Santigie Borbor Kanu
Encyclopedia
Santigie Borbor Kanu (born March 1965) was a Sierra Leonean military commander in the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council
(AFRC). He was one of a group of seventeen soldiers in the military of Sierra Leone
that succefully staged a coup that ousted president Ahmad Tejan Kabbah in May 1997. In 2007, Kanu was convicted of committing war crime
s and crimes against humanity in the Sierra Leone Civil War
.
Kanu was born either in Freetown
or in the Maforki Chiefdom in the Port Loko District
of Sierra Leone. Kanu was invited by Johnny Paul Koroma
to join the AFRC Supreme Council. In this capacity, were he serves as the commander of the AFRC and Revolutionary United Front
forces that attacked civilians in the north, east, and centre of Sierra Leone in 1998 and in Freetown
in January 1999.
Kanu was indicted on 15 September 2003, was arrested on 16 September 2003, and his trial before the Special Court for Sierra Leone
began on 7 March 2005. He was tried with Brima Bazzy Kamara
and Alex Tamba Brima
. Kanu was found guilt of crimes against humanity and war crime
s on June 20 2007, including counts of murder
, rape
, forced labour, and the use of child soldiers. He and his co-defendants' convictions were the first convictions for the Special Court for Sierra Leone and were also the first time anyone had been convicted of the international crime
of using child soldiers. On 19 July 2007, Kanu was sentenced to 50 years' imprisonment which will probably be served in Austria
or Sweden
.
Armed Forces Revolutionary Council
The Armed Forces Revolutionary Council was a group of Sierra Leone soldiers that allied itself with the rebel Revolutionary United Front in the late 1990s. While the AFRC briefly controlled the country in 1998, it was driven from the capital by a coalition of West African troops...
(AFRC). He was one of a group of seventeen soldiers in the military of Sierra Leone
Military of Sierra Leone
The Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces is the armed forces of Sierra Leone, responsible for the territorial security of Sierra Leone's border and defending the national interests of Sierra Leone, within the framework of its international obligations...
that succefully staged a coup that ousted president Ahmad Tejan Kabbah in May 1997. In 2007, Kanu was convicted of committing war crime
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
s and crimes against humanity in the Sierra Leone Civil War
Sierra Leone Civil War
The Sierra Leone Civil War began on 23 March 1991 when the Revolutionary United Front , with support from the special forces of Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia , intervened in Sierra Leone in an attempt to overthrow the Joseph Momoh government...
.
Kanu was born either in Freetown
Freetown
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean located in the Western Area of the country, and had a city proper population of 772,873 at the 2004 census. The city is the economic, financial, and cultural center of...
or in the Maforki Chiefdom in the Port Loko District
Port Loko District
Port Loko District is the most populous district in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone with a population of 489,488 Its capital is Port Loko and the largest city is Lunsar...
of Sierra Leone. Kanu was invited by Johnny Paul Koroma
Johnny Paul Koroma
Johnny Paul Koroma was the Head of State of Sierra Leone from May 1997 to February 1998.-Youth and Education :Koroma grew up in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone. However, he was born in Tombodu, Kono District, in eastern Sierra Leone to Limba parents. He is from the same ethnic group as...
to join the AFRC Supreme Council. In this capacity, were he serves as the commander of the AFRC and Revolutionary United Front
Revolutionary United Front
The Revolutionary United Front was a rebel army that fought a failed eleven-year war in Sierra Leone, starting in 1991 and ending in 2002. It later developed into a political party, which existed until 2007...
forces that attacked civilians in the north, east, and centre of Sierra Leone in 1998 and in Freetown
Freetown
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean located in the Western Area of the country, and had a city proper population of 772,873 at the 2004 census. The city is the economic, financial, and cultural center of...
in January 1999.
Kanu was indicted on 15 September 2003, was arrested on 16 September 2003, and his trial before the Special Court for Sierra Leone
Special Court for Sierra Leone
The Special Court for Sierra Leone is an independent judicial body set up to "try those who bear greatest responsibility" for the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Sierra Leone after 30 November 1996 during the Sierra Leone Civil War...
began on 7 March 2005. He was tried with Brima Bazzy Kamara
Brima Bazzy Kamara
Brima Bazzy Kamara was a commander of the soldiers of the Sierra Leonean Armed Forces Revolutionary Council and in 2007 was convicted of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Sierra Leone Civil War....
and Alex Tamba Brima
Alex Tamba Brima
Alex Tamba Brima is a former Sierra Leonean military commander. He was one of a group of seventeen soldiers in the Sierra Leone Armed Forces who called themselves Armed Forces Revolutionary Council that succefully stage a coup that ousted president Ahmad Tejan Kabbah in May 1997...
. Kanu was found guilt of crimes against humanity and war crime
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
s on June 20 2007, including counts of murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
, rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
, forced labour, and the use of child soldiers. He and his co-defendants' convictions were the first convictions for the Special Court for Sierra Leone and were also the first time anyone had been convicted of the international crime
International criminal law
International criminal law is a body of international law designed to prohibit certain categories of conduct commonly viewed as serious atrocities and to make perpetrators of such conduct criminally accountable for their perpetration. Principally, it deals with genocide, war crimes, crimes against...
of using child soldiers. On 19 July 2007, Kanu was sentenced to 50 years' imprisonment which will probably be served in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
or Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
.