deep divide among people. If only there was a protection of some of its resources and a sharing of its revenue among all Liberians. It has such a small population. The wealth created could be divided and everyone would then have the choice as to what to do with their lives. I suppose I live in a dream world.
I hope that Liberians can find inner strength to honor their wonderful traditions and again turn to each other for guidance and love. It is such a beautiful country with so much to offer the world. I pray it will not be destroyed by the next greedy bunch – the manufacturing and business world and questionable governments! They could turn out to be much worse than Taylor.