The UN-backed special court in Sierra Leone said on Tuesday the disappearance of former Liberian leader Charles Taylor put the whole west Africa on the highest alert and urged regional leaders to take all necessary steps to locate him.

"Today marks a step back on the road to accountability and justice. Charles Taylor is now an international fugitive," Desmond de Silva, prosecutor of the court, said in a statement. "For him now to disappear, on the eve of his transfer, is an affront to justice."

Taylor, who has been two and a half years in exile in Nigeria, has been indicted on 17 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity by the court and Liberia requested an end to his asylum earlier this month. Nigeria agreed three days ago but on Monday night Taylor disappeared from residence in southeastern Nigeria.

"As I have always stated, Charles Taylor is a threat to the peace and security of west Africa. His disappearance now from under the eye of a regional superpower only heightens that threat and puts the whole region on the highest alert," Silva said.

"It is now up to the government of Nigeria, the regional leaders of west Africa and the international community to respond immediately and to take all necessary steps to ensure that Mr. Taylor is located, detained and transferred to the Special Court for Sierra Leone forthwith," he added.

Silva had on Sunday requested Nigeria to arrest Taylor to prevent his escape, but Nigeria said the 58-year-old ex-warlord " is not a prisoner" and free to leave.

Source: Xinhua