General Maxwell Mitikishi Khobe and
Freetown, after been liberated by him

Abubakar Hashim

The late General Maxwell Mitikishi Khobe, the ECOMOG brave soldier, who led the ECOMOG forces to reinstate Sierra Leone’s former President, late Ahmad Tejan Kabbah to power, after he was overthrown by Major Johnny Paul in 1997, died 25 years ago, yesterday, 18 April, 2000. He died from wounds he suffered from fighting the rebels in Sierra Leone.

Khobe was an amiable, friendly and brave soldier, who won the admiration of many Sierra Leoneans.

In 1997, three years before he died, the war had heightened when the Sierra Leonean soldiers collaborated with the rebels, to constitute the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council, AFRC, that overthrew Kabbah. Khobe led an ECOMOG force that reversed the coup and restored Kabbah to power.

Khobe and his ECOMOG troops liberated the capital city of Freetown, through the eastern axis, matched into the capital, captured the Stare House and other strategic government buildings.

Gen Abacha

During this period, apart from neighbouring Guinea, it was Nigeria that aided the Khobe-led ECOMOG troops in the liberation process, long before the UN and the British intervention that are, till date, being erroneously praised for ending the war in Sierra Leone.

After liberating the country from the grip of AFRC/RUF rebels, Khobe was assigned and tasked by President Kabbah to head and re constitute a new army.

Under a Status of Forces Agreement, SOFA, between the two countries, a technical assistance team from Nigeria, had earlier been in place. At first, it was the Nigerian Infantry Assistance Group, NIAG, which later snowballed into the Nigerian Army Training Assistance Group, NATAG.

Thus was during the epic stage of the 11- year old war in Sierra Leone.

SOFA also included training of Sierra Leonean troops in Nigerian military facilities, like the War College, Command and Staff College, Nigerian Defence Academy, and 301 Air Force Training School. SOFA also helped Sierra Leonean soldiers to later fight along side Nigerian troops when the war broke out.

Khobe, who died, 25 years ago, on 18 April, 2000, revisited SOFA, to restructure the Sierra Leonean Army.

A new army command was established, with a new Defence Ministry, under Ambassador Joe Blell, who was also instrumental in the liberation process, as then High Commissioner to Nigeria.

This was when Sanni Abacha was the military Head of State in Nigeria.
Abacha, with Lansana Conteh of Guinea, were physically present in Freetown, when Kabbah was reinstated to power, after spending nine months in exile in Conakry.

Today, both Abacha and Khobe are household names in Sierra Leone. Popular streets were named after them: Abacha in the heart of the city in Freetown, while Khobe in the eastern district city of Kenema.

Twenty five years on, Khobe and even Abacha, will forever be on the hearts of many Sierra Leoneans, who remain eternally grateful for their roles in restoring peace and sanity that the country enjoys today.

*Abubakar Hashim is our West Africa Bureau Chief, based in Sierra Leone