Sierra Leone's Revolutionary United Front

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"In the 1970s and 1980s Sierra Leone had a thriving tourism industry,” says Tony Blair, the former Prime Minister of the UK, after his trip to Sierra Leone. Later, however, the economy began staggering to a halt, and a new group rose to power with what many believed were strong and good willed beliefs.
"No More Slaves, No More Masters. Power and Wealth to the People." According to Konye Obaji Ori, a Nigerian publishing author and editorial writer, this was said in 1991 by a rebel group who believed in a new future for the small country of Sierra Leone; the RUF (Revolutionary United Front). Many Sierra Leoneans were advocates of the RUF, and believed that the government should not remain in its current state, but later became repulsed when they realized the measures the RUF took to achieve their goals. 10,000 involuntarily armed children.

Government Failure

In 1991, a detrimental civil war began in the small country of Sierra Leone, with the RUF taking charge, trying to overthrow Joseph Momoh, the current (2nd) president, and the republic in which he operated. His people viewed him as manipulatable and weak, being controlled by his notoriously corrupt advisors. The RUF continued on strike, warring against the police and other governmental forces. In 1992 they managed to overthrow him. For six years, the war continued, as the RUF wanted their democracy to be put into motion. In 1997, a new president was designated, and the war declared over. This did not satisfy the RUF, and an uproar began, dragging the war on for another four years.

War-ravaged Sierra Leone had trouble maintaining order, many still unclear what type of government they were living by. For years, the government of Sierra Leone had “made repeated commitments to...

... middle of paper ...

...er while fighting a war against their own people (members of the RUF).

Whilst the Civil War in Sierra Leone now seems archaic, the RUF still competes in a battle for control over the diamond-producing regions of Sierra Leone.

Works Cited

Ori, Konye. “Sierra Leone: UN-backed Court Closed after administering Civil War justice.” AFRIK-NEWS, n.d. Web. 4 Dec. 2013.

“Child Soldiers Global Report 2001- Sierra Leone.” refworld. Child Soldiers International, 2001. Web. 4 Dec. 2013.

“Sierra Leone Rebels Forcefully Recruit Child Soldiers.” HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH. 1 June 2000. Web. 4 Dec. 2013.

Barnett, Errol. “African Voices.” CNN. CNN, 9 Oct. 2012. Web. 4 Dec. 2013.

“Revolutionary United Front.” Wikipedia. Wikipedia, 15 Aug. 2013. Web. 4 Dec. 2013.

Images

Franco Pagetti/VII. June 2000. Nieman Reports. Web. 4 Dec. 2013.

The Telegraph. Web. 4 Dec. 2013.

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