Siege of Freetown
{{Short description|1997-98 battle of Sierra Leone capital}}
{{Infobox military conflict
|conflict=Battle of Freetown
|partof=Sierra Leone Civil War
|image= Sierra Leone-Mappa.gif
|image_size= 300px
|caption= Map of Sierra Leone
|date=25 May 1997 – 6 February 1998
|place=Sierra Leone, Freetown
|result=ECOMOG victory
|combatant1={{flag|Sierra Leone}}
|combatant2={{flagicon|Sierra Leone}} Kabbah loyalists
{{flag|Nigeria}}
(leading ECOMOG forces)
|commander1={{flagicon|Sierra Leone}} Johnny Paul Koroma
22px Foday Sankoh
|commander2={{flagicon|Sierra Leone}} Ahmad Tejan Kabbah
{{flagicon|Nigeria}} Maxwell Khobe
|units1=
|units2=
|strength1=
|strength2=
|casualties1=
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}}
{{Sierra Leone Civil War}}
The siege of Freetown was a battle during the Sierra Leone Civil War. It began when Johnny Paul Koroma took over the power[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/freetown-under-siege-1144288.html Freetown under siege] from Ahmad Tejan Kabbah and began a dictatorship.{{Cite web |date=1997-07-16 |title=Freetown under Nigerian siege - Sierra Leone {{!}} ReliefWeb |url=https://reliefweb.int/report/sierra-leone/freetown-under-nigerian-siege |access-date=2024-01-19 |website=reliefweb.int |language=en}} 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.{{Cite web |url=https://www.hrw.org/reports/1999/sierra/SIERLE99.htm |access-date=2024-01-19 |website=www.hrw.org}}
In fiction
The battle was portrayed in the film Blood Diamond (taking place in 1999, in spite of the RUF take over happening in 1997).
References
{{reflist}}
=Bibliography=
- Mark Malan, 'Layered Response' To an African Conflict Or muddling through in Sierra Leone? [https://web.archive.org/web/20030825211156/http://www.iss.co.za/Pubs/ASR/10No2/Malan.html]
{{mil-hist-stub}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Freetown 1997–1998}}
Category:Battles involving Nigeria