The RUF leadership case
The Revolutionary United Front was a principal armed group in Sierra Leone's civil war. The Special Court charged senior RUF figures with crimes committed during the conflict, including attacks on civilians and United Nations peacekeepers.
Foday Sankoh and Sam Bockarie were originally indicted with other RUF leaders. Both died before the trial began, and the Prosecutor withdrew their indictments in December 2003. They were therefore neither convicted nor acquitted in the joint proceeding described here.
The three defendants
Issa Hassan Sesay served in several senior RUF commands and later became interim leader. Morris Kallon held area, battlefield-inspector and battle-group roles. Augustine Gbao commanded security and intelligence structures and held senior authority in the AFRC/RUF alliance.
The Trial Chamber joined their cases in February 2004. Each pleaded not guilty. The trial opened in Freetown on July 5, 2004.
The evidence and trial
The prosecution called 75 witnesses, including three experts, before closing its case in August 2006. The defence phase began in May 2007: Sesay testified on his own behalf, while Kallon and Gbao did not. Their teams called dozens of witnesses, and the defence case closed in June 2008.
The indictment addressed terrorism against civilians, killings, sexual violence, forced marriage, enslavement, pillage, use of child soldiers and attacks on peacekeepers. The judgment did not treat the three men identically; each count and mode of responsibility was assessed against the evidence concerning that defendant.
The 2009 verdicts
On February 25, 2009, the Trial Chamber found Sesay and Kallon guilty on 16 of 18 counts. Gbao was convicted on 14 counts. The convictions included war crimes and crimes against humanity such as terrorism, extermination, murder, rape, sexual slavery, forced marriage, enslavement and pillage.
The Court also entered acquittals on specific counts. Sesay and Kallon were acquitted of two peacekeeper-related charges, while Gbao was acquitted of four counts, including use of child soldiers and several peacekeeper-related offences. Those acquittals remain part of the record and are not obscured by the overall conviction labels.
Sentences
On April 8, 2009, the Trial Chamber imposed concurrent terms that produced total sentences of 52 years for Sesay, 40 years for Kallon and 25 years for Gbao.
The sentences reflected distinct findings for each defendant. The archive does not collapse them into a single collective punishment or imply that all three were convicted on the same set of counts.
The final appeal
On October 26, 2009, the Appeals Chamber reversed Gbao's conviction for collective punishments. It upheld the other convictions against all three men and left the 52-, 40- and 25-year sentences unchanged.
That appellate disposition is the final adjudicated outcome used for this page. Later questions about sentence administration or release eligibility are separate from the validity and scope of the judgment.
Current legal status
The convictions and sentences are final. The Residual Special Court continues to preserve the tribunal's records and administer its remaining functions. This case is classified as solved / adjudicated only for the charges and defendants resolved by the Court.
Limits and remaining questions
- How fully did the prosecutions represent the experiences of victims beyond the incidents charged?
- Which alleged perpetrators outside the Court's limited docket were never tried?
- How should communities preserve testimony while protecting survivors of sexual violence?
- What sentence-administration decisions have occurred after the final judgments?
Frequently asked questions
Were all three men convicted on the same counts?
No. Sesay and Kallon were convicted on 16 counts; Gbao on 14 at trial, with one of his convictions later reversed.
What were their sentences?
Sesay received 52 years, Kallon 40 years and Gbao 25 years.
Did the appeal change the sentences?
No. It reversed one conviction against Gbao but preserved the remaining convictions and all three sentences.