ABSTRACT
Since March 1991, both civilian and military governments of Sierra Leone have experienced major-armed challenges by a group of rebels led by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF). In May 1997, the RUF was joined by rebellious elements within the national army, which ousted the newly elected civilian administration of Ahmed Tejan Kabba. The Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), as the junta called itself, soon entered into a coalition with the RUF, and invited the latter's leader, Foday Sankoh to assume the leadership of the nation. The two fighting forces were integrated into what became known as the 'Peoples Army'. It needed coordinated and sustained efforts of the peacekeeping force of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOMOG), to remove the alliance of AFRC and RUF from the capital in 1998. However, in January 1999, despite the fortification of the capital by ECOMOG troops, the rebels were able to breach the city defenses, entered the capital, released thousands of prisoners and unleash widespread violence on the civilian population.
