Siaka Stevens' oppressive rule between 1968 to 1985 created a strong grievance which is argued to be the root cause of the rebel war in Sierra Leone (1). The All People's Congress used violence through the Internal Security Unit or poor youths who were given drugs and false promises of employment to suppress political opposition which formed a one-party dictatorship between the years 1978 to 1992 (1). This resulted in an increasing army of jobless, disillusioned group of young adults addicted to drugs and accustomed to violence (1). While there were agencies of restraint and conflict management, they were often suppressed while at the same time a culture of fear and silence dominated the public (1). Stevens institutionalised corruption through
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The rebellion started out as an organisation created by students who were expelled for being anti-government from Fourah Bay College, the university of Sierra Leone (1). Students and unemployed youths volunteered to join in 1987 for the purpose of military training in Libya to overthrow the APC which led to the formation of the Revolutionary United Front (1). Later on, many of the expelled students dropped out of the rebellion as their interests laid more in leaving Sierra Leone rather than participating in the rebellion (1). This allowed Foday Sankoh to become the leader of the RUF and to get rid of anyone who might compromise his leadership (1). The most common punishment for committed offences was death (1). The RUF began the rebellion in 1991 by attacking the town of Bomaru which bordered Liberia on the east (1). They had the support from Liberian and Burkinabe fighters on loan from Charles Taylor's NPFL (1). The rebellion had 20 000 recruits which were comprised of unfit men, women, and children however, many recruits were found in south-eastern Sierra Leone who wanted to fight the discriminatory policies of the APC (1). Despite those who continued to volunteer to join the rebellion, it quickly lost its popularity as they committed horrors (1). The RUF also began conscripting children and youths through drugs in order to control them (1). Most of the rebels were not properly trained in warfare especially children who were not able to carry rifles (1). However, the rebel leadership experimented with new conscripts in battle while using civilians such as women and children as human shields
The rebellion started out as an organisation created by students who were expelled for being anti-government from Fourah Bay College, the university of Sierra Leone (1). Students and unemployed youths volunteered to join in 1987 for the purpose of military training in Libya to overthrow the APC which led to the formation of the Revolutionary United Front (1). Later on, many of the expelled students dropped out of the rebellion as their interests laid more in leaving Sierra Leone rather than participating in the rebellion (1). This allowed Foday Sankoh to become the leader of the RUF and to get rid of anyone who might compromise his leadership (1). The most common punishment for committed offences was death (1). The RUF began the rebellion in 1991 by attacking the town of Bomaru which bordered Liberia on the east (1). They had the support from Liberian and Burkinabe fighters on loan from Charles Taylor's NPFL (1). The rebellion had 20 000 recruits which were comprised of unfit men, women, and children however, many recruits were found in south-eastern Sierra Leone who wanted to fight the discriminatory policies of the APC (1). Despite those who continued to volunteer to join the rebellion, it quickly lost its popularity as they committed horrors (1). The RUF also began conscripting children and youths through drugs in order to control them (1). Most of the rebels were not properly trained in warfare especially children who were not able to carry rifles (1). However, the rebel leadership experimented with new conscripts in battle while using civilians such as women and children as human shields