The United Nations back- Special Court for Sierra Leone sitting in The Hague on Thursday, April 26, 2012 brought down guilty Verdict against Former Liberian President, Charles Ghankay Taylor after almost six years of prosecution for his involvement with the war in Sierra Leone.

In the verdict, the Presiding Judge of the Special Court, Richard Lussick, announced that Mr. Taylor was guilty of aiding and abetting of the 11 years civil war in neighboring Sierra Leone in support of the defunct Revolutionary United Front of the late Foday Sankoh.

?

Following the announcement of the verdict, the In Profile Daily took its microphone to street corners in Monrovia and it environs to gauge the views of Liberians about the guilty verdict brought against their former President.

?

The interviewees commented on the verdict as follows:

?

Mr. Cornormia said it would be prudent should the United Nations focus on the development of the children by providing them counseling, education, medicare and shelters, among others.

?

?

Mr. Toe described the court’s ruling as a victory for the victims (Sierra Leoneans) of the bitter war and the entire sub-region, stressing the need for it to be hailed by all in the spirit of justice.

?

Also speaking to this paper was, G. Racassius Matoh, a student of the Ibrahim Banbagida School of International Relations at the University of Liberia, who indicated that he hailed the guilty verdict because it provides the opportunity for the culture of impunity to be the thing of the past in the sub-region and Africa as a whole.

?

According to him, the court has transcended the ugly old age challenge of diplomacy and connections that have been huddled in the dispensation of justice in Africa and the World over. Mr. Matoh added: "Those that commit crimes against humanity must be able to account for their deals".

?

For his part, Ex-police Officer Jacob Wannah, Jr. expressed impression with the guilty brought against the Liberian Former Chief Executive on grounds that there was no doubt he fueled the RUF war.

?

Mr. Wannah underscored the need for concrete steps to be taken against leaders who suppressed, oppressed and killed people for the purpose of acquiring power and wealth.

As for Accounting Student Roland Zammie of the AMEU, he reacted: "I am disappointed with the court’s verdict in a sense that it did not provide substantial evidence to authenticate Mr. Taylor’s involvement in the Sierra Leone war attributing the decision to international conspiracy.

He urged African leaders to ensure that Western leaders who continue to commit crimes against humanity are also tried by War Crimes Court, suggesting that if Taylor should be sentenced it should be for at least 6-7 years and not life time.

Still with students of the AMEU, Patrick J. Nixon frowned on the Western World particularly America and Great Britain which he claimed manipulated the trial of the former Liberian President because he refused to dance to the beats of their drums.

?

An employee of the Liberia Institute for Public Administration, Chris Wolo, said: ‘‘I have been fastening and praying for Mr. Taylor to be found guilty since the whole trial started because he has committed crimes against humanity by sending mercenaries from Liberia to Sierra Leone to fight".

?

Wolo pointed out that he personally witnessed the influx of RUF rebels into Liberia and the departure of Liberians for Sierra Leone during the war years.