Kamajors

The Kamajors are a group of traditional hunters of the Mende tribe of the south and east of Sierra Leone. They live mainly in the Bo district.

During the civil war in Sierra Leone's Kamajors 1996 replaced under their tribal leader Samuel Hinga Norman as desired by the incumbent president, Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, the South African mercenaries from Executive Outcomes. Officially known as the Civil Defence Forces, more than 20,000 -strong force fought alongside the Sierra Leone Armed Forces page ( RSLAF ). The Kamajors were to bring part of the ECOMOG troops in Sierra Leone to Ahmad Tejan Kabbah in 1998 returned to power. However, in 1999 Freetown was supported by the by Charles Taylor and Foday Sankoh occupied by listed rebel troops of the Revolutionary United Front together with the overflowed Sierra Leone Armed Forces. The Kamajors and the UN protection force ECOMOG stood against this.

Because of the extremely brutal behavior of the Kamajors, even against the Sierra Leonean civilians, their leader Samuel Hinga Norman was indicted by the Special Court for Sierra Leone for crimes against humanity.

The Kamajors have contributed on the one hand actively for peace in Sierra Leone, but were hated in many places because of their brutality and their primary objective of the diamond trade in blood diamonds. In addition, they have actively recruited child soldiers.

• Policy ( Sierra Leone)
• Military (Sierra Leone)