What Does Naomi Campbell Have to Do With Blood Diamonds and a Disgraced African Dictator?
Supermodel Naomi Campbell is at the center of a riveting trial involving notorious ex-Liberian President Charles Taylor. Earlier today, she told a war crimes tribunal that she received a few “dirty-looking” stones from the former leader. Prosecutors want to user her testimony to undercut Taylor’s long-held claim that he was never involved in the diamond trade. Here’s why Campbell’s reluctant participation in this case matters: • What Taylor Is Charged For “The war crimes charges against him stem from the widespread murder, rape and mutilation that occurred during the civil war in Sierra Leone” CNN explains. “It was fought largely by teenagers who were forced to kill, given addictive drugs to provoke violent behavior, and often instructed to rape and plunder… Prosecutors are trying to prove that Taylor handled uncut diamonds…which fueled a brutal civil war in Sierra Leone when Taylor was president of neighboring Liberia.” • Why Campbell’s Testimony Is Important for the Prosecution T
