| Sierra Leone Civil War | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Map of Sierra Leone | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Government of Sierra LeoneSierra Leone Army Kamajors  / South African mercenaries Nigerian-led ECOMOG forces United Kingdom | Revolutionary United Front Armed Forces Revolutionary Council West Side Boys  Liberia | ||||||
| Commanders | |||||||
| Ahmad Tejan Kabbah Samuel Hinga Norman Valentine Strasser Solomon Musa David J. Richards Tony Blair | Foday Sankoh Johnny Paul Koroma Foday Kallay Charles Taylor | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Casualties: ~75,000 Sierra Leoneans dead[1] | |||||||
The Sierra Leone Civil War began in 1991, initiated by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) under Foday Sankoh. Events 1174 - Jocelin, Abbot of Melrose, is elected Bishop of Glasgow. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Events 350 - Generallus Magnentius deposes Roman Emperor Constans and proclaims himself Emperor See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. The Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces is the Armed forces of Sierra Leone responsible for the Territorial security of Sierra Leone's Border The Kamajors are a group of traditional hunters from the Mende ethnic group in the south and east of Sierra Leone (mostly from the Bo district The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Nigeria, officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal Constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal The Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group or ECOMOG was a West African multilateral armed force established by the Economic Community of West The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Revolutionary United Front ( RUF) was a rebel army that fought a failed ten-year insurrection in Sierra Leone, starting in 1991 and ending in 2002 The Armed Forces Revolutionary Council ( AFRC) was a group of Sierra Leone soldiers that allied itself with the rebel Revolutionary United Front in the late The West Side Boys was an armed group in Sierra Leone, sometimes described as a splinter faction of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council. Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the west coast of Africa, bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah (born February 16 1932 was the 3rd President of Sierra Leone from 1996 to 1997 and from 1998 to 2007 Samuel Hinga Norman ( January 1, 1940 – February 22 2007) was a Sierra Leonean Politician from the Mende tribe. Valentine Esegragbo Melvine Strasser (born on April 26, 1967 in Freetown, Sierra Leone) is a former head of state of Sierra Solomon Anthony James Musa, also known as SAJ Musa, (born 1966 in Freetown, Sierra Leone – died January 1999 was an important military and political General Sir David Julian Richards KCB, CBE, DSO (born 1952 is a British military commander and was the overall commander of international Anthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair (born 6 May 1953 is a British Politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to Foday Saybana Sankoh ( October 17, 1937 - July 29, 2003) was the leader and founder of the Sierra Leone rebel group Revolutionary Johnny Paul Koroma ( May 9, 1960 &ndash June 1, 2003) was the Head of State of Sierra Leone from May 1997 to February 1998 Foday Kallay is a former Sierra Leone Army corporal who was among a group who mutinied and went into the jungles in the late 1990s Charles McArthur Ghankay Taylor (born January 28, 1948) served as President of Liberia from August 2, 1997 to August 11 Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. The Revolutionary United Front ( RUF) was a rebel army that fought a failed ten-year insurrection in Sierra Leone, starting in 1991 and ending in 2002 Foday Saybana Sankoh ( October 17, 1937 - July 29, 2003) was the leader and founder of the Sierra Leone rebel group Revolutionary Tens of thousands died and more than 2 million people (well over one-third of the population) were displaced because of the 9-year conflict. Neighbouring countries became host to significant numbers of refugees attempting to escape the civil war. It was officially declared over on 18 January 2002.
Contents |
Origins and causes
In 1985, Joseph Momoh, a military leader, was installed as president of Sierra Leone. Joseph Saidu Momoh (born January 26, 1937 - August 3, 2003) was President of Sierra Leone from November 1985 to April 29 1992 One major opposition group consisted of students including Foday Sankoh, Abu Kanu, and Rashid Mansaray. Many students were expelled from the country and this group fled to Ghana and then Libya where they attended Moammar Qaddafi's secret service military training facility. The Republic of Ghana is a country in West Africa. It borders Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast to the west Burkina Faso to the north Togo to the Libya ( ليبيا ar-Latn Lībiyā; Libyan vernacular: Lībya; Amazigh:) officially the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Muammar Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi 1 (معمر القذافي) (born 7 June 1942) also known as Colonel Gaddafi The group recruited unemployed young men and students, but as the group grew, internal squabbles arose, and many left the group, some students to universities in Ghana, others back to Sierra Leone. However, others (including Kanu, Mansaray, and Sankoh) were still interested in revolution. The group then went to Kono District and toured the diamond mines, talking with workers about their situation, and spreading a revolutionary ideology. Kono District is a district in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone.
Control of Sierra Leone's diamond industry was a primary cause of the war. In Mineralogy, diamond is the allotrope of carbon where the carbon atoms are arranged in Although endowed with abundant natural resources, Sierra Leone was ranked as the poorest country in the world by 1998. With the breakdown of all state structures, wide corridors of Sierra Leonean society were opened up to the trafficking of arms and ammunition. Recreational drugs also eroded national and regional security as well as facilitated crime within the country, precipitating illegal trade with both Liberia and Guinea. Recreational drug use is the use of Psychoactive drugs for Recreational purposes rather than for work, medical or spiritual purposes Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the west coast of Africa, bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire Guinea, officially Republic of Guinea (pronounced /ˈgɪni/ République de Guinée is a country in West Africa, formerly known as French Guinea
Beginning of the civil war
The RUF launched its first campaign into eastern Kailahun (Sierra Leone) from Liberia on March 23, 1991. Kailahun is a town in Sierra Leone and district headquarters of Kailahun District in the Eastern Province. In the four months following, about 107,000 refugees fled the conflict into Guinea. Foday Sankoh was head of the military wing of the RUF. According to Sierra Leone and writer Abdul Koroma, the rebels were quick to demonstrate their brutality, decapitating community leaders and putting their heads on stakes. Abdul G Koroma (born 29 September, 1943 in Freetown, Sierra Leone) is a judge at the International Court of Justice, having been
| Sierra Leone Civil War |
 |
| Personalities |
Charles Taylor - Foday Sankoh |
| Armed Forces |
RUF - SLA - West Side Boys |
| Attempts at Peace |
| Political Groups |
| Ethnic Groups |
| See also |
Forced recruitment of children was also an early feature of the rebel strategy. Charles McArthur Ghankay Taylor (born January 28, 1948) served as President of Liberia from August 2, 1997 to August 11 Foday Saybana Sankoh ( October 17, 1937 - July 29, 2003) was the leader and founder of the Sierra Leone rebel group Revolutionary Samuel Hinga Norman ( January 1, 1940 – February 22 2007) was a Sierra Leonean Politician from the Mende tribe. Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah (born February 16 1932 was the 3rd President of Sierra Leone from 1996 to 1997 and from 1998 to 2007 Johnny Paul Koroma ( May 9, 1960 &ndash June 1, 2003) was the Head of State of Sierra Leone from May 1997 to February 1998 Valentine Esegragbo Melvine Strasser (born on April 26, 1967 in Freetown, Sierra Leone) is a former head of state of Sierra Solomon Anthony James Musa, also known as SAJ Musa, (born 1966 in Freetown, Sierra Leone – died January 1999 was an important military and political The Revolutionary United Front ( RUF) was a rebel army that fought a failed ten-year insurrection in Sierra Leone, starting in 1991 and ending in 2002 The Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces is the Armed forces of Sierra Leone responsible for the Territorial security of Sierra Leone's Border The West Side Boys was an armed group in Sierra Leone, sometimes described as a splinter faction of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council. The Kamajors are a group of traditional hunters from the Mende ethnic group in the south and east of Sierra Leone (mostly from the Bo district Executive Outcomes was a Private military company founded in South Africa by former Lieutenant-Colonel of the South African Defence Force The Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group or ECOMOG was a West African multilateral armed force established by the Economic Community of West Sandline International was a Private military company based in London, established in the early 1990s The Lomé Peace Accord was a peace agreement signed on 7 July, 1999 between the warring parties in the Civil war that gripped Sierra Leone for The Abidjan Peace Accord was a treaty signed between the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP government of Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, and the Revolutionary United Front The United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone ( UNAMSIL) was a United Nations Peacekeeping operation in Sierra Leone from 1999 to 2005 The Special Court for Sierra Leone is an independent judicial body set up to "try those who bear greatest responsibility" for the War crimes and Crimes against Political parties in Sierra Leone lists political parties in Sierra Leone. The Armed Forces Revolutionary Council ( AFRC) was a group of Sierra Leone soldiers that allied itself with the rebel Revolutionary United Front in the late "All People's Congress" is also the name of a sister organization of the International Action Center in the United States. The Mende are one of the two largest Ethnic groups in Sierra Leone, along with the Temne. The Temne people are one of the two largest Ethnic groups in Sierra Leone, along with the Mende. The Limba people are one of the Indigenous Ethnic groups in the Republic of Sierra Leone. The Sierra Leone Creole (or Krios) are an Ethnic group in Sierra Leone, they are descendants of freed slaves from the West Indies, freed In relation to diamond trading blood diamond (also called a converted diamond, conflict diamond, hot diamond or a war diamond) refers to a diamond The Mano River is a river in west Africa, it originates in the Guinea Highlands in Liberia and forms the Liberia- Sierra Leone border Freetown is the Capital and largest City of Sierra Leone, and a major Port on the Atlantic Ocean. The Second Liberian Civil War began in 1999 when a rebel group backed by the government of neighbouring Guinea, the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy The military use of Children takes three distinct forms children can take direct part in hostilities (child soldiers or they can be used in support roles such as porters spies messengers The intellectuals in the RUF opposed the methods being used, but within the first year of the rebellion these individuals had been eliminated as Sankoh took over the movement. Among the victims were two of Sankoh's allies.
The Civil War – Chronological Series of Events
A series of military coups
In closely contested elections in March 1967 , the All Peoples Congress (APC) won a plurality of the parliamentary seats. "All People's Congress" is also the name of a sister organization of the International Action Center in the United States. Accordingly, the Governor-General (representing the British Monarch) declared Siaka Stevens—APC leader and Mayor of Freetown—as the new Prime Minister. The term governor general or governor-general refers to a vice-regal representative of a Monarch in an independent realm or a major colonial circonscription TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The monarchy Siaka Probyn Stevens ( 24 August 1905 &ndash 29 May 1988) was the Prime minister and later president of the Republic of Sierra Freetown is the Capital and largest City of Sierra Leone, and a major Port on the Atlantic Ocean. Within a few hours, Stevens and Margai were placed under house arrest by Brigadier David Lansana, the Commander of the Republic of Sierra Leone Military Forces (RSLMF), on grounds that the determination of office should await the election of the tribal representatives to the house. Brigadier David Lansana (died 1975 was the army commander of Sierra Leone in 1967 Another group of officers soon staged another coup, only to be later ousted in a third coup, the "sergeants’ revolt," and Stevens at last, in April 1968 , assumed the office of Prime Minister under the restored constitution. Siaka Stevens remained as head of state until 1985. Under his rule, in 1978, the constitution was amended and all political parties, other than the ruling APC, were banned.
In August 1985 , the APC named military commander Major-General Joseph Saidu Momoh, Stevens' own choice, as the party candidate to succeed Stevens. Joseph Saidu Momoh (born January 26, 1937 - August 3, 2003) was President of Sierra Leone from November 1985 to April 29 1992 Momoh was elected President in a one-party referendum on 1 October 1985. Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) In October 1991 Momoh had the constitution amended once again, re-establishing a multi-party system. Under Momoh, APC rule was increasingly marked by abuses of power.
The RUF
Earlier in 1991, in March, a small band of men who called themselves the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) under the leadership of a former-corporal, Foday Sankoh, began to attack villages in eastern Sierra Leone on the Liberian border. The Revolutionary United Front ( RUF) was a rebel army that fought a failed ten-year insurrection in Sierra Leone, starting in 1991 and ending in 2002 The Revolutionary United Front ( RUF) was a rebel army that fought a failed ten-year insurrection in Sierra Leone, starting in 1991 and ending in 2002 Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and also by some police forces or other uniformed organizations Foday Saybana Sankoh ( October 17, 1937 - July 29, 2003) was the leader and founder of the Sierra Leone rebel group Revolutionary The RUF's signature terror tactic was physical mutilation. An estimated 20,000 civilians suffered amputation, with machetes and axes being used to sever arms, legs, lips, and ears. Fighting continued in the ensuing months, with the RUF gaining control of the diamond mines in the Kono District and pushing the Sierra Leone army back towards Freetown. Kono District is a district in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone. Freetown is the Capital and largest City of Sierra Leone, and a major Port on the Atlantic Ocean.
On 29 April 1992, a group of young military officers, led by Capt. Events 1429 - Joan of Arc arrives to relieve the Siege of Orleans. Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) Valentine Strasser, launched a military coup, which sent Momoh into exile in Guinea and established the National Provisional Ruling Council (NPRC) as the ruling authority in Sierra Leone. Valentine Esegragbo Melvine Strasser (born on April 26, 1967 in Freetown, Sierra Leone) is a former head of state of Sierra Guinea, officially Republic of Guinea (pronounced /ˈgɪni/ République de Guinée is a country in West Africa, formerly known as French Guinea
The NPRC proved to be nearly as ineffectual as the Momoh government in repelling the RUF. More and more of the country fell to RUF fighters, so that by 1995 they held much of the countryside and were on the doorsteps of Freetown. Freetown is the Capital and largest City of Sierra Leone, and a major Port on the Atlantic Ocean. To rectify the situation, the NPRC hired several hundred mercenaries from the private firm Executive Outcomes. Executive Outcomes was a Private military company founded in South Africa by former Lieutenant-Colonel of the South African Defence Force Within a month they had driven RUF fighters back to enclaves along Sierra Leone’s borders.
Return of Civilian Government
As a result of popular demand and mounting international pressure, the NPRC agreed to hand over power to a civilian government via presidential and parliamentary elections, which were held in April 1996 . Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, a diplomat who had worked at the UN for more than 20 years, won the presidential election. Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah (born February 16 1932 was the 3rd President of Sierra Leone from 1996 to 1997 and from 1998 to 2007 Because of the prevailing war conditions, parliamentary elections were conducted, for the first time, under the system of proportional representation. Thirteen political parties participated, with the SLPP winning 27 seats, UNPP 17, PDP 12, APC 5 and DCP 3. Two months later, discussions began between the SLPP and the RUF in the town of Yamoussoukro, which led eventually to the signing of the Abidjan Peace Accord in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire on 30 November 1996. The District of Yamoussoukro is the official Capital city of Côte d'Ivoire. The Abidjan Peace Accord was a treaty signed between the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP government of Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, and the Revolutionary United Front Abidjan is the largest city and former Capital of Côte d'Ivoire ( Ivory Coast) Côte d'Ivoire (ˌkoʊt divˈwɑː(r ' in English, kot diˈvwaʀ in French) or Ivory Coast, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a Events 1700 - Battle of Narva — A Swedish army of 8500 men under Charles XII defeats The agreement quickly broke down as the RUF could not agree on disarmament and the creation of a monitoring force.
The Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), led by Major Johnny Paul Koroma, overthrew President Kabbah on 25 May 1997, and invited the RUF to join the government. The Armed Forces Revolutionary Council ( AFRC) was a group of Sierra Leone soldiers that allied itself with the rebel Revolutionary United Front in the late Johnny Paul Koroma ( May 9, 1960 &ndash June 1, 2003) was the Head of State of Sierra Leone from May 1997 to February 1998 Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar After 10 months in office, the junta was ousted by the Nigerian-led ECOMOG forces, and the democratically elected government of President Kabbah was reinstated in March 1998. The Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group or ECOMOG was a West African multilateral armed force established by the Economic Community of West On 6 January 1999, the RUF launched another attempt to overthrow the government, beginning the Siege of Freetown. Events 1066 - Harold Godwinson is crowned King of England. 1205 - Philip of Swabia becomes King Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) The Siege of Freetown was a battle during the Sierra Leone Civil War. Fighting reached parts of Freetown, leaving thousands dead and wounded. ECOMOG forces drove back the RUF attack several weeks later.
With the assistance of the international community, President Kabbah and RUF leader Sankoh negotiated the Lomé Peace Accord, which was signed on 7 July 1999. The Lomé Peace Accord was a peace agreement signed on 7 July, 1999 between the warring parties in the Civil war that gripped Sierra Leone for Events 1456 - A retrial verdict acquits Joan of Arc of heresy 25 years after her death The accord made Sankoh Vice President and gave other RUF members positions in the government, and called for an international peacekeeping force which would initially be under both ECOMOG and the United Nations. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The UN Security Council established the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) in 1999, with an initial force of 6,000. The United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone ( UNAMSIL) was a United Nations Peacekeeping operation in Sierra Leone from 1999 to 2005 ECOMOG forces departed in April 2000. Almost immediately, however, the RUF began to violate the agreement, most notably by holding hundreds of UNAMSIL personnel hostage and capturing their arms and ammunition in the first half of 2000. On 8 May 2000, members of the RUF shot and killed as many as 20 people demonstrating against the RUF violations outside Sankoh's house in Freetown. Events 589 - Reccared summons the Third Council of Toledo 1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen As a result, Sankoh and other senior members of the RUF were arrested and the group was stripped of its positions in government.
In May 2000, the situation in the country deteriorated to such an extent that British troops were deployed in Operation Palliser to evacuate foreign nationals and establish order. Operation Palliser was a British Armed forces operation in Sierra Leone in 2000 under the command of Brigadier David Richards. They stabilized the situation, and were the catalyst for a ceasefire and ending of the civil war.
End of the Civil War
After the events of May 2000, a new cease-fire was necessary to reinvigorate the peace process. This agreement was signed November of that year in Abuja. However, Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration did not resume, and fighting continued. Disarmament Demobilization and Reintegration ( DDR) is an applied strategy for executing successful Peacekeeping operations and is generally the strategy employed In late 2000, Guinean forces entered Sierra Leone to attack RUF bases from which attacks had been launched against Liberian dissidents in Guinea. A second Abuja Agreement, in May 2001, set the stage for a resumption of DDR on a wide scale and a significant reduction in hostilities. As disarmament progressed, the government began to reassert its authority in formerly rebel-held areas. By early 2002 , some 72,000 ex-combatants had been disarmed and demobilized, although many still awaited re-integration assistance (Cooper 2004, 110, Bell 2005). On 18 January 2002 President Kabbah declared the civil war officially over. Events 350 - Generallus Magnentius deposes Roman Emperor Constans and proclaims himself Emperor
Post Civil War
In May 2002 President Kabbah and his party, the SLPP, won landslide victories in the presidential and legislative elections. Kabbah was re-elected for a five year term. The RUF political wing, the RUFP, failed to win a single seat in parliament. The Revolutionary United Front ( RUF) was a rebel army that fought a failed ten-year insurrection in Sierra Leone, starting in 1991 and ending in 2002 The elections were marked by irregularities and allegations of fraud, but not to a degree to significantly affect the outcome.
On 28 July 2002 the British withdrew a 200-man military contingent that had been in country since the summer of 2000, leaving behind a 140-strong military training team to work to professionalize the Sierra Leone army or Navy. Events 1540 - Thomas Cromwell is executed at the order of Henry VIII of England on charges of Treason. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar.
In November 2002, UNAMSIL began a gradual reduction from a peak level of 17,500 personnel (Bell 2005). Under pressure from the British, the withdrawal slowed, so that by October 2003 the UNAMSIL contingent still stood at 12,000 men. As peaceful conditions continued through 2004, however, UNAMSIL drew down its forces to slightly over 4,000 by December 2004 . The UN Security Council extended UNAMSIL’s mandate until June 2005 and again until December 2005. UNAMSIL completed the withdrawal of all troops 1 January 2006. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.
The Lome Accord called for the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to provide a forum for both victims and perpetrators of human rights violations during the conflict to tell their stories and facilitate genuine reconciliation. A truth commission or truth and reconciliation commission is a commission tasked with discovering and revealing past wrongdoing by a government in the hope of resolving conflict Human rights refers to the "basic Rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled Subsequently, the Sierra Leonean government asked the UN to help set up a Special Court for Sierra Leone, which would try those who "bear the greatest responsibility for the commission of crimes against humanity, war crimes and serious violations of international humanitarian law, as well as crimes under relevant Sierra Leonean law within the territory of Sierra Leone since November 30, 1996. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The Special Court for Sierra Leone is an independent judicial body set up to "try those who bear greatest responsibility" for the War crimes and Crimes against " Both the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Special Court began operating in the summer of 2002. The Sierra Leone Truth and Reconciliation Commission was established as a condition of the Lomé Peace Accord with the assistance of the international community
Results
Nine years of civil war, atrocities, and ineffectual intervention by ECOMOG—which became just another faction in the war—crippled Sierra Leone. While RUF rebels controlled the diamond trade, the people remained among the poorest on Earth. The 1999 Lomé Agreement failed to bring peace as it effectively institutionalized rebel control of the diamond trade by putting rebel chief Foday Sankoh in charge of mineral resources. Civil war resumed as UN forces sought to wrest control of the diamond fields, but found themselves instead being held hostage by the rebels. With a rebel take-over of the capital imminent, British forces unilaterally intervened in May 2000 to evacuate British subjects and safeguard the Freetown airport for UN use. Within days "mission creep" found the British taking effective control of the government and organizing an offensive against the rebels, as the people cheered and demanded to be recolonized by the British. Mission creep is the expansion of a project or mission beyond its original goals often after initial successes The rebel leader was captured, the peace process resumed, and the British left a training team to reconstruct the armed forces into an instrument of reliable state security. Within a year of British intervention, UN forces were in full control of the country, and gradually began handing over control to the reconstituted and retrained Sierra Leone armed forces. The British looked to the Americans to similarly solve the Liberian problem in order to provide stability on Sierra Leone's borders and restore normal market forces to the diamond trade. The Liberian war ended in 2003 with ECOWAS and US intervention, followed in 2006 by the trial of its former President Charles Taylor for crimes against humanity in Sierra Leone and Liberia, the first such trial in Africa.
Whereabouts
On 13 January 2003 a small group of armed men tried unsuccessfully to break into an armory in Freetown. Events 532 - Nika riots in Constantinople. 888 - Odo Count of Paris becomes King of the Franks Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Former AFRC-junta leader Koroma, after being linked to the raid, went into hiding. In March the Special Court for Sierra Leone issued its first indictments for war crimes during the civil war. The Special Court for Sierra Leone is an independent judicial body set up to "try those who bear greatest responsibility" for the War crimes and Crimes against War crimes are "violations of the laws or customs of war" including but not limited to "murder the ill-treatment or deportation of civilian residents of an occupied Foday Sankoh, already in custody, was indicted, along with notorious RUF field commander Sam "Mosquito" Bockarie, Koroma, the Minister of Interior and former head of the Civil Defense Force, Samuel Hinga Norman, and several others. Sam "Mosquito" Bockarie ( February 10 1964 - May 5, 2003) was a leading member of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF in Samuel Hinga Norman ( January 1, 1940 – February 22 2007) was a Sierra Leonean Politician from the Mende tribe. Norman was arrested when the indictments were announced, while Bockarie and Koroma remained at large (presumably in Liberia). On 5 May 2003 Bockarie was killed in Liberia, probably on orders from President Charles G. Taylor, who expected to be indicted by the Special Court and feared Bockarie’s testimony[2]. Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John Charles McArthur Ghankay Taylor (born January 28, 1948) served as President of Liberia from August 2, 1997 to August 11 Several weeks later, word filtered out of Liberia that Koroma had been killed as well, although his death remains unconfirmed. In June the Special Court announced Taylor’s indictment. Sankoh died in prison in Freetown 29 July 2003 from a heart attack. Events 1014 - Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars: Battle of Kleidion: Byzantine emperor Basil II inflicts a decisive defeat Myocardial infarction ( MI or AMI for acute myocardial infarction) also known as a heart attack, occurs when the blood supply He had been ailing for some time.
In August 2003 President Kabbah testified before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission on his role during the civil war.
On 1 December 2003 Major General Brigadier Tom Carew, who had been the Chief of Defence Staff for the Government of Sierra Leone and an important figure in the Sierra Leonean army, was reassigned to civilian duties. Events 800 - Charlemagne judges the accusations against Pope Leo III in the Vatican Tom Carew was Brigadier Major General in the Sierra Leonean army and Chief of Defence Staff of the Government of Sierra Leone from April 2000 to November 2003 at
In June 2007, the Special Court found three of the eleven people indicted – Alex Tamba Brima, Brima Bazzy Kamara and Santigie Borbor Kanu – guilty of war crimes, including acts of terrorism, collective punishments, extermination, murder, rape, outrages upon personal dignity, conscripting or enlisting children under the age of 15 years into armed forces, enslavement and pillage. The Special Court for Sierra Leone is an independent judicial body set up to "try those who bear greatest responsibility" for the War crimes and Crimes against Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion Collective punishment is the Punishment of a group of people as a result of the behaviour of one or more other individuals or groups Murder is the unlawful killing of another human person with Malice aforethought, as defined in Common Law countries Rape, also referred to as Sexual assault, is an Assault by a person involving Sexual intercourse with or Sexual penetration of another person The military use of Children takes three distinct forms children can take direct part in hostilities (child soldiers or they can be used in support roles such as porters spies messengers As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another [3]
Diamond revenues in Sierra Leone have increased more than tenfold since the end of the conflict, from $10 million in 2000 to about $130 million in 2004, although according to the UNAMSIL surveys of mining sites, "more than 50 per cent of diamond mining still remains unlicensed and reportedly considerable illegal smuggling of diamonds continues". [4]
Depictions
The civil war served as the background for the 2006 movie Blood Diamond, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou and Jennifer Connelly. The year 2006 in film involved some significant events Releases of sequels took place with Superman Returns, Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Man's Chest Blood Diamond is an Academy Award nominated 2006 adventure Drama film co-produced and directed by Edward Zwick and Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio (born November 11 1974 is a three-time Academy Award -nominated and Golden Globe -winning American film actor. Djimon Gaston Hounsou (born April 24, 1964) is a two-time Academy Award -nominated Beninois Actor. Jennifer Lynn Connelly (born December 12 1970 is an American film actress and former child model.
During the end of the movie Lord of War, Yuri Orlov (played by Nicolas Cage) sells arms to militias during the civil war. Lord of War is a 2005 film written and directed by Andrew Niccol which starred Nicolas Cage. Nicolas Cage (born Nicholas Kim Coppola; January 7, 1964) is an Academy Award -winning American actor The militias are allied with André Baptiste (Eamonn Walker), who is based on Charles Taylor. Eamonn Walker (born 12 June 1962 in London) to a Grenadian father and a Trinidadian mother is an English Film Charles McArthur Ghankay Taylor (born January 28, 1948) served as President of Liberia from August 2, 1997 to August 11
The use of children in both the rebel (RUF) military and the government militia is depicted in Ishmael Beah's 2007 book A Long Way Gone. Ishmael Beah (born on November 23, 1980 in Sierra Leone) is a former child soldier and the author of the memoir A Long Way Gone Memoirs Ishmael Beah (born on November 23, 1980 in Sierra Leone) is a former child soldier and the author of the memoir A Long Way Gone Memoirs
Notes
- ^ Twentieth Century Atlas - Death Tolls
- ^ Lykke, A. M. and Due, M. K. and Kristensen, M. and Nielsen, I. "The Sahel". Proceedings of the 16th Danish Sahel Workshop. (2004) volume 5 page 6
- ^ "Guilty Verdicts in the Trial of the AFRC Accused"PDF (104 KiB), press release from the Special Court for Sierra Leone, 20 June 2007; "Sierra Leone Convicts 3 of War Crimes", Associated Press, 20 June 2007 (hosted by The Washington Post); "First S Leone war crimes verdicts", BBC News, 20 June 2007
- ^ Bell 2005
References
- US Dept of State [1]
- AFROL [2]
- Adebajo, Adekeye. A kibibyte (a contraction of ki lo bi nary byte) is a unit of Information or Computer storage, established by the International Events 451 - Battle of Chalons: Flavius Aetius ' defeats Attila the Hun. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The Associated Press ( AP) is an American News agency. The AP is a Cooperative owned by its contributing Newspapers radio Events 451 - Battle of Chalons: Flavius Aetius ' defeats Attila the Hun. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D Events 451 - Battle of Chalons: Flavius Aetius ' defeats Attila the Hun. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Liberia's Civil War: Nigeria, ECOMOG, and regional security in West Africa. Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2002
- Bell, Udy. Sierra Leone: Building on a Hard-Won Peace. 2000, UN Chronicle Online Edition, Issue 4 (Accessed May 31, 2007 here)
- Cooper, Niel and Goodhand, Jonathan. War Economies in a Regional Context: Challenges of Transformation 2004 Lynne Rienner Publishers by Neil. Cooper, Jonathan. Goodhand - 2004
- Hirsch; John L; Sierra Leone: Diamonds and the Struggle for Democracy, Lynne Rienner Pub (December 1, 2000).
- Jalloh, S Balimo; Conflicts, Resources and Social Instability in Subsahara Africa – The Sierra Leone Case; in Internationasles Afrikaforum, 37. Jg (Germany), 2/2001, Pages 166-180.
- Koroma, Abdul Karim. Crisis and Intervention in Sierra Leone 1997-2003. Freetown and London (2004) Andromeda Publications
External links
- No Peace Without Justice Conflict Mapping Report
- Sierra Leone Truth & Reconciliation Commission Report
- Cry Freetown
- The Postcards from Hell
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