The Sierra Leone Civil War began in March 1991 and ended in January 2002 after the signing of the Lomé Peace Accord three years earlier and the consolidation of power under President Kabbah. Under Foday Sankoh, the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) invaded Sierra Leone in March 1991 from the South in conjunction with Charles Taylor’s NPFL forces, in an attempt to overthrow President Joseph Momoh’s government. Since the government was unable to respond effectively to the RUF, and since diamond production was effectively halted by the advancements made by the RUF, the National Provisional Ruling Council (NPRC), led by Captain Valentine Esegragbo Melvine Strasser, initiated a military coup d’état in April 1992, effectively ending Joseph Momoh’s
