| ID | 142609 |
| Title Proper | Bush path to self-destruction |
| Other Title Information | Charles Taylor and the revolutionary United front |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Day, Christopher |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | This article explains the demise of Sierra Leone's Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebellion. It argues that the main cause of this fate was the group's relationship with its primary sponsor, Charles Taylor. The RUF's dependency on Taylor's patronage, coupled with the rebellion's weak organisational endowments harmed the group's prospects of success. Based on original research, the article shows how Taylor used the RUF as a strategic instrument for his own regional interests, which led to the group's unravelling. More broadly, the article speaks about proxy warfare in Africa and how the relationship between resource flows and rebellion are not always beneficial to rebels as one might expect. |
| `In' analytical Note | Small Wars and Insurgencies Vol. 26, No.5; Oct 2015: p.811-835 |
| Journal Source | Small Wars and Insurgencies Vol: 26 No 5 |
| Key Words | Insurgency ; Sierra Leone ; Patronage ; Charles Taylor ; Revolutionary United Front ; Proxy Warfare ; Civil War |