The Sierra Leone Civil War ( 1991–2002 ) was a civil war in Sierra Leone that began Process_start on 23 March 1991 when the Revolutionary United Front ( RUF ) , with support Supporting from the special forces of Charles Taylor ’ s National Patriotic Front of Liberia ( NPFL ) , intervened in Sierra Leone in an attempt to overthrow Change_of_leadership the Joseph Momoh government .

During the first year of the war , the RUF took Conquering control of large swathes of territory in eastern and southern Sierra Leone , which were rich in alluvial diamonds .

The government 's ineffective response Response to the RUF , and the disruption in government diamond production , precipitated Change a military `` coup d'état '' in April 1992 by the National Provisional Ruling Council ( NPRC ) .

By the end Process_end of 1993 , the Sierra Leone Army ( SLA ) had succeeded in pushing Motion the RUF rebels back to the Liberian border , but the RUF recovered Recovering and fighting continued .

By the end Process_end of 1993 , the Sierra Leone Army ( SLA ) had succeeded in pushing Motion the RUF rebels back to the Liberian border , but the RUF recovered Recovering and fighting continued .

In March 1995 , Executive Outcomes ( EO ) , a South Africa-based private military company , was hired Employment to repel Defending the RUF .

Sierra Leone installed Change_of_leadership an elected Choosing civilian government in March 1996 , and the retreating Escaping RUF signed Sign_agreement the Abidjan Peace Accord .

The RUF joined Becoming_a_member with the AFRC to capture Conquering Freetown with little resistance .

In January 1999 , world leaders intervened Hindering diplomatically to promote Cause_change_of_position_on_a_scale negotiations Communication between the RUF and the government .

Lome gave Giving Foday Sankoh , the commander of the RUF , the vice presidency and control Control of Sierra Leone 's diamond mines in return for a cessation of the fighting Hostile_encounter and the deployment Arranging of a UN peacekeeping force to monitor Scrutiny the disarmament process .

RUF compliance with the disarmament process was inconsistent and sluggish , and by May 2000 , the rebels Hostile_encounter were advancing Cause_to_make_progress again upon Freetown .

With help Assistance from a renewed Recovering UN mandate and Guinean air support Supporting , the British Operation Palliser finally defeated Conquering the RUF , taking control of Freetown .