(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-01-07 19:46

THE HAGUE -- Former Liberian president Charles Taylor confronted the first witness called by the prosecution as his war crimes trial resumed Monday after six months of repeated delays.

Former Liberian President Charles Taylor (L) wears body armour and handcuffs covered by clothing as he arrives at the airport in Freetown Sierra Leone, in this June 20, 2006 file photo. [Xinhua]

Wearing a black suit, Taylor, who refused to show up in the courtroom on the first day of his trial last June, appeared at the defendant's seat this time.

Monday's trial started ten minutes late, which presiding judge Julia Sebutinde said was for security reasons.

"We begin to hear evidence today," Sebutinde said, declaring the court proceedings open.

Among the three witnesses who were expected to take the stand today against Taylor, the first one was Ian Smillie, an expert on the trade in so-called "blood diamonds" who tried to shed light on Taylor's plan to plunder Sierra Leone's resources.

As the cross examination is going on, Smillie will be followed by a victim witness, and then an insider witness whom the prosecution said is a former associate of Taylor. Both people's names were not disclosed for the sake of their safety.

Taylor, the first former African leader standing trial before an international tribunal, was charged with 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity for his involvement in the 10-year civil war in neighboring Sierra Leone, which ended in 2002.

He allegedly supported the rebel Revolutionary United Front in Sierra Leone who committed murder, rape and mutilation of civilians, and arms trafficking and use of child soldiers, aiming to gain control of the country's mineral wealth, particularly its diamond mines.

Taylor is tried by the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone, which rented a courtroom from the Hague-based International Criminal Court to conduct the trial for security concerns.

The governments of Liberia and Sierra Leone fear that his trial in Sierra Leone could spark violence in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone.

Stephen Rapp, chief prosecutor of the court, said he has 144 witnesses, including 77 victims, 59 witnesses to link Taylor to the actual crimes and eight experts, lined up to testify in the trial. He hoped half of them could submit their testimony in writing.

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