NUESTRA IDEA DEL FOMENTO DE LA LECTURA

The original Revolutionary United Front (RUF) was formed by a group of radical lecturers and students of the Fourah Bay College of Freetown in 1982. The RUF of Sierra Leone which was led by Corporal Foday Saybana Sankoh was a faction of this, who’s aim was to liberate the people from the corruption and oppression of the APC government. RUF considered itself to be a people’s movement seeking for the to replace Sierra Leone’s patrimonial system with a revolutionary egalitarian system.

The RUF sought after the mobilization of the disgruntled youth and the socially excluded for the formation of a ‘people’s army’ aimed at overthrow the All Peoples’ Congress regime of President Joseph Momoh (Zack-Williams, 2012). This movement was initially relayed on the manpower of hired Liberian fighters but later took to abducting and training their abductees (Krijn and Richards, 1988). While most abductees cooperated as a means to save their lives, some found themselves in agreeance with the movement.

The civil war erupted on 23 March 1991, when the RUF fighters entered Eastern Sierra Leone at Bamaru from Liberian territory which was controlled by Charles Taylor (Osita, 2006, 32-33). Despite the toughness of this group, they were not taken seriously initially. Not by the people, the local or the international media.

The conflict in Sierra Leonean, stared off similar to that of the Liberian civil war, initially with just a few hundred fighters, and then multiplied to thousands swiftly. Even with a large army, massive human rights violations and bloodshed, the RUF could not gain power until 1997.

In April 1992, from within the Republic of Sierra Leone Military Force (RSLMF) some unpaid and dissatisfied war-front officers led by Captain Valentine Strasser staged a coup against the Momoh government. Momoh was removed from office. The RUF rebels felt they had aided in the radicalization of these officers at the war front and expected to share in their victory, but this never happened (Krijn and Richards, 1988). Initially, the RUF demanded that Sierra Leone be returned to a democratic pluralist system, however this demand changed after the APC was toppled. Captain Valentine Strasser and his officers felt that only good leadership could prevail and aid in defeating the rebels. This regime was called the National Provisional Revolutionary Council (NPRC) and it sought to find a settlement with the rebel forces (Krijn and Richards, 1988). These officers were influenced by the way Flight Lieutenant Rawlings brought ‘discipline’ into the Ghanaian society and economy. Strasser condemned all acts of corruption and impropriety from the Momoh administration. During his time as a leader, he promised to bring back peace, all the while witnessing the growth of rebel incursions throughout the country. The NPRC used mainstream rhetoric of anti-corruption and personal sacrifice. Strasser was often referred to as ‘the redeemer’.

By early 1993, the RUF had managed to capture some towns through attacks launched into Sierra Leone but as taken down by government troops by December 1993. Nevertheless, RUF activities continued to spread further into the country. During this time, two British members of a relief organization were captured, and demands were made to the British government, stating that conditions for the release of those captured, the British government recognize RUF as a political organization and assistance with arms and medical supplies.

In early February 1995, Sankoh rejected UN and AU appeals for peace negotiations. In place of this, he commanded the removal of all foreign troops from the country and stated this to be his precondition for negotiations. Unfortunately, continued acts of looting, banditry and indiscriminate killing carried on until mid-February. The worsened security within the country called for the need to appeal for reinforcement from Guinea, Nigeria and South African and soldiers who had served in the British Army. The Sierra Leonean government also invited ECOWAS to be a mediator in negotiations with RUF, but negotiations were refused by RUF, who again demanded the exclusion of every single remote troop from Sierra Leone as a condition for any chance of further talks. With difficulty

arranging negotiations with the RUF, the Strasser regime, in December 1995, announced a course of action for the elections in February 1996 but regrettably was overthrown in a nonviolent coup in January 1996, elevating Captain Julius Maada Bio, who was the Chief of Defense Staff (Bangura, 2000).

Upon finding out about this, the RUF eagerly showed willingness to negotiate with the new government. It then requested for a suspension of elections pending a possible peace agreement that would permit the participation of RUF in elections in exchange for a temporary ceasefire. The Independent National Elections Commission (INEC) in addition to pressure from the international community led to the rejection of a ceasefire, leaving the RUF to launch other series of offensives, killing many civilians. Sankoh ordered that all citizens captured by the RUF be amputated (to see how they will be able vote). Despite the collapse of the ceasefire, elections were held on 26 February 1996. The SLPP won the race and its pioneer, Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, was chosen president. Inauguration of the SLPP government took place on February 29th_{, 1996 (Bangura, 2000).}