Chief prosecutor of Sierra Leone's war crimes tribunal, David Crane, said Tuesday he had information from several sources indicating Taylor, now living a luxurious life of exile in Nigeria, had ordered the assassination of Guinea President Lansana Conte.
Crane said the order was an act of revenge because Conte backed the rebels who toppled Taylor from power in August 2003, the BBC said Tuesday.
Crane, a former U.S. Defense Department lawyer, is due to step down as chief prosecutor for the U.N.-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone in July.
In Freetown, UNAMSIL spokesman David Winslow spoke of the plight of the abducted U.N. peacekeepers.
Sierra Leonean government soldiers have been firing their weapons in Freetown "just to make sure that they are very much in control of the security situation," BBC correspondent Lansana Fofana said Monday following the demonstrations in the capital.
Shooting heard in western Freetown Wednesday night was "accidental firing by Sierra Leonean Army personnel," BBC correspondent Lansana Fofana said on Thursday.
Within a few hours, Stevens and Margai were placed under house arrest by Brigadier DavidLansana, the Commander of the Republic of Sierra Leone Military Forces (RSLMF), on grounds that the determination of office should await the election of the tribal representatives to the house.
A group of senior military officers overrode this action by seizing control of the government on March 23, arresting Brigadier Lansana, and suspending the constitution.
Sir Milton's Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) led the country to independence and the first general election under universal adult franchise in May 1962.
Margai promoted many well-educated Mende (who had chafed under a Creole-dominated government) to important civil service positions Brig.-Gen. DavidLansana (a Mende) was appointed as the army commander.
Lansana became a close confidant of Albert Margai.
Milton Margai died and was succeeded by his brother Albert Margai who, as head of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), began to replace Creoles in the party with his own people, the Mende.
One of his first acts as prime minister was to convict and hang Brigadier DavidLansana on treason charges.
Siaka Stevens was and remains Sierra Leone's most controversial leader.
When Siaka Stevens became prime minister, he set about squaring the score with those paramount chiefs he felt had opposed him, while rewarding those who had been neutral.
Within hours Stevens and Margai are placed in house arrest by Brigadier DavidLansana, Commander of the Republic of Sierra Leone Military Forces (RSLMF) on grounds that the determination of office should await the election of tribal reps to the house.
Sir Milton dies and his half brother Sir Albert Margai succeeds him.
Sir Milton Margai of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) becomes Prime Minister.
DAKAR, 3 May (IRIN) - Exiled Liberian president, Charles Taylor, will remain a threat to President Lansana Conte of Guinea and the entire West Africa region until he is brought before the UN-backed Special Court for war crimes in Sierra Leone, said the Court's chief prosecutor David Crane.
Investigations by the government security forces into the 19 January assassination attempt have been fruitless, leading to calls from the opposition that it was a hoax.
The 71-year old president who has ruled Guinea for the past 21 years escaped unharmed but one of his bodyguards was seriously injured in the incident.
