A/HRC/4/96 page 17 Yet, by the end of 2006, the Special Court was engaged in discussions with the Government of Senegal to have Hinga Norman, leader of CDF, fled to Dakar for medical treatment. He was evacuated to Senegal on 17 January 2007 and passed away on 22 February at Dakar hospital. 53. On 29 March 2006, Charles Taylor, the former President of Liberia, was arrested and brought under the jurisdiction of the Special Court where he made his first appearance on 3 April 2006. He pleaded not guilty to an 11 count indictment for war crimes, crimes against humanity and violations of international humanitarian law. On 20 June 2006, Mr. Taylor was flown to The Hague following orders of the Special Court, backed by resolution 1688 (2006) of the Security Council and according to the International Criminal Court Memorandum of 13 April 2006 in which the Court agrees to allow the use of its premises for the detention and trial of former President Taylor by the Special Court. Two status conferences have been held in The Hague and June 2007 has been scheduled as a tentative date for the commencement of the trial. 54. The Armed Forces Revolutionary Council Defence (AFRCD) lost a motion for acquittal and started their defence on 28 June 2006. Testimonies were heard from both prosecution and defence witnesses including expert witnesses. On 7 December, oral presentations were made by both the prosecution and defence on the final trial briefs. No definite date was slated for the final judgement. 55. The trial of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) resumed proceedings on 18 July 2006, mostly in closed sessions. Over 100 witnesses were presented and the prosecution have finally closed their case when the defence filed a motion for acquittal which was denied by the Trial Chamber on 26 October. Consequently, it was agreed that the RUF defence would start in the third week of April 2007. IV. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 56. Substantial progress continues to be noted in the promotion and protection of human rights in Sierra Leone, especially in the field of civil and political rights. Progress in the realization of economic, social and cultural rights, as in many post-conflict countries, is slow and continues to pose serious challenges. From these two perspectives, the peacebuilding and development mandate of UNIOSIL has been to provide significant assistance to Sierra Leone. However, the effective consolidation of peace still requires addressing the root causes of the conflict as well as the human rights challenges occasioned by the conflict. 57. In this regard, the need for the Government of Sierra Leone to take ownership of and demonstrate political will and financial commitment to interventions in the field of human rights is crucial. However, Sierra Leone still needs international support in addressing human rights gaps, especially in relation to economic and social challenges, which, if not timely addressed and in a holistic manner, may unravel the successes achieved towards the realization of civil and political rights.