Conflict: | Battle of Freetown |
Partof: | Sierra Leone Civil War |
Date: | 25 May 1997 – 6 February 1998 |
Place: | Sierra Leone, Freetown |
Result: | ECOMOG victory |
Combatant1: | |
Combatant2: | Kabbah loyalists Nigeria (leading ECOMOG forces) |
Commander1: | Johnny Paul Koroma Foday Sankoh |
Commander2: | Ahmad Tejan Kabbah Maxwell Khobe |
The siege of Freetown was a battle during the Sierra Leone Civil War. It began when Johnny Paul Koroma took over the power[1] from Ahmad Tejan Kabbah and began a dictatorship.[2] In response, ECOMOG troops, led by Nigeria, helped the Sierra Leone Army to attack and remove Koroma from power and Kabbah was elected back in post. In revenge, Koroma's allies, the RUF, assaulted the city but were forced to retreat.[3]
The battle was portrayed in the film Blood Diamond (taking place in 1999, in spite of the RUF take over happening in 1997).