New Democrat (Monrovia)
8 June 2011
Ten men police have described as mercenaries returning from battles in neighbouring Cote d’Ivoire were charged with mercenarism Tuesday and are to be tried.
The men, most them from counties bordering Cote d’Ivoire, were returned to prison.
Reports say Liberian mercenaries fought for both sides in the Ivorian war, with some enlisting for now detained former President Laurent Gbagbo and current President Alassane Ouattara.
Police said the men were arrested in Toe Town, Grand Gedeh County, and brought to Monrovia.
Police also said the men infiltrated weapons into the country upon their return, and that a search was on to recover the weapons.
UNMIL boss Ellen Margarete Løj has expressed concern over the return of mercenaries along with defecting Ivorian combatants.
Police said since the mercenaries began returning, armed robberies have increased in border counties such Grand Gedeh. Arrests were also made in Maryland County, but police said a judge ordered the men released on grounds that there was no evidence to prove they were mercenaries.
AllAfrica – All the Time
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10 Men Charged With ‘Mercenarism’