Sierra Leone

Last modified: 2004-12-04 by rob raeside
Keywords: sierra leone | cdf | kamajors |
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by Santiago Tazón

• Description of the flag
• Kamajors

• Colonial Flags of Sierra Leone
• British colonial flags
• Gold Coast
• The Gambia (British Rule)

Description of the Flag

Same colours than national tricolour (green, blue and white) are used in this flag. Two crossed blue rifles in the center of a plain white background. Some green letters distributed in four positions (as the four main cardinal points). CDF stands for Civil Defense Forces and SL stands for Sierra Leone
Santiago Tazón, 17 November 2004

Kamajors

CDF stand for Civil Defense Forces. The CDF were a paramilitary group who fought in the civil war (1991-2002) of Sierra Leone supporting elected Government against the rebel group of RUF (Revolutionary United Front). They were mostly known like the "Kamajors" because the CDF were formed mainly with members of the Kamajors sect. The sect was composed by people of the Mende ethnic group. The Kamajors was a kind of "mystical" battle force because they believed that using magical water and rituals could obtain a bulletproof skin. Since Government forces won the civil war, the Kamajors are now considered as national heroes, and a monument as tribute to the Kamajors have been proposed, despite of most of them committed severe war crimes and they have been accused in the Sierra Leone Special Court, including the leader Sam Hinga Norman.

Main Sources: BBC reports and AFRIBLOG (http://tazon.org/iblog), my website about African conflicts.
Santiago Tazón, 17 November 2004