2020 Writing and Learning Blog

Guns and Mercenaries
While researching common weapons, and the use of mercenary troops, in Sierra Leone, AfricaI found out there were many different different weapons obtained during the debarment. They had G3 rifles, Ak-47s, and RPGs. There were other weapons like un-exploded cluster bombs, British anti aircraft missiles, a Soviet Spigot anti tank guided weapon, two Soviet Sa-7 surface to air missiles, over one thousand light weapons, and twenty three anti aircraft guns from Eastern Europe. Some of the most common of all the weapons was the G3 rifle, the AK-47 rifle and RPGs. The G3 weights roughly 9.9 pounds, almost 40.5 inches in length, and it was mostly used with a 20 round magazine but many different size magazines are available. It was designed by Heckler & Koch a German manufacturer. Most of the children soldiers I have read about used the G3 rifle or another common but popular weapon the AK-47. It was invented by Mikhail Kalashnikov while he laid in a hospital bed healing from a shoulder wound. The AK-47 is about 35 inches long, it weighs about 10 pounds fully loaded, and a 30 round magazine was usually used. RPG stands for rocket propelled Grenade. It is a shoulder fired weapon that can be either in a single use configuration or reloadable. This weapon was mainly used by the rebels for attacking villages but they were designed to destroy armored vehicles. A series of coups, violent altercations, and eventually war led to the use of mercenaries during the war in Sierra Leone, Africa. The private company that handled these contracts was called Executive Outcomes. Executive Outcomes was a private South African mercenary firm, one of the first to submit a proposal to fight in the war for financial gain. E.O. received 1.8 million dollars per month for their contract. On top of that they also entered and agreement with Branch Energy (Diamond Works), a company E.O. was financially linked to. Their plan was for E.O. to reclaim diamond mines from the RUF and then use local labor to recover the diamonds. Diamond Works would then pay the government 37.5% of net profits in exchange for their efforts. Most locals were left with a sour taste in their mouth and no longer wished to have mercenaries in their country. Executive Outcomes pulled out of the war in 1997 and it was left to the Sierra Leone Army to take over law and order in the country.