Alex Tamba Brima, who was serving a 50-year sentence in Rwanda for war crimes and crimes and crimes against humanity, died today at King Faisal Hospital in Kigali after a serious illness. His wife was at his side.
Brima,commonly known as “Gullit,” was a senior leader of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council which overthrew Sierra Leone’s civilian government in 1997. He was indicted in March 2003 by the Special Court Prosecutor for serious crimes committed against civilians during the country’s civil war.
Brima was found guilty on eleven counts, including for acts of terrorism, collective punishments, extermination, murder, rape, and for the use of child soldiers. He was serving his sentence at Mpanga Prison in Rwanda.
An inquest will be conducted soon to determine the factors surrounding his death.
