'Rebel hotel' in Liberian capital

Prosecutors say rebels lived yards from Charles Taylor's house

A former aide to Liberian ex-leader Charles Taylor has told his trial that a guest house existed in the Liberian capital for Sierra Leonean rebels.

Ex-bodyguard Varmuyan Sherif told the court in The Hague the Monrovia guest house was near Mr Taylor's residence and several foreign embassies.

Mr Sherif says fighters crossed freely between Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Mr Taylor has pleaded not guilty to charges he was responsible for ordering the rebels' atrocities.

Mr Taylor, 59, is the first former African leader to face a criminal trial internationally.

Allies in combat

The RUF guest house, that building was specially prepared for them. Mr Taylor prepared the building for them Witness Varmuyan Sherif Profile: Charles Taylor

Mr Sherif told the court that Mr Taylor had set up the guest house specially for the use of the Sierra Leone's Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels.

"The RUF guest house, that building was specially prepared for them. Mr Taylor prepared the building for them," he said through an interpreter.

Mr Sherif also said RUF fighters crossed into Liberia from Sierra Leone to aid Mr Taylor's forces when they were attacked by Liberian rebels.

On Wednesday, Mr Sherif, once a bodyguard to Mr Taylor, told the court about a radio link between the former Liberian leader and RUF forces in Sierra Leone.

The defence is expected to cross-examine him very closely and may well try to undermine some of the testimony, our reporter says.

His evidence follows that of Sierra Leone churchman Alex Tamba Teh, who on Tuesday described a massacre of civilians by the rebels in April 1998.

The witness did not draw any link between the events he described and Mr Taylor.

The trial opened in June last year but proceedings were postponed after Mr Taylor fired his defence lawyer and boycotted the opening of the trial.

The ex-Liberian president is accused of responsibility for the actions of RUF rebels during the 1991-2001 civil war in Sierra Leone, which included unlawful killings, sexual slavery, use of child soldiers and looting.

Campaigners for international justice say the case is an enormously important step to ending international impunity.