A court in the US state of Pennsylvania has issued historic damages totalling $84m (£71m) to four victims of the Lutheran Church Massacre, one of the deadliest attacks on civilians during Liberia’s civil conflict from 1989 to 2003. More than 600 people were killed.
An estimated 600 people, including men, women, and babies, were hacked to death in the church, while they sought refuge from Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front for Liberia forces.
At the time forces of then-rebel leader, Charles Taylor, were fighting government troops in the outskirts of the capital, Monrovia.
Thomas, 68, was the commander of the elite Special Anti-Terrorist Unit loyal to then President, Samuel Doe.
The killings were blamed on the army of President Samuel Doe.
The victims were represented by the San Francisco-based Centre for Justice and Accountability.
The ruling came after the court held one of the army commanders of Samuel Doe responsible for the killings.
Formerly a resident of Pennsylvania, the man is said to have now returned to Liberia where he is reportedly living freely.
It is not clear how the US court intends to get the authorities in Liberia to collaborate in getting the award paid to the victims.
Last September Judge Petrese B. Tucker of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania ruled that Thomas “intentionally directed an attack on a building dedicated to religion, personally directed an attack on civilians and committed the crime against humanity of persecution.”
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