Sierra Leone commander charged

Many thousands were maimed by the rebels

The international war crimes court for Sierra Leone has said it is holding a former junta commander, Santigie Kanu.

The court said that the commander, known as "Five-five", has been indicted for crimes against humanity.

Mr Kanu was handed over to the international court in Freetown by local authorities, who had earlier detained him on separate charges of treason.

He was a member of a militia group called the West Side Boys, which acquired a reputation for extreme brutality during Sierra Leone's decade-long civil war, which officially ended last year.

Their leader, Johnny Paul Koroma, who has also been indicted, is missing, believed dead.

Brutality

The militias and rebel forces alike have been accused of extreme brutality against civilians during the conflict.

The rebels were notorious for hacking off civilians' limbs, mass rape and the recruitment of young children in the war.

The international court has issued a 17-count indictment against Mr Kanu, including serious violations of international humanitarian law.

An estimated 50,000 people died in the civil war and many others had their bodies mutilated and limbs hacked off. The U.N.-backed court was set up to try those bearing the greatest responsibility in the atrocities and so far 13 people have been indicted.