Foday Sankoh
Foday Sankoh | |
|---|---|
Sankoh in 2000 | |
| Vice President of Sierra Leone | |
| In office 1999 – 17 May 2000 | |
| Preceded by | Albert Joe Demby |
| Succeeded by | Albert Joe Demby |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 17, 1937 Masang Mayoso, Tonkolili District, British Sierra Leone |
| Died | July 29, 2003 (aged 65) |
| Party | Revolutionary United Front |
| Profession | Rebel, Soldier |
| Ethnicity | Temne (patrilineal) Loko (matrilineal) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Sierra Leone |
| Branch/service | Sierra Leone Armed Forces |
| Years of service | 1956–1971 |
| Rank | Corporal |
| Battles/wars | |
| This article is part of a series on the |
| Sierra Leone Civil War |
|---|
| Personalities |
| Armed forces |
| Key events |
|
| Attempts at peace |
| Political groups |
| Ethnic groups |
| See also |
Foday Saybana Sankoh (17 October 1937 – 29 July 2003) was a Sierra Leonean rebel leader who was the founder and commander of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebel group, which was supported by the Charles Taylor-led NPFL in the 11-year-long Sierra Leone Civil War, starting in 1991 and ending in 2002. An estimated 50,000 people were killed during the war, and over 500,000 people were displaced into neighboring countries.
Death
Sankoh died in hospital of complications arising from a stroke whilst awaiting trial on the night of 29 July 2003.[1] In a statement by the UN-backed war crimes court, chief prosecutor David Crane said that Sankoh's death granted him "a peaceful end that he denied to so many others".[2]
References
- ^ "Sierra Leone rebel leader Sankoh dies". The Independent. 30 July 2003.
- ^ "Foday Sankoh: The cruel rebel". 30 July 2003 – via news.bbc.co.uk.