US deports Liberia ex-rebel commander ‘Black Diamond’
The United States has deported Mayama Sesay, a former Liberian rebel commander widely known by the alias “Black Diamond”, for her role in recruiting and leading child soldiers during Liberia’s second civil war. The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said Sesay, 43, was expelled in September after years of legal battles over her immigration status. According to ICE, Sesay entered the US on a visitor’s visa in 2014 and sought permanent residency the following year after marrying a US citizen. However, she was taken into custody in April 2025 by ICE officers in Atlanta following an immigration judge’s ruling that she lacked credibility and had indeed recruited child soldiers. “Sesay, infamously known as the rebel commander ‘Black Diamond,’ played a prominent role in recruiting and leading child soldiers during Liberia’s civil wars,” ICE said in a statement.“She commanded an […]