Sierra Leone RUF Rebels Sentenced

8 Apr 09 | BBC

An international tribunal has jailed three former Sierra Leone rebel leaders for a total of nearly 120 years.

All three were senior leaders in the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) and were convicted of overseeing atrocities during Sierra Leone’s civil war.

Issa Sesay was sentenced to 52 years, Morris Kallon to 40 years and Augustine Gbao to 25 years.

They were found guilty in February of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the 1991-2001 conflict.

“The chamber concluded that the inherent gravity of the criminal acts for which Sesay, Kallon and Gbao have been convicted is exceptionally high,” the judges said.

Tactics favoured by the rebels included amputating hands and arms or carving the initials RUF into the bodies of their victims. >>>

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