Mohammed Jabbateh (Jungle Jabbah)

Mohammed Jabbateh, nom de guerre "Jungle Jabbah" is a Liberian native (born 1966) who stood trial in a US court beginning on October 2, 2017 for lying to United States (US) authorities about his role in the First Liberian Civil War (1989-1997) when he sought asylum in the late 1990s.[1] On October 18, 2017, Jabbateh was charged in a Philadelphia federal courthouse with two counts of fraud in immigration documents and two counts of perjury stemming from statements he made to US authorities when filing for asylum and permanent residence.[2] He is the first person convicted of crimes stemming from his war-related activities during the First Liberian Civil War.

Liberian Civil Wars (1989-2003)

First Civil War (1989-1997)

The First Liberian Civil War erupted in 1989 following Charles Taylor's National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) coup against President Samuel Doe and his government.[3] Shortly after in 1990, members of an NPFL splinter group - the Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL) had tortured and killed Doe. During the same year, Peacekeepers of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) intervened in Liberia.[4] Another rebel group, the United Liberation Movement for Democracy in Liberia (ULIMO) remained a single entity until 1993 when it split in two factions along ethnic lines: ULIMO-J for General Roosevelt Johnson of the Krahn ethnic group, and ULIMO-K for Alhaji G.V. Kromah of the Mandingo (or Mandinka) ethnic group.[5] Mohammed Jabbateh was a ULIMO commander and later a ULIMO-K commander after the split.[6] The war endured until 1997 when Taylor won the presidential bid.

Second Civil War (1999-2003)

By 1999-2000 the country remained volatile and an insurgence of rebels from the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) broke out.[7] In 2003, Taylor was indicted by a United Nations (UN) criminal court in The Hague for his war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the Sierra Leone Civil War from 1991 to 2002.[8] Later that year in June 2003, the government and rebel groups agreed to a ceasefire.[9]

During Liberia's 14-year period of civil war, the country suffered from over 200,000 casualties.[3] Rebel leaders and groups enforced the rampant use of child soldiers and various other war tactics, such as sexual violence, sexual slavery, rape, sexual abuse, torture, and forced recruitment.[10] The civil wars propagated forced displacement of civilians and internally displaced persons (IDPs), and also exacerbated health epidemics including cholera and chronic malnutrition within the country.[11]

Rebel groups

Main source: A House With Two Rooms: Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Liberia Diaspora Project

Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Liberia

Main source: A House With Two Rooms: Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Liberia Diaspora Project

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Liberia was established in 2009 with a mission to seek restorative justice to the countless Liberian victims and survivors of the civil wars collectively from 1989 to 2003. Its mandate is to offer recommendations that would "lay the foundation for sustainable national peace, unity, security and reconciliation." This included establishing the root causes of the conflict and creating a forum to address issues of impunity, identifying perpetrators and victims, and investigating economic crimes and other forms of human rights violations.

TRC of Liberia collected over 22,000 written statements, hundreds of personal interviews, and over 500 live public testimonies of witnesses including actors, perpetrators, and direct victims. TRC of Liberia proposed numerous recommendations concerning extraordinary criminal court, accountability (such as domestic criminal prosecutions and public sanctions), economic crimes and investigation prosecution, reparations, and general recommendations to the Liberian government and diaspora.

Liberian Civil War convictions

Charles 'Chuckie' Taylor, Jr.

Charles McArther Emmanuel, known as Chuckie Taylor, was the first criminal convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Second Liberian Civil War.[12] He is the son of Charles Taylor, the former president of Liberia.

Emmanuel was born in Massachusetts in 1978 and lived his early life in Orlando, Florida with his mother. In 1994 at age 17, he traveled to Liberia to live with his father who had just become president. Emmanuel became a commander of the Anti-Terrorist Unit (ATU), infamously known in Liberia as the “Demon Forces”.[13]

He was arrested in 2006 at Miami International Airport when flying from Trinidad to Miami on a false passport. In a Miami court in 2008 Emmanuel was convicted of leading a campaign of torture against Liberians who opposed his father’s rule.[14] The jury concluded that he was ordered by his father to command the "Demon Forces" that "beat, burned and beheaded Liberian civilians from 1999 to 2003."[15] Emmanuel received a 97-year sentence in a Florida prison.

Charles Taylor, Sr. (born in 1948) was convicted of aiding war crimes in neighboring Sierra Leone during the Sierra Leone Civil War from 1991 to 2002. Taylor was judged in 2006 by the Special Court for Sierra Leone in The Hague, Netherlands.[16] In 2012, Taylor was charged with 11 counts of crime, including unlawful killings, the use of child soldiers, and sexual violence. He was sentenced to 50 years in prison in the United Kingdom.[17] While Taylor was convicted for crimes committed in Sierra Leone, he not had been held accountable for his alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during Liberia's civil wars.

United States Government

Main source: Liberia: Ex-ULIMO Rebel Arrested in U.S.

In December 1998, Mohammed Jabbateh submitted his application for US asylum and later for permanent legal residency.[18] At that time the US Attorney claimed that Jabbateh was not truthful about his activities during Liberia's civil war.

Jabbateh disclosed that he was a member of ULIMO and later ULIMO-K (Mandingo ethnic faction), but he did not reveal his alleged capacity. In January 1999, an immigration asylum officer interviewed Jabbateh to determine whether his asylum application should be granted. Jabbateh falsely responded "no" to these two questions: 1. "[H]ave you ever committed a crime?" and 2. [H]ave you ever harmed anyone else?" In January 1999, Jabbateh received US asylum based on his answers to questions posed on his Form I-589 asylum application form.

Jabbateh also applied for legal permanent residency (also known as a greed card) using Form I-485 with US immigration authorities. He falsely responded "No" to these two questions: 1. "Have you ever engaged in genocide, or otherwise ordered, incited, assisted or otherwise participated in the killing of any person because of race, religion, nationality, ethnic origin or political opinion?" 2. "Are you under a final order of civil penalty for violating section 274C of the Immigration and Nationality Act for use of fraudulent documents of have you, by fraud or willful misrepresentation of a material fact, ever sought to procure or procured a visa, other documentation, or entry into the US or any immigration benefit?"

Jabbateh was a commander of higher-ranking officer in ULIMO and ULIMO-K, and during that time he either personally committed, or ordered ULIMO troops under his command to commit the following list of acts:

  1. The murder of civilian non-combatants
  2. The sexual enslavement of women
  3. The public raping of women
  4. The maiming of civilian non-combatants
  5. The torturing of civilian non-combatants
  6. The enslavement of civilian non-combatants
  7. The conscription of child soldiers
  8. The execution of prisoners of war
  9. The desecration and mutilation of corpses
  10. The killing of persons because of race, religion, nationality, ethnic origin or political opinion

Indictment and arrest

Main source: Feds: Liberian war criminal arrested in Delaware County

On March 10, 2016, Jabbateh was indicted and charged by the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania with two counts of fraud in immigration documents in violation of the 18 U.S.C. § 1546 and two counts of perjury in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1621. Jabbateh pleaded "not guilty" on all counts.

The indictment was unsealed on April 13, 2016 and Jabbateh was arrested in his Delaware County home in Lansdowne, Pennsylvania.

Trial

On October 2, 2017, Jabbateh was arraigned before the Honorable Judge Paul S. Diamond at the James A. Byrne Federal Courthouse in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US.[19] The jury, composed of eight women and four men, was selected on October 2, 2017 and opening arguments began the following day on October 3, 2017.[20] The trial lasted for three weeks until October 18, 2017. Assistant United States Attorney Linwood C. Wright, Jr. and Assistant United States Attorney Nelson S.T. Thayer prosecuted Mohammed Jabbateh. Thayer was previously a Trial Attorney at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and prosecuted the massacre in Srebrenica, Bosnia.[21]

The government proved that as a ULIMO-K commander in the late 1990s, Jabbateh either committed himself or ordered his troops to "commit crimes such as the murder of civilians, sexual enslavement of women, public rapes, conscription of child soldiers and maiming and torture of noncombatants."[22]

20 witnesses and victims were flown from Liberia to Philadelphia to testify in court against Jabbateh.

Gregory J. Pagano was the Attorney for Mohammed Jabbateh. Pagano interrogated the credibility of the government's selection of the witnesses and their testimonies.[23] The defense counsel presented their case on October 16, 2017.

Verdict

On October 18, Jabbateh was charged with two counts of fraud in immigration documents and two counts of perjury stemming from statements he made in connection with his applications for asylum and for legal permanent residence in the US.[24] He was held guilty on all four charges. Jabbateh was sentenced to 30 years in prison on April 19, 2018.[25]

Personal life

Jabbateh was granted US political asylum on December 23, 1999. He settled in Lansdowne, the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Delaware County, US where he remained until his conviction in October 2017.[26] Jabbateh has a wife and five children who live in Philadelphia.[27] Jabbateh also has an ex-wife and at least seven children who live in his native Liberia or otherwise on the African continent, whom he attempted to sponsor to immigrate to the US.[28] A few years after Jabbateh received legal residency he started a shipping company in 2008, Jabateh Brothers Loading Services that packages and ships containers to Liberia. It remains in operation.[28]

Jabbateh is known in his near-Philadelphia community as a righteous man.[29] He does not hold a US passport and has not left the country since his arrival in 1998.

References

  1. ↑ "After Arrest Of Jungle Jabbah, U.S. Homeland Security Releases Hotline To Report War Criminals -". 2016-05-03. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  2. ↑ Press, Associated (2017-10-18). "Liberian rebel commander guilty of immigration fraud". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  3. 1 2 Left, Sarah (2003-08-04). "War in Liberia". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  4. ↑ "Timeline: Liberia: from civil war chaos to fragile hope". Reuters. 2011-11-07. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  5. ↑ "Liberia: Bloody Day!". The New Republic Liberia (Monrovia). 2017-04-06. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  6. ↑ "Alleged Liberian Warlord 'Jungle Jabbah' Caught After Hiding for Years in the US | VICE News". VICE News. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  7. ↑ "Profile: Liberia's rebels". 2003-06-10. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  8. ↑ Simons, Marlise; Goodman, J. David (2012-05-30). "Charles Taylor Sentenced to 50 Years for War Crimes". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  9. ↑ "CNN.com - Liberia cease-fire pact signed - Jun. 17, 2003". www.cnn.com. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  10. ↑ Kelly, Annie (2009-07-11). "Agony without end for Liberia's child soldiers". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  11. ↑ Fagen, James Shilue and Patricia (2014-09-05). "Liberia: Links between Peacebuilding, Conflict Prevention and Durable Solutions to Displacement". Brookings. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  12. ↑ "Ex-Liberian dictator Charles Taylor's son sentenced to 97 years in US jail". 2009. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  13. ↑ Leaf, Aaron (2015-07-30). "Chucky Taylor, Liberia's Other Monster". The Nation. ISSN 0027-8378. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  14. ↑ "Charles Taylor's Son Sentenced For Torture". Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  15. ↑ newspapers, McClatchy (2009-01-09). "Taylor's son sentenced in US for torture in Liberia". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  16. ↑ Simons, Marlise (2012-04-26). "Charles Taylor, Liberia's Ex-Leader, Is Convicted". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  17. ↑ Bowcott, Owen; correspondent, legal affairs (2013-09-26). "Charles Taylor's 50-year sentence upheld at war crimes tribunal". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  18. ↑ Kanneh, Jackson (2016-04-14). "Liberia: Ex-Ulimo General Jungle Jabbah Arrested in United States". FrontPageAfrica (Monrovia). Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  19. ↑ "In historic verdict, Delco man convicted in 'Jungle Jabbah' war crimes case". Philly.com. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  20. ↑ "Jury in Philly selected to weigh alleged Liberian war criminal's case". Philly.com. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  21. ↑ Maximas, Report by Civitas. "FPA - Alleged Liberian War Criminal "Jungle Jabbah" Trial Set to Begin in Philadelphia October 2". www.frontpageafricaonline.com. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  22. ↑ Giahyue, James Harding. "FPA - Recalling Sinje Massacre: Survivor Welcomes Jungle Jabbah Trial in America". frontpageafricaonline.com. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  23. ↑ "Jury deliberates in trial of Liberian accused of war crimes". 6abc Philadelphia. 2017-10-18. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  24. ↑ "Delco Businessman Guilty of Lying About African War Crimes". NBC 10 Philadelphia. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  25. ↑ Ex-Liberian warlord jailed in US for lying about asylum claim The Guardian, 2018
  26. ↑ "Feds: Liberian civil war commander 'Jungle Jabbah' found in Philly suburbs". Metro US. 2016-04-13. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  27. ↑ "Delco man to face alleged past as Liberian war criminal in federal trial". Philly.com. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  28. 1 2 "Two views of Delco man: Businessman or war criminal". Philly.com. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  29. ↑ Kanneh, Jackson. "FPA - Witnesses Tell Stories of Jabbateh Torture, Rape, Murder, Cannibalism in Bopolu". frontpageafricaonline.com. Retrieved 2017-10-20.

Further reading

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