JOHANNESBURG — Until last week, former Liberian President Charles Taylor seemed nearly untouchable.
He was forced from power in 2003, exiled to Nigeria and under pressure to face war crimes charges before an international tribunal. But justice couldn't reach him. His vow upon leaving Liberia that "God willing, I'll be back" added to his almost mystical aura of power in West Africa.
Many analysts regard his arrest last week and transfer to the U.N.-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone as a watershed for the region, sending a message that the richest and most powerful are not beyond the reach of the law. Those who favor prosecuting Taylor argue that it will deter other African tyrants and warlords.
But others argue that it could lead autocrats to the opposite conclusion: It makes no sense to leave power peacefully.
So far, the courts have gone after leaders from weak or rogue states, not major powers, a point some Africans cite in characterizing international justice as something applied unevenly at the convenience of the most powerful countries.
Two recent high-profile cases are examples: Taylor faces trial before a tribunal set up to investigate war crimes during the civil conflict in Liberia's neighbor, Sierra Leone. At the new International Criminal Court in The Hague, the first defendant is Thomas Lubanga, who was a militia leader during the civil war in the former Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Analysts say some African leaders are reluctant to set a precedent for international prosecutions because of their own dubious records.
Taylor's escape from custody in Nigeria, carrying a large amount of cash and making no attempt at disguise, raised questions about that government's role, as did his arrest as he tried to cross into Cameroon just 24 hours after news of his disappearance.
Eric Witte, co-director of the Democratization Policy Council, a group based in Washington and Luxembourg that promotes democracy, said he believed Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo was complicit in Taylor's escape as well as his capture a day later. Obasanjo was in Washington to meet with President Bush and under strong U.S. pressure not to let Taylor get away.
"The level of resistance to Taylor's arrest and transfer and trial demonstrates precisely why it is so important," Witte said. "Obasanjo and others in West Africa were so reluctant to see Taylor arrested because so many of these leaders have skeletons in their own closets. This was an old boys' network and they were looking out for each other's interests while failing to look after their people's interests."
