| Samuel Hinga Norman |
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| CATEGORIES ABOUT SAMUEL HINGA NORMAN | |
| 1940 births | |
| norman, samuel hinga | |
| 2007 deaths | |
| sierra leonean military personnel | |
| people charged by the special court for sierra leone | |
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Samuel Hinga Norman ( 1940 ) was a chieftain from the Mende Tribe in Sierra Leone and led the traditional Paramilitary force, the Kamajors . The Kamajors fought under the banner of the Civil Defence Front (CDF) which supported the government of Ahmed Tejan Kabbah against the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), which was led by Foday Sankoh and funded in part by Charles Taylor of Liberia . Hinga Norman is considered to be a hero by much of his country for his role in restoring peace and civilian government in Sierra Loene. On March 7 2003 , however, Hinga Norman was indicted by the Special Court For Sierra Leone for war crimes and crimes against humanity. YOUTH Sam Hinga Norman was born January 1 1940 in Ngolala Village in Mongeri , the Bo district, Sierra Leone. He joined the Sierra Leone Army in 1959 and served until 1972, ascending to the rank of captain. He also attended school during this time and received a diploma from the Officer's School of Aldershot in the United Kingdom . POLITICAL SERVICE TO SIERRA LEONE Entering politics, Hinga Norman became Deputy Minister of Defence, serving from April 20 1998 to May 21 2002 ). He then served as Minister of the Interior from May 21 2002 to March 10 2004 , overlapping his indictment at the Special Court. He also served as the national director of the CDF, and tapped the traditional groups called the Kamajors to serve as a militia. KAMAJORS The Kamajors are a group of traditional hunters from the south and east of the country. They were originally employed by local chiefs, but under the leadership of Hinga Norman were used by President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah in 1996 to replace mercenaries ( Executive Outcomes and Sandline International , both of whom helped train the force) as the security force of the government. The force eventually consisted of over 20,000 men, dwarfing the size of the army and the rebel groups. The Sierra Leone Army (SLA) was at this time supporting former coup leader Foday Sankoh against the Kabbah government. The Kamajors integrated themselves into the (a [Nigeria led force) counteroffensive to reinstate Kabbah in 1998 after Freetown was taken by the Charles Taylor backed and Foday Sankoh led Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFCR), which was a combination of the rebel (RUF) and the former SLA. Although some point to diamond fields (see Blood Diamonds ) as the real motivating factor of the Kamajors, they continue to play a role in the march toward Sierra Leonean stability. Problems of the Kamajors The Karmajors were not a professionally trained army. They were also made up by soldiers whose allegiances were not always clear. Many fighters in the civil war fought on different sides at different times. This led to the coinage of the term ''sobel'' or soldier by day, rebel by night, especially in connection with the SLA. The Kamajors too have been accused of pillaging, terrorizing, and killing. Less ambiguous is the accusation of recruiting soldiers under the age of 15, in clear violation of the Geneva Conventions . TRIAL AT THE SPECIAL COURT FOR SIERRA LEONE Sam Hinga Norman was indicted on March 7 2003 by the Special Court for Sierra Leone (TSSL). He was arrested on March 10 and plead not guilty on the 15 of the same month. His indictment accused him of
Norman's trial then began on June 3 2004 along with those of Moinina Fofana and Allieu Kondewa . At the outset of his trial, Norman dissolved his legal team and stated that he wished to represent himself. |
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