Sierra Leone rebels await verdict

Some 120,000 people died in Sierra Leone's decade-long civil war

A war crimes court is to deliver its verdict on three Sierra Leone rebel commanders accused of raping, mutilating and killing civilians.

Issa Sesay, 38, Morris Kallon, 45, and Augustine Gbao, 60, deny 18 charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including use of child soldiers.

The trial of the RUF rebel leaders, relating to Sierra Leone's decade-long civil war, began in mid-2004.

The case is the last to be held at the special court in the capital Freetown.

The only trial still ongoing before the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone is that of former Liberian President Charles Taylor, whose case has been moved to The Hague for security reasons.

The three accused committed atrocities during the 1991-2001 civil war as senior commanders of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), prosecutors say.

The trio were allegedly involved in a joint criminal enterprise with Mr Taylor to control the diamond fields of Sierra Leone to finance their warfare.

Harrowing tales

The trial has heard harrowing tales from 75 prosecution witnesses of alleged rapes and killings at the hands of the RUF.

Tens of thousands of civilians had limbs, noses or ears chopped off

Tactics favoured by the rebels included amputating hands and arms or carving the initials RUF into the bodies of their victims.

The RUF was notorious for using the so-called Small Boys Units - child soldiers forcibly recruited and issued with AK-47 assault rifles - who had a reputation for particular cruelty among the civilian population.

By the time the conflict ended, some 120,000 people had been killed while tens of thousands were left mutilated, their arms, legs, noses or ears cut off.

The Sierra Leone conflict was depicted in the 2006 film Blood Diamond, starring Djimon Hounsou, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Connelly.