Jared+Smith

The Revolutionary United Front, or RUF, was a rebel army that fought and lost in the Eleven Years War in Sierra Leone (1991-2002). After which they transformed into a political party, in hopes of winning politically as appose to violently. The party lasted until 2007; the three most senior members were convicted in 2009 of war crimes during the eleven-years war. [| Foday Sankoh], the creator of the RUF, was attempting to mirror the success of Charles Taylor in Liberia, which was,according to Wikipedia, “a substantial majority” of Charles Taylor and the NPP. The NPP was the National Patriotic Party, which before the elections, was a rebel army. The RUF followed the NPFL’s (National Patriotic Front of Liberia) example of attacking with a rebel force to spread intimidation, and then hold elections and win. Unfortunately for the RUF though, it failed in both warfare and politics.
 * __Revolutionary United Front__ **

The slogan of the RUF was “No More Slaves, No More Masters. Power and Wealth to the People” (RUF). Their internal cruelty to each other was what lead to their demise. Although the creation of the RUF was in hopes of overthrowing the government, the RUF didn’t give an indication of what would replace it.

The RUF was also big on the implication of child soldiers, whom they captured from towns and slums they entered. According to Wikipedia, “a total of 10,000 are thought to have participated in the conflict” (Wikipedia). The RUF children ‘participated’ by being used in jobs such as diamond mine guards, or attacking villages; and the RUF made them into brutal killers, sometimes making them kill their own parents. Soldiers cut the initials of the army into the chests of the children; and officers were known to rub cocaine into the wounds to make them numb and fearless. The practice of child soldiering is a sick thing, and these people took it to a whole new level.

"Revolutionary United Front." // Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia //. Web. 04 Feb. 2011. "Revolutionary United Front (RUF)." // GlobalSecurity.org - Reliable Security Information //. Web. 04 Feb. 2011. "BBC NEWS | Africa | Foday Sankoh: The Cruel Rebel." // BBC News - Home //. 30 July 2003. Web. 04 Feb. 2011
 * __Works Cited__**