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Sierra Leone rebel leader dies
Foday Sankoh, the leader of a 10-year terror campaign in Sierra Leone, has died while waiting to be tried for war crimes. The spokesperson for the United Nations-backed war crimes tribunal in Sierra Leone told BBC News Online that he had died at 2240 GMT on Tuesday. Sources say he died from complications resulting from a stroke he suffered last year. Sankoh founded the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) which became notorious for mass rape and hacking off the hands, feet, ears and noses of thousands of civilians during a 10-year civil war, which ended last year. Earlier this month doctors treating Sankoh said he was in a "catatonic state" â incapable of walking, talking or even of feeding himself and he could not recognise his immediate surroundings. Thatâs too bad, guys like this should suffer more. Sankoh, like President Charles Taylor of neighbouring Liberia, trained in the guerrilla camps of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. He was captured after his fighters shot more than a dozen protesters outside his Freetown home in 2000. Say hi to Sammyâs boys when you see them.
Posted by: Steve 2003-07-30 |
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| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=17079 |