The Hague: The war crimes trial of former Liberian president Charles Taylor resumed on Monday with prosecutors calling an expert in conflict diamonds or "blood diamonds".
Ian Smillie, a Canadian expert, said diamonds had a history of destabilising Sierra Leone and these were smuggled out of Africa and used to fund wars.
He described his time as a teacher in a diamond producing area in 1967-1968: "It was very volatile. Almost like a Wild West town. There were thousands of illicit diamond diggers."
The prosecution claims that Taylor planned to establish a subordinate government in Sierra Leone in order to have access to diamonds.
Smillie will be followed by a victim of the violence in Sierra Leone, and then an insider once close to Taylor's regime.
Prosecutors intend to call 144 witnesses but hope half of them can submit their testimony in writing, allowing the prosecuting team to wrap up their case by 2009.
Taylor is accused of leading rebels that killed more than 100,000 people in Sierra Leone from 1991-2001. Taylor has pleaded not guilty to 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Taylor's trial before the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone was moved from Freetown to The Hague for fear that his presence could destabilise the region.
