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by Saffa J. Kemokai © Predating the 1996 proportional elections in Sierra Leone and as a result of the rebel attacks and movements in south and eastern parts of the country, one of the major issues under discussions on Leonenet at the time was the security concerns. No where in the entire country was this concern apparent as in the areas RUF used as a spring-board into other parts of the country in the days to come. Depending on how you look at the geography of the country, there are those that hold that the rebels first entered Sierra Leone along the eastern border with Liberia. This is the Kailahun theory. Others believe that the rebels entered into Sierra Leone through the Manor River Bridge (Bo Njeilaa). This is the Pujehun theory. Regardless of which one of these theories one believes in, the rebel movement crossed over into Sierra Leone in early 1991. Reports of rebel activities in Malema, Sulima, Fairo and the entire Soro-Gbema chiefdom area is believed to have surfaced before January 1991 but was discounted by the chief of Security Bambay Kamara under the APC government. He is said to have reported back to the APC government elite the fighting as a mere family issue in the district reflecting on another issue in the district in the early 80s. This is the period of APC consolidation of power in the district. As the RUF activity spread into inner parts of Kono, Kenema, Bonthe, and the outskirts of Bo, the structure and pattern of attack, and the role of the Sierra Leone Nation Army in containing the movement became a subject that baffled many people. Junior officers then toppled the APC government on the grounds that it was not pursuing the war against the rebels in serious manner. The young and junior officers proclaimed to the nation their desire to pursue the war to the end. This became a rallying point behind the NPRC (National Proclamation Revolutionary or Redemption Council). There were those that believed the nation as a whole was jubilant, and there were those of us that believed that in fact, the nation was apprehensive of the move as events unfolded later. The young officers were faced with many obstacles some of which were of their own creations. The army was poorly equipped; the bulk of the army cadets were primarily drawn into the force by the APC government as a protective shield; moral and training was of minimal to undertake a national security goal; and the biggest handicap was the self-interest factor that became apparent in the way the army personnel fought in the war. Wide spread of military improprieties quickly surfaced in war affected areas. A military take over that was otherwise jubilant, became the nations worst nightmare in recent history. We on the Leonenet paid visits to several human need theories at this time and one that comes to mind is the "Hanging Man" episode espoused by Davin Brenman (?) as envisioned by a local artist's view of the nation's predicament in Freetown. In all these, one thing stands out clear about human nature - self-preservation; regardless of the rule of law, all humans have the same basic needs - the need to survive. This was forcefully driven home by Kelfala Kallon's "Tennis Court" contribution to the net. With that in mind, it became obvious that people in the war-infected areas would take their security into their own hands. Indeed, the people's trust in the RSLMF had suffered a major blow and individual or collective security would never be the same. Militias had been formed/organized by various localities in south and eastern parts of the country. It must be noted here that stories of Tamaboros in the north predate this new wave of civil defense as an organized force. The Kamajors/Kamajoisia The south and eastern provinces of Sierra Leone contain packets of ethnic groups of which the largest is Mende. The formation of Kamajors then became known as a Mende thing as in fact, the war itself was primarily described in its early stages as a Mende war led by a northern borne leader. As the formation and the role of the Kamajors to pursue the war became prominent, new conflicts emerged - the sobel angle (sobel was/is the descriptive acronym for soldiers that were viewed as either sympathetic to the rebel cause or tacitly involved in rebel activities.) Implicit was the capturing of 30 RSLMF personnel believed to be involved in rebel activities in and around Kenema district by the Kamajors and placed in display. A thick cloud has indeed set over Strasser's soldiers. Lately, questions about the legitimacy of the Kamajors militia group have been raised. Well, numerous articles have been written on the primacy of the Kamajors on Leonenet. Efforts will be made to post some of them in this same column. There is no record to suggest that the Sierra Leone government implicitly or otherwise had initiated efforts that led to the formation of Kamajors. The Kamajor group is the end result of wanting to survive undertaken by the people in war-infected areas in self-defense. When a family is attacked from the outside in the Mende land, others see this as an attack on the village and therefore, the need to collectively combat the situation. This is probably the case with most primordial communities in and outside Sierra Leone. In the south and eastern provinces, the people believed that the national army was not fighting the war in their interests and their survival was therefore at stake. It then became necessary for them to collectively adopt an approach that has the best chance of providing their security. |