Last modified: 2004-12-04 by rob raeside
Keywords: sierra leone | cdf | kamajors |
Links: FOTW homepage |
search |
disclaimer and copyright |
write us |
mirrors
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
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