Taylor’s farm

Unexpectedly one of my stops was at Charles Taylor’s farm. His wife, an elected Senator (see photo below) now owns the farm and is allowing one of the associations to use some land for a rubber tree nursery. I’ve been told that this property was never farmed, but had a different use - it was where much of the killing of Taylor’s regime took place. I tested the water on the association members views of Taylor making reference to his trial but received mixed messages from them. I’ve never been in a place where the feelings towards rebels and the former dictator are so complicated. In fact rebels is not a word used here because it would be hard to say which faction was actually doing the rebelling. Instead they are called fighters or combatants and the term ex-combatants is so widely used that one tapper I interviewed referred to himself as being an ex-combatant during the war. Many of the rubber tappers I am meeting with are ex-combatants from one side or another. Rebel leaders and the former dictator’s wife are still in national politics as Senators, while Taylor’s war crime trial gets underway. There is even an organization here that is working to clear Taylor’s name, claiming that he is innocent. They even have a website (http://www.fortaylor.net/). Many organizations are also well connected politically with one faction or another so you have to be careful about what you say.