The war crimes trial of former Liberian President Charles Taylor has been adjourned for one week due to problems with his defence team.
Mr Taylor failed to appear when the trial resumed at The Hague, saying through an official that the court did not give him adequate funds to assemble a strong defence team.
The former leader, who is charged with instigating murder, rape and mutilation during Sierra Leone's civil war in a quest for the country's diamonds, boycotted the start of his trial in June.
He sacked his lawyer and declared the trial would not be fair.
The UN-backed special court for Sierra Leone's principal defender, Vincent Nmehielle, said at the opening of today's session that Mr Taylor would again not be attending.
Mr Nmehielle said there were not enough funds from the court to hire the right calibre of lawyer and Mr Taylor had rejected several candidates as unsuitable.
The former Liberia leader has pleaded not guilty to 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, related to the 1991-2002 civil war, which killed an estimated 50,000 people.
In his letter to the court Mr Taylor said his defence team was outgunned by the prosecution, and had not been able to prepare his case.
It is the first case of its kind against a former African leader.
