Monrovia — A witness who identifies himself as a former Liberian army soldier has accused the Sierra Leonean man charged with alleged gross human‑rights violations in Liberia of ordering a massacre at Waterside in Monrovia. The witness, referred to as “Soldier 15” and kept anonymous for his safety, told Finland’s Turku Court of Appeals that civilians were allegedly looting a store when Gibril Massaquoi ordered them killed. Soldier 15 admitted he was not present at the moment of the killings, but said, “When I arrived that morning I saw six dead bodies. When we asked the civilians who had killed the people, they said it was Gibril and his men, and that same morning Salami died on the bridge.” He added that he called Massaquoi, who claimed the killings were a response to looting.
The court has heard similar testimony from numerous witnesses about the killings, which lie at the heart of the appeal. Many witnesses have reported that Massaquoi used the nickname “Angel Gabriel” before killing civilians or fellow soldiers, a detail also under scrutiny. In the District Court, nearly a year ago, Massaquoi—a former commander of Sierra Leone’s Revolutionary United Front (RUF)—was acquitted of all charges, including murder, rape and torture, because prosecutors failed to prove the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt. On appeal, Massaquoi’s lawyers argue that the witnesses are referring to a different person and that he was providing information to the UN‑backed Special Court for Sierra Leone at the time the crimes were said to have occurred.
Soldier 15 insisted he fought alongside Massaquoi during the disputed years, stating, “Yes, I know Gibril Massaquoi; we all fought together from 2001 to 2002 for Charles Taylor. He was with the RUF.” He claimed to have been part of Liberian government troops that cooperated with RUF soldiers to push back rebels from the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) during those years and also in 2003. According to Soldier 15, Massaquoi and his RUF fighters operated in parts of Lofa County before moving to Monrovia, where the RUF soldiers were based at Waterside. He also reported seeing two additional civilian corpses at the Water Street intersection that same day, bringing the total to eight.
A defense witness, identified as “Defense 40” and also Sierra Leonean, denied Massaquoi’s participation in the war but confirmed other testimonies that Massaquoi served as a special assistant to Foday Sankoh, the RUF leader. The witness claimed this role began in 1999, with Massaquoi relaying Sankoh’s orders to frontline soldiers. He recounted that after an attack on Sankoh’s home in Free Town on May 8, 2000, the group fled to Liberia.
The hearings continue on Thursday. Coverage of the appeal of Massaquoi’s acquittal is a collaboration with New Narratives as part of the West Africa Justice Reporting Project.
Evelyn Kpadeh Seagbeh with New Narratives.
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