In an event that could radically alter the perception of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, Chief Sam Hinga Norman, the first accused in the Civil Defence Forces (CDF) case, died due to complications from surgery. Norman underwent surgery in Dakar, Senegal to address wounds suffered during the war, including hip complications. According to a Special Court press release, Norman suffered a massive heart failure after surgery and was unable to be revived.
The death of Norman is a tragic event not only for the Special Court, but for attempts at international justice. The trial against Norman had almost concluded and a verdict was due early this spring. Because of the death, the Special Court will not announce a verdict in the case, despite the significant work that had already been completed on the judgment. Knowledge of the outcome of the case will be limited to the few court personnel who were researching and writing the judgment.
The significance of Norman's death is exacerbated because he is the second accused to die while in Special Court custody. Foday Sankoh, a prominent figure in the Revolutionary United Front, died from a stroke in 2003 while awaiting trial. Many Sierra Leoneans remain suspicious of Sankoh's death and some think that he was assassinated by the Special Court. Such accusations, while groundless, still resonate among the people of Sierra Leone. Norman's death will have a profoundly more significant impact. There had been some rumblings from the supporters of Norman that the surgery should have been performed in the UK. His death in Dakar will only feed the baseless rumors that the Special Court was complicit in his death.
Accusations will also be leveled at the ruling Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) and President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah. Norman had been a prominent member of the SLPP and ally of Kabbah. However, when Kabbah turned Norman over to the Special Court to be tried for war crimes, Norman split from the SLPP. Norman was a folk hero and continues to have significant support in the south of Sierra Leone. With nation-wide elections this summer in Sierra Leone, there was already significant tension between the SLPP and Norman's supporters. The verdict in the Norman case would have increased the tension, and his death will almost certainly bring the situation to a boiling point. The sensationalistic press in Sierra Leone will no doubt add to rumors and suspicion that the SLPP had some hand in the death of Norman.
At the international level, the death of Norman before judgment will echo the death of Slobodan Milosevic at the ICTY. The death of Milosevic spread similar rumors of assassination and left the proponents of international justice scrambling to justify the prosecution. Despite the massive amounts of money and time invested in trying Milosevic there was no verdict, no conclusion and no resolution. Similarly, the success of the Special Court will be called into question with the death of Norman. This will only increase the pressure upon the Special Court to successfully prosecute Charles Taylor, a case that is only at its early stages and presents far more challenges than the Norman case.
While there will still be a verdict for the two other accused in the CDF case, the absence of Norman will impact the legitimacy of the verdict. If either, or both, of the accused are found not guilty, then significant questions about the innocence of Norman will arise. This will only feed the rumors that the Special Court, perhaps knowing that he was to be innocent, killed Norman. This will strain the relationship between the Special Court and the Sierra Leone community and increase the stakes for the outreach efforts of the Special Court. With the unrest in neighboring Guinea, any unrest in Sierra Leone, which is likely in the wake of the death of Norman, will be an issue of great concern.
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