| ID | 123040 |
| Title Proper | When few stood against many |
| Other Title Information | explaining executive outcomes' victory in the Sierra Leonean civil war |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Fitzsimmons, Scott |
| Publication | 2013. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | In November 1996, one of Africa's cruelest insurgent leaders, Foday Sankoh, conceded defeat and agreed to sign a peace treaty with the Government of Sierra Leone to halt that country's then-seven year long civil war. Sankoh's decision to stop fighting was not born out of a sense of goodwill toward his government or a shift in his political objectives. Rather, he agreed to make peace because his thousands-strong insurgency, the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), had been soundly defeated in a series of clashes against Executive Outcomes (EO), a mercenary force that fielded a mere 250 personnel. Seeking to explain this turn of events, a number of scholars have alleged that the mercenaries prevailed because they had access to more and better weapons than the RUF and, thus, made up for their lack of men with superiority in materiel. 1 Christopher Wrigley, for instance, argued that Executive Outcomes defeated the RUF, 'because it relied on sudden strikes made possible by its helicopters, which provided both transport and covering fire'. 2 Abdel-Fatau Musah, similarly, argued that EO succeeded in Sierra Leone because its 'air power' allowed it to deal, 'telling blows to the RUF on several fronts'. 3 Referring not only to EO's air assets, but also to its armored infantry fighting vehicles, Elizabeth Rubin concluded that the RUF, 'were overwhelmed by EO's superior firepower'. 4 Jacob Akol, likewise, concluded that, 'the RUF were overwhelmed by EO's firepower'. 5 These opinions are well-known to the mercenaries who took part in this conflict, one of whom acknowledged that, 'the world thinks that Executive Outcomes was successful because of the use of overwhelming technology and superior firepower'. |
| `In' analytical Note | Defence Studies Vol. 13, No.2; Jun 2013: p.245-269 |
| Journal Source | Defence Studies Vol. 13, No.2; Jun 2013: p.245-269 |
| Key Words | Africa ; Sierra Leone ; Civil War ; Peace Treaty ; Revolutionary United Front ; Air Power |