Former Liberian Vice President Moses Blah is to testify against his former boss and war crimes suspect Charles Taylor before the Special Court for Sierra Leone.

	• Mr. Moses Z. Blah

The Court said his testimony could be useful for unveiling Taylor's relationship with the Sierra Leonean Revolutionary United Front (RUF). Blah was one of the pioneers in the rebellion against Samuel Doe in the 1990's.

The Special Court for Sierra Leone announced that Moses Blah is scheduled to take the witness stand next Tuesday. Blah, who is already in The Hague, belonged to the inner core of the Charles Taylor regime.

It is hoped that he will unveil Taylor's connections with Sierra Leonean rebels and also provide information on the killings of Sam Bockarie and Johnny Paul Koroma.

Moses Z. Blah served as Vice President under President Taylor from 2000 and became President of Liberia in 2003, following Taylor's resignation. He only served as President for two months, until a UN-backed transitional government, headed by Charles Gyude Bryant, was sworn in on 14 October 2003.

Libyan Connection

Blah joined his close friend Charles Taylor's rebel movement NPFL against Samuel Doe in the late 1980's. Doe had killed his wife along with hundreds of others in a massacre. Together with Charles Taylor he received military training the Lybian WRC-camp, the breading ground for a complete generation of African revolutionaries.

There they allegedly met with Foday Sankoh, the leader of the ruthless Sierra Leonean Revolutionary United Front. Moses Blah was one of the pioneers in the Liberian uprising and civil war but never held a military post. According to Professor Stephen Ellis he was a "timid" person loyal to Taylor.

"There is no credible evidence that Mr. Blah is involved in crimes,” Ellis adds. After Taylor was elected president in 1997, Blah became ambassador to Libya until 2000.

In June 2003, Blah was allegedly urged by the US to take power from Taylor while the latter was in Ghana for peace talks. After Taylor's return, Blah was held under house arrest for ten days, but was subsequently reinstated as Vice President. Ellis states that Blah was lucky to survive the accusations.

	• Mr. Charles Taylor

Charles Taylor Trial

Taylor faces 11 charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, rape and recruiting child soldiers.

The former ‘war lord' is believed to have supported the RUF rebels who, from 1991 to 2002, brutally terrorized civilians by cutting of limbs and abducting children to use them as soldiers and slaves.

Blah is considered to be a key witness in this trial since his close relationship with Taylor. The prosecution is offering Mr. Blah as a witness "to prove our case and he's given us statements in the past and because we think that his testimony will be helpful to the Prosecution", according to chief prosecutor Stephen Rapp.

For the first time Rapp will be leading the testimony of the witness. Blah, who is subpoenaed by the court, has indicated in April that he would testify and "speak the truth." He faces a jail term if he fails to show up in court.