2. Charles Taylor, Liberia (1997-2003)
Charles Taylor. Photo credit: The Telegraph
Charles Taylor was born in 1948 in Arthington, Montserrado County, Liberia, and ruled as the 22nd President of Liberia from August 1997 until his resignation in August 2003.
He spent several years of his life in Libya training as a guerrilla fighter and returned to his home country in 1989 to lead the first Liberian Civil War that lasted for seven years.
After the execution of President Samuel Doe in 1996, Taylor gained control of a large portion of Liberia, which enabled him to successfully run for the presidency in the 1997 general election.
His six-year regime was marred by human rights abuses, including political executions, torture, rape, and ethnic cleansing, especially during the Second Liberian Civil War (1999-2003).
He also actively participated in the Sierra Leone War (1991-2002) and was formerly indicted by the Special Court for Sierra Leone in 2003.
In 2006, the newly elected Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf requested for his extradition from Nigeria, where he had sought refuge.
In 2012, Taylor was found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity by the Special Court at the International Criminal Court in the Hague, Netherlands, and was sentenced to 50 years in prison.
He is married to two wives, Enid Tupee Taylor and Jewel Howard, and together they have 14 children.
