Sudan

A War Criminal Escapes
The man who let him go is due at the White House this morning.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006; Page A18

ON MONDAY one of the world's most dangerous and despicable war criminals, Charles Taylor, escaped just as he was about to be brought to justice for his actions. His crimes include the incitement of wars in four West African countries; the enslavement, rape or dismemberment of thousands of children; and collaboration with al Qaeda. His freedom threatens the fragile stability of Liberia and its democratically elected president, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, as well as of Sierre Leone, Guinea and Ivory Coast.

The man responsible for this catastrophe, Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, has an appointment at the White House today with President Bush. If the meeting goes forward, he deserves the frostiest of receptions. Under the guise of protective custody, Mr. Obasanjo shielded Mr. Taylor from justice and allowed him to continue meddling in West African affairs for more than two years. Now, having run out of excuses for refusing to turn him over to an international tribunal, the Nigerian has allowed Mr. Taylor to flee from the seaside villa where he was being held. Mr. Bush, who hosted Ms. Johnson-Sirleaf just two weeks ago, should tell Mr. Obasanjo that the United States will hold him personally accountable for Mr. Taylor's recapture.

Some prodding is clearly needed. Most governments would declare a national manhunt and consider sealing the borders if someone as dangerous as Charles Taylor were on the loose. Mr. Obasanjo's reaction was to issue a statement yesterday, many hours after the war criminal's escape Monday night, announcing his "disappearance" and the formation of a commission to investigate. It has two weeks to report back; perhaps Mr. Obasanjo believes that during that time any controversy will blow over.

But as long as Mr. Taylor is free, years of efforts by the United Nations, the United States, European governments and Nigeria itself to stabilize West Africa will be at risk. It's not hard to foresee the warlord appearing at the head of yet another ragtag army, composed of drugged or brutalized children, in one of the several countries he has terrorized in the past decade.

Even if Mr. Taylor is soon captured, Mr. Obasanjo will merit some reevaluation. Though democratically elected, the two-term president may be seeking to transform himself into one of Africa's Big Men; he has done nothing to stop allies who are trying to change Nigeria's constitution so that he can remain in office. His offer of refuge to Mr. Taylor in late 2003 may have prevented a bloody end to a rebellion against his criminal regime in Monrovia. But when the Nigerian was asked to turn Mr. Taylor over to the U.N. tribunal in Sierre Leone, he produced a string of increasingly implausible excuses. First he said he would act only at the request of a democratic Liberian government. When Ms. Johnson-Sirleaf courageously made that request, he insisted that Liberians take custody of Mr. Taylor, even though he was to be moved from Nigeria to Sierra Leone.

Over the weekend Liberian and tribunal officials publicly pleaded with Mr. Obasanjo to arrest Mr. Taylor, warning that he would seek to escape. Mr. Obasanjo took no action. Perhaps he can't accept the idea that an African leader, even one as vile as Mr. Taylor, would be held accountable for his crimes. But if Mr. Taylor's escape leads to the murder, rape and dismemberment of more innocent Africans, their blood will be on Mr. Obasanjo's hands.



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