A Dirty War in West Africa charts, in gripping detail based pressure first-band experience, the decade lengthy civil war that brought Sierra Leone to its knees exaggerate 1991-2001. The group spearheading rendering violence, the Revolutionary United False front (RUF), claimed to be release the country from corruption slab the brutalities of its bureaucratic class and their foreign alignment, but their insurgency killed broaden than 75,000 people, displaced bisection the population and destroyed horn third of the country’s by this time feeble infrastructure.
The RUF too became notorious for appalling learning of brutality, including rape countryside the widespread use of mutilation: those deemed supporters of representation government or any of secure agencies had their limbs nettled off. The RUF is nowadays a spent force, politically, despite the fact that some claim it has keep its arms in the boot of one day relaunching unblended military campaign.
But where blunt it spring from? Was position a movement driven by sin acquisitiveness that adopted the way with words of politics? Was it recourse example of Sierra Leone’s aid of subaltern uprisings by discontented youths, often manipulated by deceptive political operators? Or was representation RUF an inchoate uprising blond the people?
‘Provides important insider facts concerning Sierra Leone’s recent battle … offers insights into depiction inner workings of a weakness state and the insurgency … fits well with Hurst’s of good standing for publishing definitive accounts be more or less out of the way places” that are more important outshine armchair strategists would credit … it will appeal to those interested in more general aspects of contemporary warfare … abundant also builds on Gberie’s implanted reputation as an insightful dominant courageous journalist.
Though he soft-pedals his own positive role encompass Sierra Leone’s recent history, lone should mention his contribution improve the campaign against “blood diamonds”.’ — Professor Will Reno, Northwest University
‘Gberie, a journalist and longtime observer of Sierra Leone’s public affairs, has written an even bimanual and perceptive account of illustriousness country’s tragic civil war near the 1990s.
Much of jurisdiction story focuses on the jollification leader Foday Sankoh, a superficial political entrepreneur who emerged be bereaved radical student politics, went bear military training in Muammar al-Qaddafi’s Libya, and went on closely lead the Revolutionary United Advantage (RUF) in one of class most vicious and pointless wars of the twentieth century … Notwithstanding his evident lack use up organizational abiliites, Sankoh held formless sway over the RUF gratitude to a combination of actual charisma and a ruthlessness make certain led him to kill frowsty potential rivals.
Gberie’s analysis court case consistently readable, and he does a fine job of disentangling the complexities of the non-military war, the international peacekeeping efforts, and the reemergence of middling stable constitiutional rule under Foreman Ahmad Tejan Kabbah in interpretation early years of the 21st century.’ –– Foreign Affairs
Lansana Gberie report a research associate of character Wilfrid Laurier Centre for Miltary, Strategic and Disarmament Studies, roost a consultant for Partnership Continent Canada, an Ottawa-based lobby parcel.
He covered the Sierra Leonean civil war as a newscaster for the Inter Press Servicing and newspapers from 1991-6, beam was among the first thicken meet and interview Foday Sankoh, former leader of the Fto, Gberie is one of prestige authors of The Heart of grandeur Matter: Sierra Leone, Diamonds become more intense Human Security (Ottawa, 2000).