Sierra Leone
Civil War and Genocide
Kelsey V. and Allie C.
The Story Behind the Genocide
The civil war began in 1991, near the border of Liberia. There was a lot of corruption in the government, this leading to people feeling the need for reform. The people were unhappy with the government and attacked their own people as a means to prove a point to the governmental officials that they were serious for change.
U.N. Helps Out
U.N. soldiers guarding borders in Sierra Leone
Soldiers Hurt Innocent Man
Many soldiers would capture and harm innocent bystanders and often beat them to death.
Young Soldier
This young man is a soldier for Sierra Leone. He is tired and too young to fight.
Who were persecuted? Who were the persecutors?
The revolutionary united front (RUF) tried to over through the leader. The RUF is a political activist group that was angry with the way the government was working under the control of their leader, Joseph Mormon. They fought to put Mormon out of power by killing many innocent people. The Christians or any others who were thought not to be for the revolution were persecuted by the rebels who surrounded their homes for many days at a time and if they were seen outside there homes were often shot of sight.
Help?
To help now the only thing to do is send money and funds to the Red Cross in Sierra Leone. The war and genocide are now over but the country is still struggling to get back on its feet. They are now more stable and the RUF is under control but many people and families are struggling to rise up after their hardship.