A Dirty War in West Africa: The RUF and the Destruction of Sierra Leone

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Indiana University Press, 2005 - History - 224 pages
3 Reviews

Provides important insider information concerning Sierra Leone's recent war . . . and builds on [the author's] established reputation as an insightful and courageous journalist. --William Reno, Northwestern University

A Dirty War in West Africa recounts Lansana Gberie's harrowing experiences as a journalist during the decade-long civil war in Sierra Leone. Since 1991, this West African nation has been brought to its knees by a series of coups, violent conflicts, and finally, outright war. The war has ended today, but it is clear that things are hardly settled. Focusing on the group spearheading the violence, the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), Gberie exposes the corruption and appalling use of rape and mutilation as tactics to overthrow the former government. Gberie looks closely at the rise of the RUF and its ruthless leader, Foday Sankoh, as he seeks to understand the personalities and parties involved in the war. This sobering and powerful account reveals the domestic and international consequences of the Sierra Leone conflict.

 

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LibraryThing Review

User Review  - Praj05 - LibraryThing

I read this book as a part of my research paper couple years back. It is a definite must read. The literature is direct and brutal; seething with muddles of corrupt governing coerce powers, making life a burden in itself. Read full review

LibraryThing Review

User Review  - HurstPub - LibraryThing

"A Dirty War in West Africa" charts in gripping detail - based on first-band experience - the decade long civil war that brought Sierra Leone to its knees from 1991-2001. The group spearheading the ... Read full review

Selected pages

Contents

Introduction the RUF Phenomenon
1
Sierra Leone from Independence to State Recession
17
The Making of the Revolutionary United Front
39
War and State Collapse
70
Not just a Coup the AFRC Takeover of 1997
97
Operation No Living Thing and Terror as Warfare
118
From UNasty to Model Peacekeeping
156
Diamonds and the RUFs War
180
Epilogue the Reckoning
197
Bibliographical Note
216
Index
218
Copyright

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A Dirty War in West Africa: The RUF and the Destruction of Sierra Leone
Lansana Gberie
Limited preview - 2005
A Dirty War in West Africa: The RUF and the Destruction of Sierra Leone
Lansana Gberie
Snippet view - 2005

Common terms and phrases

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References to this book

About the author (2005)

Lansana Gberie is a research associate at the Wilfried Laurier Centre for Military, Strategic, and Disarmament Studies. He covered the Sierra Leone civil war as a journalist for Inter Press Service.

Bibliographic information

QR code for A Dirty War in West Africa
TitleA Dirty War in West Africa: The RUF and the Destruction of Sierra Leone
Human rights studies online
AuthorLansana Gberie
Editionillustrated
PublisherIndiana University Press, 2005
ISBN0253218551, 9780253218551
Length224 pages
Subjects ›  › 

History / Africa / West
Political Science / Peace
  
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