Two celebrity witnesses make war crimes trial look like bad movie set

THE appearance by Naomi Campbell and Mia Farrow at the Sierra Leone war crimes tribunal counts as one of the more bizarre events of recent times.

Hollywood has tried several times to draw the world’s attention to African genocide. But even Leonardo di Caprio would find it hard to replicate the drama and deception on display in court in The Hague where former Liberian president Charles Taylor stands trial on war crimes charges. It may be all smoke-and-mirrors, but what a boon it’s been for 24-hour television news.

Taylor is accused of responsibility for some of the most heinous crimes against humanity since 1945. He, of course, has denied any responsibility for the atrocities in Sierra Leone.