“He killed my ma, he killed my pa, but I will vote for him”
In 2010, war criminal Charles Taylor was convicted for his role in establishing the Revolutionary United Front, a guerilla army in Sierra Leone renowned for chopping off people's limbs. Taylor had also invaded Liberia in 1989 to depose the dictator Samuel Doe. The struggle lasted seven years and cost the lives of an estimated 200,000 civilians, many of whom were taken by Taylor's child soldiers.
Following a cease-fire in 1997, the US encouraged Taylor to run in elections as a viable path to the presidency. Children were among his most ardent followers, chanting, "he killed my mother, he killed my father, but I will vote for him." However, the majority of voters were terrified. They were extremely fatigued and couldn't bear the thought of the fight continuing. Another of his catchphrases, "better the devil you know," refers to Taylor's image. According to The New Yorker's Jon Lee Anderson, Liberians perceived him as "a kind of Nosferatu who needed to be appeased." He's even said to have kept a bucket of human blood next to his bed, replenished daily. He received 75% of the vote. And, indeed, there was another civil war in which more people died. Taylor was finally removed from office in 2003.
Some information about Charles Taylor:
- Born: 28 January 1948 (Arthington, Montserrado County, Liberia)
- Presidential term: August 2, 1997 – August 11, 2003
