Dates v. events

For anyone who reads the transcript of Taylor’s trial, it is clear almost everyday that one of the biggest challenges for the prosecution is getting witnesses to be precise with dates. Liberians, like many West Africans, often understand events in terms of other events, not in terms of a day or month or year. (For example, you are more likely to hear, “My home was looted during the rainy season, after our neighboring village had been attacked,” not, “My home was looted in July 2003.) The defence team is quick to pounce on any possible confusion with a date, and use it to portray a witness as a liar with something to hide.

Today, the prosecution team demonstrated clearly that they understand this problem:

Pros: Did the fact that the accord was signed, did that have any significance to you?
Wit: Yes, because i particularly was fedup with the situation. We wanted peace.
Pros: What are you better at recalling, dates or important events?
Wit: Important events
Pros: Where were you when Issa told you about Lome?
Wit: Segbweme
Pros: The trip to Burkina Faso, was that before or after the Lome accord
Wit: It was before the accord

(As always, transcript from the invaluable blog The Trial of Charles Taylor.)