By: MRCG-SL
The invasion of Sierra Leone on 23 March 1991 marked the beginning of the devastating Sierra Leone Civil War. This date is remembered as the moment when rebel fighters crossed into the country from neighbouring Liberia, triggering a decade-long conflict with far-reaching humanitarian and socio-economic consequences.
The group responsible for the invasion was the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), led by Foday Sankoh, a former soldier. Sankoh had previously been involved in a failed coup attempt in the 1980s and later gained support from Liberia’s then-president, Charles Taylor. The RUF claimed its objective was to overthrow the Sierra Leonean government, which it accused of corruption and oppression.
The conflict that followed became one of the most brutal wars in West Africa, marked by widespread violence, human rights abuses, and the displacement of thousands of civilians.