Pro-Government Militias
West Side Boys (Sierra Leone)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 86 |
| Country: | Sierra Leone |
| Date formed: | July 7, 1999 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | day |
| Details of Formation: | The West Side Boys emerged as a splinter group of the military and were later part of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), a group of soldiers that allied itself with RUF in the late 1990s after they seized control in Sierra Leone by ousting President Kabbah through a coup. However, in 1999, as a result of a failed peace accord, they transformed into a pro-government militia, supporting the government in their fight against RUF rebels (Wikipedia, Utas/Hörgel 2008). |
| Date dissolved: | June 1, 2000 |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | month |
| Details of Termination: | In 1999, the West Side Boys became involved in the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration process. However, the demobilisation was interrupted by the reappearance of RUF rebels, posing a threat to Freetown. Consequently, the West Side Boys were rearmed and fought for the Kabbah government. In 2000, members of the West Side Boys turned their guns on their government allies (Utas/Hörgel 2008). |
| Termination Type(s): | PGM defects |
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): | none |
| Successor group(s): | none |
| Private Military Company? | no |
| Former Group? | yes |
| Former Armed Group? | yes |
| Former Rebel Group? | yes |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: | 535 |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? | yes |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: | 535 |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: | informal (type 1) |
| Created by the Government?: | no | Main Creating Government Institution: | none |
| Government Link(s): | person/minister |
| If link to party, name of party: | |
| Training and Equipment: | no |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | yes |
| Shared Personnel: | no |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | plunder and loot |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | children; ex soldiers |
| Primary Membership: | noncivilian |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | Freetown, Lunsar, Masiaka, Magbeni |
| Force Strength: | [300, 300] |
| Target(s): | civilians; rebels, insurgents, or other armed group; regular military force; international peacekeeping force; foreign military |
| Purpose(s): | fight insurgents |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Membership: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Purpose: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | not applicable |
Other Information
| Other Information: |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | The West Side Boys safeguarded Freetown from the advancing RUF rebels in 2000. They worked together with Civil Defence Forces and the Sierra Leonean Army. The militia then battled to protect the government they had fought against during the preceding three years (Utas/Hörgel 2008). |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | unknown |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | One news source suggests that the West Side Boys conducted a series of rapes on defenceless civilians. |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | sexual violence |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | yes |
| PGM Members Paid? | no |
| Reasons for Membership: | Besides former soldiers, the group also included children who were abducted by recruiters after their parents were killed (Wikipedia). |
| PGM Members Killed? | rarely |
PGM Size
| Size: | The group size had expanded to about 600 members but later suffered from around 200 defections (Wikipedia). |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | The group utilised conflict diamonds to purchase many of their weapons, that included AK-47s, several other guns and rifles and mortars. Most vehicles they used were hijacked from UN food convoys (Wikipedia). |
Organisation
| Organisation: | Some of the senior West Side Boys’ commanders had been personal bodyguards in the NPRC government (military junta 1992-1996). Many of the initial leaders shared a background in die Sierra Leonean Army and the ongoing close cooperation contributed to the militia’s effectiveness (Utas/Hörgel 2008). |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.