Sierra Leone war criminal returning from Rwandan prison The commander of a Sierra Leonean militia suspected of killing civilians and burning other living people has returned from Rwanda to serve the rest of his sentence in his country. declared Monday a UN-backed tribunal

. He leads the pro-government Civil Defense Forces (CDF), a notorious paramilitary unit that recruited traditional fighters to fight the rebels during the brutal civil war from 1991 to 2002.

He was convicted in 2007 of crimes war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, collective punishment and the recruitment of child soldiers.

He spent nearly 10 years in prison in Rwanda under a special agreement because war-ravaged Sierra Leone did not have proper detention centers. Leone was released Sunday to serve the last five years of her sentence, the court said in a statement.

"Kondewa … will be allowed to serve the rest of his sentence in his community in Bo, under The Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone said, referring to a main town in the south.

He was ordered to acknowledge his guilt, publicly apologize and show remorse, the statement said.

Kondewa owes him report to the Sierra Leonean police twice a month and can not get involved in politics or "participating in secret meetings to plan civil unrest," he adds

dead and tens of thousands mutilated.

As a parallel force to the regular army, CDF fought rebels of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) and the Revolutionary Council of the Armed Forces

CDF reportedly "eliminated" civilians suspected of collaborating with rebels, either shooting at them or attacking them to death or by burning them alive [19659002] Many locals, however, believe that the CDF and its Kamajor fighters have helped contain the RUF's brutal rebels and protect the villagers in the vulnerable hinterland of the diamond-rich country.

The Hague-based Special Court for Sierra Leone and its successor were established by the UN in 2002 to try those who bore "the greatest responsibility" for the atrocities committed during the civil war.

"Those convicted of crimes against humanity during the civil war in Sierra Leone must serve their sentences to deter others," human rights activist told AFP Freetown Ibrahim Tommy

. a prison sentence of 15 years.

He was the first to complete a term imposed for war crimes by the UN-backed Special Residual Court for Sierra Leone.

Six war criminals are still in prison, serving sentences of 25 to 52 years.

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