Foday Saybana Sankoh was a Sierra Leonean rebel leader who founded and commanded the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), the primary faction responsible for the extreme brutality of the Sierra Leone Civil War (1991–2002). His name is synonymous with the era of “blood diamonds,” the mass murder, widespread rape, and the forced amputation of limbs that defined one of Africa’s most gruesome conflicts.
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Key Biographical Information
| Detail | Information |
| Full Name | Foday Saybana Sankoh |
| Born | October 17, 1937, Masang Mayoso, Tonkolili District, British Sierra Leone |
| Died | July 29, 2003 (aged 65), Freetown, Sierra Leone |
| Cause of Death | Complications from a stroke, while in custody awaiting trial |
| Organization | Founder and Commander of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) |
| Former Office | Vice President of Sierra Leone (1999–2000) |
| War Crimes Status | Indicted by the Special Court for Sierra Leone on 17 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. |
Early Life and Rise to Rebellion
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Military Background: Sankoh served in the Sierra Leone Armed Forces (SLA) from 1956 to 1971, rising to the rank of Corporal. His military career ended in disgrace; he was expelled and imprisoned for seven years for participating in a mutiny in 1971.
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The Photographer: After his release, Sankoh worked as an itinerant photographer in the rural eastern and southern parts of Sierra Leone. It was during this period, in the late 1980s, that he began encountering anti-government radicals, expressing popular resentment against the corruption and neglect of the ruling All People’s Congress (APC) government.
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Libyan Training and Alliance: Sankoh traveled to Libya, where he received military training at one of Muammar Gaddafi’s camps for revolutionary movements. Crucially, it was there he met and formed a long-lasting strategic alliance with Liberian warlord Charles Taylor, who would later become a major supplier and supporter of the RUF.
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The Revolutionary United Front (RUF) and Civil War
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Start of the War (1991): On March 23, 1991, the RUF, backed by Charles Taylor’s forces, launched its first attack from Liberia into the villages of Sierra Leone’s diamond-rich Eastern Province. The initial justification for the war was an ideological struggle to overthrow a corrupt government and give “Power and Wealth to the People.”
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Resource Exploitation: The RUF’s campaign quickly shifted from ideological revolution to a highly lucrative, violent operation centered on seizing and exploiting the country’s alluvial diamond resources—the infamous “blood diamonds”—which financed their purchase of arms. Sankoh personally encouraged the looting of resources under the title “Operation Pay Yourself.”
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Systematic Atrocities: Under Sankoh’s command, the RUF became internationally notorious for its horrific brutality against the civilian population. Their tactics included:
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Mass Amputations: Hacking off the hands and limbs of civilians to terrorize them and prevent them from voting.
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Child Soldiers: The widespread forced recruitment and drugging of children as young as five years old, forcing them to commit atrocities.
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Sexual Violence: The systematic use of mass rape and sexual slavery.
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Massacres: Notably, “Operation No Living Thing” in 1999, which resulted in the dismemberment and murder of thousands of people.
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Peace Accords and Final Arrest
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The Lomé Peace Accord (1999): Despite the RUF’s brutality, international pressure led to the signing of the Lomé Peace Accord in July 1999. In a controversial move aimed at ending the war, the accord granted Sankoh and the RUF a blanket amnesty and gave Sankoh the position of Vice President of Sierra Leone and chairmanship of the committee overseeing the country’s mineral resources.
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Final Downfall: This power-sharing arrangement collapsed in May 2000 after RUF forces attacked protesters outside Sankoh’s Freetown residence, killing about 20 people. Sankoh was captured by a mob and subsequently handed over to British forces.
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Indictment: In 2002, the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone was established to try those most responsible for the conflict. Sankoh was indicted on 17 counts, including crimes against humanity, enslavement, and the use of child soldiers.
Death in Custody
Foday Sankoh died in the custody of the Special Court on July 29, 2003, in Freetown, following complications from a severe stroke he had suffered the previous year. He died before his trial could begin. The court’s chief prosecutor, David Crane, commented that Sankoh’s death granted him “a peaceful end that he denied to so many others.”