Kamajors

The Kamajors were a group of traditional hunters from the Mende ethnic group in the south and east of Sierra Leone (mostly from the Bo district).[1] The word "Kamajor" derived from Mende "kama soh", meaning traditional hunter with mystical powers, who were originally employed by local chiefs.[2]

Under the leadership of Samuel Hinga Norman, the Kamajors were used by President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah in 1996 to replace mercenaries (Executive Outcomes) as the security force of the government.[3] This security force was called Civil Defence Forces (CDF). At that time, the force was expanded to over 20,000 men, dwarfing the army and mercenaries. Kabbah's presidency ended when a coup led by junior officers in 1997 installed Johnny Paul Koroma as the head of state.[2]

The Kamajors were a part of the ECOMOG (a Nigerian-led force) counteroffensive to reinstate Kabbah in 1998. In 1999, Freetown was taken by the Charles Taylor backed by Foday Sankoh led Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), which was a combination of the rebel Revolutionary United Front (RUF) and the former Sierra Leone Army (SLA). The Kamajors again served with ECOMOG and UN peacekeepers in trying to secure stability.[2]

Because of the alleged violations of international law, the leaders of the CDF (including Hinga Norman) were indicted before the Special Court for Sierra Leone.[4]

  1. ^ "Sierra Leone: Kamajors returning to their home areas". The New Humanitarian. July 28, 1999. Archived from the original on April 17, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Kamajors/C.D.F. movement, Sierra Leone (Archive)
  3. ^ Dalby, Ned (March 7, 2017). "In Search of the Kamajors, Sierra Leone's Civilian Counter-insurgents". International Crisis Group. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023.
  4. ^ Okano, Hideyuki (2019). Politics of Human Network in African Conflicts: Kamajor/the CDF in Sierra Leone. ISBN 9956550183.