Moinina Fofana
Encyclopedia
Moinina Fofana is a Sierra Leonean former military commander who was the leading general in the Kamajors
militia and director of the Civil Defence Forces
(CDF) during the Sierra Leone Civil War
. He was considered to be one of the leaders of the CDF, like Samuel Hinga Norman
and Allieu Kondewa
.
on charges of crimes against humanity and war crime
s. His trial began on 3 June 2004 and was tried alongside his fellow ranking members of the CDF, Kondewa and Norman. According to his indictment, Fofana was the second in command with the CDF to Norman and principally in charge of logistic of the war as the Director of War.
On 2 August 2007 Kondewa and Fofana were convicted of the war crime
s of murder
, violence to life and mental suffering, pillage, and collective punishment
s. Fofana was acquitted of related charges of crimes against humanity and the war crime of terrorism
. On 9 October 2007, the Court sentenced Fofana to six years imprisonment. Fofana has appealed his conviction to the Court's Appeals Chamber.
Moinina Fofana
Kamajors
The Kamajors are a group of traditional hunters from the Mende ethnic group in the south and east of Sierra Leone...
militia and director of the Civil Defence Forces
Civil Defence Forces
The Civil Defense Forces or CDF were a paramilitary organization who fought in the Sierra Leone Civil War . They supported the elected government of Ahmed Tejan Kabbah against the rebel groups RUF and AFRC . Much of the CDF was made up of the Kamajors group, which is part of the larger Mende...
(CDF) during the Sierra Leone Civil War
Sierra Leone Civil War
The Sierra Leone Civil War began on 23 March 1991 when the Revolutionary United Front , with support from the special forces of Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia , intervened in Sierra Leone in an attempt to overthrow the Joseph Momoh government...
. He was considered to be one of the leaders of the CDF, like Samuel Hinga Norman
Samuel Hinga Norman
Samuel Hinga Norman was a Sierra Leonean politician from the Mende tribe. He was the founder and leader of the traditional Civil Defence Forces, commonly known as the Kamajors. The Kamajors fought under the supported the government of Ahmed Tejan Kabbah against the Revolutionary United Front,...
and Allieu Kondewa
Allieu Kondewa
Allieu Kondewa is a former traditional doctor in the Kamajors tribe and military commander of the Civil Defence Forces in Sierra Leone. He was born in the Bo District and lived served until his arrest and subsequent trial by the Special Court for Sierra Leone....
.
Trial and conviction
Fofana was indicted by the Special Court for Sierra LeoneSpecial Court for Sierra Leone
The Special Court for Sierra Leone is an independent judicial body set up to "try those who bear greatest responsibility" for the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Sierra Leone after 30 November 1996 during the Sierra Leone Civil War...
on charges of crimes against humanity and war crime
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
s. His trial began on 3 June 2004 and was tried alongside his fellow ranking members of the CDF, Kondewa and Norman. According to his indictment, Fofana was the second in command with the CDF to Norman and principally in charge of logistic of the war as the Director of War.
On 2 August 2007 Kondewa and Fofana were convicted of the war crime
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
s of murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
, violence to life and mental suffering, pillage, and collective punishment
Collective punishment
Collective punishment is the punishment of a group of people as a result of the behavior of one or more other individuals or groups. The punished group may often have no direct association with the other individuals or groups, or direct control over their actions...
s. Fofana was acquitted of related charges of crimes against humanity and the war crime of terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
. On 9 October 2007, the Court sentenced Fofana to six years imprisonment. Fofana has appealed his conviction to the Court's Appeals Chamber.
External links
Moinina Fofana