DUEL OF THE DIVAS: SUPERMODEL vs. ACTRESS IN 'BLOOD DIAMOND' TRIAL
by Allieu Badara Mansaray
Washington, DC USA

　
Supermodel Naomi Campbell, earlier this month at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in Netherlands, told the court that she was not given any diamonds by former Liberian President - Charles Gbakay Taylor, whilst attending a fund raiser dinner party in South Africa hosted by Nelson Mandela in September,1997, but by two men who came knocking on her door in the middle of the night and gave a pouch containing some small dirty looking stones and told her it was a gift.

"When I was sleeping, I heard a knock on my door and I opened my door. And two men were there and gave me a pouch and said a gift for you. I saw a few stones and there were very small dirty looking stones," she explained.

Answering to questions from the prosecution and defense tables, Naomi Campbell said she didn't know who the two men were neither who sent them to give her the gift.

Mia Farrow, Naomi Campbell, Charles Taylor, Carole White (former modeling agent of Naomi), were among celebrities and dignitaries invited during Nelson Mandela's children charity dinner party.

"The next morning at breakfast, I told Ms Farrow and Ms. White what had happened. And one of the two said well that's obviously Charles Taylor and I just said: 'yeah, I guess it was'. No, I did not tell the size of the diamonds. I don't believe I even told them how many. I don't believe I even showed them," she stated.

Hollywood actress Mia Farrow - who first reveal the story of the diamonds - vehemently contravened supermodel Naomi Campbell's testimony, when she took the witness stand few days later.

Ms Farrow explained that as they were at the breakfast table, Naomi Campbell recounted the event of that night before she even sat down for breakfast and was excited.

"And she said, Oh my God, in the middle of the night, I was awakened by knocking at the door and it was men sent by Charles Taylor. And he sent me a huge diamond," Ms Farrow recalled.

Both these ladies were prosecution witnesses at the Sierra Leone war crimes in The Hague, Netherlands, were Charles Taylor is been indicted on 11 counts of war crimes including rape, mutilation, murder and more.

Charles Taylor was initially indicted on 18 counts of human rights violations and the core of the prosecution case is to prove the link between Mr. Taylor and 'blood' diamonds - uncut gem stones illegally sold to fund conflicts.

Proceeds to the sales of the diamonds, according to the prosecution, was allegedly used to pay for weapons used by former rebels of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) in Sierra Leone, to commit gross human rights violations as hundreds of thousands of people were killed and two million more displaced.

Rape, amputation of limbs, burning of houses, summary executions, ambushes, conscription of child-soldiers amongst others, were some of the tactics used by the RUF rebels as they waged war to unseat successive governments during the eleven years of fighting.

Legal experts do agree that the prosecution has a very difficult case to prove especially, because a link between the 'blood diamonds' and the then military junta in Sierra Leone has to be establish first - before Charles Taylor can be connected to the diamonds.

From January 2008 to January 2009, the prosecution had called 91 witnesses to testify.

35 of these witnesses referred to as 'insider withnesses', were either on the RUF or Charles Taylor's apparatus with direct knowledge to activities within the two camps, according to the prosecution.

In their testimonies, the 'insider withnesses' testified about an alleged arms shipment sent to Sierra Leone from Burkina Faso in October 1997.

And in earlier testimonies, Charles Taylor did agreed that he went to Burkina Faso after the dinner party in South Africa in September, 2007.

If the prosecution, according to legal commentators, can prove that Charles Taylor indeed gave Naomi Campbell a huge diamond prior to his Burkina Faso trip in October after the September dinner meeting in South Africa, it will abundantly show that indeed, Mr. Taylor was in possession of diamonds when he visited Burkina Faso from South Africa.

And might as well have used them to purchase the arms shipment - since the prosecution has always maintained that Charles Taylor supplied the rebels weapons in exchange for 'blood diamonds'.

Naomi Campbell testified against her own will as she was threatened with a contempt of court charge if she refused an order to testify.

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