Moinina Fofana

Moinina Fofana was born in 1950 in the Chiefdom of Nongoba Bullom, Bonthe district, in the southern part of Sierra Leone. Up until his arrest, he was Chiefdom Speaker of Nongoba Bullom.

According to the indictment, Moinina Fofana was a leading member of the Civil Defence Forces (CDF) and National Director of War of the CDF. He was considered to be one of the leaders of the CDF, like Samuel Hinga Norman and Allieu Kondewa. Like Allieu Kondewa, Moinina Fofana received his orders from Samuel Hinga Norman who was his immediate superior. Together, these three men were in charge of the strategic and operational decisions of the CDF.

Moinina Fofana was said to have led the CDF whenever Samuel Hinga Norman was absent and to have been second in charge. As National Director of War, he was considered to be directly responsible for the implementation of war policy and strategy. He was reportedly in charge of liaising with the commanders in the field and of supervising and controlling operations. He gave and received reports about the operations of his commanders and provided the necessary logistics, including arms and ammunition. In addition to his functions on the national level, Moinina Fofana commanded one of the battalions of the CDF.

According to the indictment, given his position, Moinina Fofana exercised authority, command and control over all subordinate members of the CDF.

Moinina Fofana’s plan, in line with that of the other leaders of the CDF, was allegedly to take all necessary measures to defeat the forces of the alliance between the RUF and the AFRC (Armed Forces Revolutionary Council), in order to gain control over the territory of Sierra Leone. This reportedly included taking control over the civilian population as well as the complete elimination of the RUF/AFRC as well as their partisan followers, sympathisers and any person who had not actively shown resistance to the RUF/AFRC.

Moinina Fofana is said to have acted both individually and in concert with Samuel Hinga Norman and Allieu Kondewa in the execution of this plan.

In various parts of the country, the CDF was alleged to have undertaken military actions against the RUF/AFRC. These actions in particular included attacks against civilians suspected of “collaborating” with the rebels. Whenever these civilians were identified as being collaborators, they were “eliminated” either through being shot or hacked to death or by being burnt alive.

Such acts, which also included looting, the destruction of private property and violence to physical well-being, were aimed at terrorising and menacing the local populations.

Moinina Fofana was arrested on 29 May 2003 and transferred to the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL). He was indicted on 26 June 2003.