WHO IS FODAY SANKOH
Foday Sankoh (October 17, 1937- July 29,
2003) was the leader and founder of the Sierra Leone rebel group Revolutionary
United Front (RUF) in the 11 years civil war of Sierra Leone, which started in
1991 and ended in 2002. Foday Sankoh achieved his primary and secondary
education in Magburaka,Tonkolili District and took a hand full of jobs before
joining the Sierra Leone Army in 1956. He was trained in Nigeria and the United
Kingdom. In 1971, then a corporal in the Army, he was cashiered from the army's
single corps and imprisoned for seven years at the Pademba Road prison in
Freetown for taking part in a mutiny. After his release, he eventually came in
contact with young radicals and finding his way to Libya for insurgency
training in 1988. This was organised by the late Muammarr Gaddafi who also help
to bring Charles Taylor to power. The amputation of arms and legs of men, women
and children was designed to take over the region's rich diamond field and was
backed by Gaddafi, who supported the RUF with weapons.In 2000 Foday Sankoh was
arrested. That event led to massive celebration throughout Sierra Leone. Sankoh
was handed to the British and, under jurisdiction of a UN- backed court; he was
indicted on 17 counts for various war crimes, including use of child soldiers,
and crimes against Humanity, including extermination, enslavement, rape and
sexual slavery. He later died of stroke in the year 2003.
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