Sam Bockarie
Samuel "Sam" Moskito "Bockarie (born February 10, 1964 in Koidu in the Kono district , Sierra Leone , † May 5, 2003 in Liberia ), also called General Mosquito , was one of the highest generals of the rebel group Revolutionary United Front (RUF) in the Civil War in Sierra Leone .
Life
Born in the Kono district, Sam Bockarie was the son of a miner and initially followed in his father's footsteps. In 1985 he gave up this work, became a professional disco dancer and toured many parts of Sierra Leone. Eventually he moved to Liberia . There he worked, among other things, as a barber, electrician and bartender.
In 1989 he joined the newly formed rebel group RUF, which started the civil war in Sierra Leone , and within a short time he assumed high positions. He was known for his quick ambush attacks. This gave rise to the name General Mosquito or simply Maskita (= mosquito). Bockarie worked closely with the Liberian warlord and later President Charles Taylor . A number of atrocities are said to have occurred in attacks led by Bockarie.
In 2003, shortly before the end of the civil war, Bockarie, who had meanwhile gained a large following among the rebels, left the Revolutionary United Front due to disagreements in the leadership. This caused a lack of understanding both within the RUF and on the Liberian side. Bockarie left Sierra Leone and changed his stay between the Ivory Coast and Liberia. Several hundred rebels followed him.
Charges in the Special Court for Sierra Leone
Sam Bockarie was charged by the Prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) on March 3, 2003. He has been charged with crimes against humanity , violation of common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions , violation of the Second Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions and other serious violations of international humanitarian law under Articles 2, 3 and 4 of the SCSL status. The indictment includes the following:
- Terrorist acts and collective punishment of the civilian population (points 1 and 2)
- Acts of extermination, willful killing and other attacks on life (points 3 to 5)
- Violations of sexual integrity, including rape and sexual enslavement (points 6 to 8)
- Attacks on physical and mental integrity, including amputation (points 9 and 10)
- Recruitment and use of child soldiers younger than 15 years (point 11)
- Looting (point 12)
- Kidnapping and hostage-taking (point 13)
- Attacks against the personnel of UNAMSIL (United Nations peacekeeping force in Sierra Leone) (points 14 to 17).
Sam Bockarie is said to have been responsible for the crimes listed. He planned, suggested or ordered them. Even if his subordinates committed them, Sam Bockarie is responsible, because he had or should have known about them and took no measures to prevent them.
assassination
For these reasons, Charles Taylor was put under pressure to extradite Sam Bockarie. Shortly afterwards the news came that Bockarie, who was on the run at the border crossing between Sierra Leone and Liberia, had been shot by border guards. On June 2, 2003, a copy of Sam Bockarie's death certificate was made.
According to unofficial reports, he was killed in Liberia on the orders of Charles Taylor, who knew that Bockarie would testify against him in court if he were extradited. Taylor is said to have hired a Liberian military man named Benjamin Yeaten to murder Bockarie. Benjamin Yeaten pretended to show Bockarie and his bodyguards various locations and possible hiding places. However, this was only a pretext to kill the unsuspecting Bockarie without major obstacles. The body was not handed over to the authorities, but, according to a testimony of Benjamin Yeaten, was driven to Monrovia in a pickup truck to be presented to Charles Taylor.
On December 8, 2003, by decision of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, the charges were dropped and the proceedings ended.
Web links
- Information on Sam Bockarie and other SCSL defendants at the Swiss association TRIAL
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Bockarie, Sam |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | General Mosquito |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Sierra Leonean general of the rebel group Revolutionary United Front |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 10, 1964 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Koidu , Kono, Sierra Leone |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 5, 2003 |
| Place of death | Liberia |