After the Battle | ECOMOG Versus Sierra Leonean Rebels | Brig. Maxwell Khobe Speaks | January 1999

January 1999.
Footage of Freetown, the capital of war-ravaged Sierra Leone after fighting ceased between ECOMOG, the Nigerian-led peace-keeping force of West Africa, and rebels.
The ceasefire was grudgingly accepted by rebel commander Sam Bockarie, the commander of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), whose militia had been forced to retreat from Freetown after a surge by the 15,000-strong ECOMOG force which regained Freetown on Thursday, January 14th 1999 after a rebel attack on January 6th. The ECOMOG troops were cheered by residents when they regained Freetown city centre.
However, Bockarie announced that the ceasefire would not endure for more than a week if ECOMOG and President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah did not release Corporal Foday Sankoh, the RUF's leader. Sankoh had been sentenced to death for treason the previous October.
Reuters Text from Jauary 1999 (Excerpt):
"Grim scenes greeted Reuters journalists when they toured the centre with ECOMOG on Friday.
Vultures picked at dozens of bodies lying in the pot-holed streets. Hungry and thirsty residents emerged from hiding after a week trapped indoors.
"It's just horrible, there are rotting bodies in the streets, corpses everywhere," said Blanche, an office secretary before the mayhem broke out.
A Roman Catholic news service in Rome said Freetown's main Connaught Hospital was "overflowing with dead" and that there was a clear risk of epidemic.
The rebels took hostages with them as they retreated eastwards.One prisoner was Freetown's Roman Catholic archbishop.
"I've been through these experiences before, but this one was very heavy," said Willem Boere, a 48-year-old battlefield surgeon from the Netherlands.
He and four other expatriates with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) were ordered out of Freetown on Wednesday by ECOMOG, despite being the only foreign medical aid workers left in the city.
The ICRC was silent about the reasons for the expulsion but ECOMOG sources said the Red Cross team were listening into the force's radio communications.
The rebel retreat left Freetown landmarks like the abandoned presidency honeycombed with bullet-holes.The Nigerian embassy and U.N. Headquarters were razed."
Source: Reuters News Archive.

[@JediJide2]

Thank you Maxwell Khobe, thank you Nigeria. We'll never forget. Maxwell Khobe is a popular name in Freetown.

[@stevejahguide3209]

We suffered a lot during this period, God bless ECOMOG & UNIMSIL
GOD BLESS SIERRA LEONEAN 🇸🇱🇸🇱

[@kopee35]

The much revered Maxwell Khobe. Please share more ECOMOG videos!

[@JJ_Goldman]

So sad that Gen Khobe is dead. Most of the ECOMOG field commanders are all gone.
A distant family member was part of Ghanbatt 1 that went to Liberia. Very handsome, young and promising guy. When he returned, his life was never the same. He took to drinking and smoking till he passed on. He was very innocent growing up but the war experience changed him for the worst.

[@nnamdiazuka9031]

Pls sir can u share some of hos stories

[@JJ_Goldman]

This is a very tall demand.
On his return, he visited home and he couldn't go back to his duty post. He was forced to return to Tamale where he was stationed.
I went to Tamale in 1998 as a young teacher. He couldn't even receive me in his room.
One day, we sat in a local beer parlour popularly called pito bar. He told me of how Nigerian troops were piled up to be flown home. Nigerian casualties come in numbers. Other countries are not many so one or two casualties. He mentioned some Nigerian troops he undertook duty with a day earlier. After a half day's off duty, they were reshuffled. 3 of those guys never returned again.
Some of the issues were about fighting back rebel attacks. Seeing bodies of child soldiers.
He keeps on seeing images of the dead.

[@busterzigler7530]

R.I.P. General Victor Malu

[@user-vo8io9zk4g]

@@JJ_Goldman I pray that Liberia will always remember. I hope the generation who never witnessed this firsthand will always remember too. In her dark moments, many countries whom Nigeria took the whips meant for them often treat Nigeria badly. They do not remember the sacrifices we made to drive away those who threatened or took away their peace.

[@nobs997]

That face can hypnotize an enemy

[@goodevening9042]

Abi

[@ehisgeorge414]

The earlier Nigeria get her strength back, the better for our West African brothers. Time to chase the French, British, Americans and their rogue companies and friends away from Africa.

[@ndifrekeotu9086]

I lost my Senior in Secondary School to this war...His Nick name was Seni"B"....After his secondary school education, he enlistee in the Nigerian Army and later deployed to Sierra Leone during this conflict. He was killed.

[@anthonygh1126]

War is an enemy to Humanity.
First to comment

[@tankodestranger]

Land that we love.
Sierra Leone 🇸🇱

[@BADNISS_]

O ye selfless Nigeria

[@chinwezeagu5680]

Who did this to Africa? Always in crises! War everywhere!

[@brightokechukwu4886]

War is a global phenomenon

[@tlig]

@@brightokechukwu4886 Not anymore. It appears to have settled itself in Africa.

[@thecomenterthecomenter5569]

Due to greed and corruption

[@bashirmuhammad8181]

RIP General Maxwell Kobe.

[@samuelmitchell9542]

Liberia general was fire

[@1anre]

The Brigadier Maxwell Knobe was of Sierra Leonan origin I presume? His accent doesn’t sound Nigerian.

[@kopee35]

He was Nigerian. Born in Adamawa.

[@johndallagbason8562]

Full blooded Nigerian through and through from dong in adamawa state. On the accent he must have been on some stuff you know na 😂

[@olaoluolajugbe5811]

What is a Nigerian accent? It comes in many forms

[@ismailasesay8009]

The most wicked soldiers in Africa are the sierraleone military