Augustine Gbao (born 13 August 1948), also spelled as Augustine Bao, is a former paramilitary commander of the

Revolutionary United Front The Revolutionary United Front (RUF) was a rebel group that fought a failed eleven-year war in Sierra Leone, beginning in 1991 and ending in 2002. It later transformed into a political party, which still exists today. The three most senior surv ...

(RUF) in the

Sierra Leone Civil War The Sierra Leone Civil War (1991–2002), or the Sierra Leonean Civil War, was a civil war in Sierra Leone that began on 23 March 1991 when the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), with support from the special forces of Liberia, Liberian dictato ...

. In February 2009, he was convicted of war crimes and

crimes against humanity Crimes against humanity are widespread or systemic acts committed by or on behalf of a ''de facto'' authority, usually a state, that grossly violate human rights. Unlike war crimes, crimes against humanity do not have to take place within the ...

by the

Special Court for Sierra Leone The Special Court for Sierra Leone, or the "Special Court" (SCSL), also called the Sierra Leone Tribunal, was a judicial body set up by the government of Sierra Leone and the United Nations to "prosecute persons who bear the greatest responsibil ...

and sentenced to 25 years in prison.S Leone trio guilty of war crimes
BBC New, 25 February 2009Appeals Chamber Upholds Sentences for Convicted Revolutionary United Front Leaders
Sierra Express Media, October 26, 2009 He was a senior commander in the RUF from 1991 until his capture in 2002. After serving time in

Rwanda Rwanda (; rw, u Rwanda ), officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator ...

for war crimes since 2009, Gbao was returned to

Blama Blama is a town and the seat of Small Bo Chiefdom Kenema District in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone. Blama is located on the highway from Bo, Sierra Leone, Bo to Kenema, the largest city in Kenema District and the Eastern Province overa Bl ...

on 23 December

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

to serve the remainder of his 25-year sentence.

References

1948 births Living people Sierra Leonean military personnel Sierra Leonean people convicted of crimes against humanity People convicted by the Special Court for Sierra Leone Sierra Leonean people convicted of war crimes Revolutionary United Front politicians People from Kenema District {{SierraLeone-mil-bio-stub