Kamajors

The Kamajors are a group of traditional hunters from the south and east of Sierra Leone (mostly from the Bo district). They were originally employed by local chiefs, but under the leadership of Samuel Hinga Norman were used by President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah in 1996 to replace mercenaries (Executive Outcomes and Sandline International, both of whom helped train the force) as the security force of the government. Kabbah's presidency ended when a coup led by junior officers in 1997 installed Johnny Paul Koroma as the head of state. The Kamajors were a part of the ECOMOG (a Nigeria led force) counteroffensive to reinstate Kabbah in 1998. In 1999, Freetown was taken by the Charles Taylor backed and Foday Sankoh led Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFCR), which was a combination of the rebel Revolutionary United Front(RUF) and the former Sierra Leone Army (SLA). The Kamajors again served with ECOMOG and UN peacekeepers in trying to secure stability.

Related Topics:
Sierra Leone - Bo - Samuel Hinga Norman - President - Ahmed Tejan Kabbah - 1996 - Executive Outcomes - Sandline International - Johnny Paul Koroma - ECOMOG - Nigeria - 1998 - 1999 - Freetown - Charles Taylor - Foday Sankoh - Armed Forces Revolutionary Council - Revolutionary United Front - Sierra Leone Army - UN peacekeepers

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~