The First Liberian Civil War, instigated by Charles Taylor and the National Patriotic Front of Liberia ( NPFL ) on December 24, 1989, eventually spread to neighboring Sierra Leone in 1991 when dissidents of the Revolutionary United Front ( RUF ), led by Foday Sankoh, began using Liberia as a staging ground for NPFL backed military assaults on border towns in Sierra Leone.

Several soldiers were arrested for their involvement in the mutiny, including Corporal Foday Sankoh who was jail for seven years at the Pademba Road Prison, after he was convicted of treason.

Charles Taylor — then leader of the National Patriotic Front of Liberia — reportedly helped form the Revolutionary United Front ( RUF ) under the command of former Sierra Leonean army corporal Foday Saybana Sankoh, an ethnic Temne from Tonkolili District in Northern Sierra Leone.

Foday Sankoh and his Revolutionary United Front ( RUF ), posed an increasing burden on the country.

President Kabbah open dialogue with the RUF and invited RUF leader Foday Sankoh for peace negotiation.

Koroma suspended the constitution, banned demonstrations, shut down all private radio stations in the country and invited the RUF to join the new junta government, with its leader Foday Sankoh as the Vice-Chairman of the new AFRC-RUF coalition junta government.

Two of the accused, Foday Sankoh and Hinga Norman, have died while incarcerated.

With the assistance of the international community, Sierra Leone President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah and Revolutionary United Front leader Foday Sankoh signed the Peace Accord on July 7, 1999.

Foday Saybana Sankoh ( October 17, 1937 – July 29, 2003 ) was the leader and founder of the Sierra Leone rebel group Revolutionary United Front ( RUF ) in the 11-year-long Sierra Leone Civil War, starting in 1991 and ending in 2002.

Foday Sankoh was born on October 17, 1937, in the remote village of Masang Mayoso, Tonkolili District in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone to an ethnic Temne father and a Loko mother.

On March 23, 1991, the RUF, led by Foday Sankoh and backed by Charles Taylor, launched its first attack in villages in Kailahun District in the diamond-rich Eastern Province of Sierra Leone.

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He said that he would testify and " speak the truth ", and he testified on 14 May 2008, describing child soldiers and the relationship between Taylor and Foday Sankoh.

The RUF was created by Foday Sankoh, of Temne and Lokko background, and two allies, Abu Kanu and Rashid Mansaray, with substantial assistance from Charles Taylor of Liberia.

Most of Kabbah's time in office was influenced by the civil war with the Revolutionary United Front, led by Foday Sankoh, which involved him being temporarily ousted by the military Armed Forces Revolutionary Council from May 1997 to March 1998.

In May 2000, Foday Saybanah Sankoh, who was then part of Kabbah's cabinet, kidnapped several UN troops, and then ordered his rebels to march to Freetown.

On 17 May 2000, the rebel leader Foday Sankoh was captured by Government forces and transported to a secure location by helicopter.

Most of the action was over by 8: 00, although the last British troops pulled out at 14: 00 in the afternoon, after conducting mopping-up operations that saw the capture of Foday Kallay and the recovery of the Land Rovers.

The Kamajors fought under the supported the government of Ahmed Tejan Kabbah against the Revolutionary United Front ( RUF ), which was led by Foday Sankoh.

The Kamajors integrated themselves into the ECOMOG ( a Nigeria led force ) counteroffensive to reinstate Kabbah in 1998 after Freetown was taken by the RUF ( backed by Charles Taylor and led by Foday Sankoh ) in combination with the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council, led by Johnny Paul Koroma.

In 1999, Freetown was taken by the Charles Taylor backed and Foday Sankoh led Armed Forces Revolutionary Council ( AFRC ), which was a combination of the rebel Revolutionary United Front ( RUF ) and the former Sierra Leone Army ( SLA ).

The gravi-kora has been adopted by kora players such as Daniel Berkman, Jacques Burtin, Le Chant de la Forêt ( The Song of the Forest ), suite for kora, gravi-kora, flute and viola, and Foday Musa Suso, who featured it in recordings with jazz innovator Herbie Hancock, with his band Mandingo, and on Suso's New World Power album.

A journey through traditional kora music and three original meetings: kora and piano ( Spring Waterfall by Foday Musa Suso and Philip Glass ) ; kora and synthesizers ( Lanmbasy Dub, with Bill Laswell, bass, and Jeff Bova, synthesizers ) ; kora and saxophone ( Samma, a duet with jazz saxophonist Pharaoh Sanders ).

* Foday Musa Suso ( Gambia ), recorded with Herbie Hancock

In November 1996, in Abidjan in Côte d ' Ivoire, he signed a peace agreement with the rebel leader, former Corporal Foday Sankoh of the Revolutionary United Front ( RUF ).

Once again, in pursuit of peace, President Kabbah signed the Lomé Peace Accord with the RUF rebel leader Foday Sankoh on 7 July 1999.

* Music from the Hearts of the Masters ( 2005 ) with Foday Musa Suso

* The Ripple Effect ( 2005 ) with Ben Surman and Foday Musa Suso

* Hybrids ( 2005 ) with Ben Surman and Foday Musa Suso

He met and held talks with the former Sierra Leonean President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah, and former President Charles Taylor of Liberia, President Lansana Conte of Guinea, and other senior officials and diplomatic representatives including Revolutionary United Front leader Foday Sankoh.

Foday Musa Suso featured an early version of the gravi-kora in recordings with Herbie Hancock, and on Suso ’ s CD « New World Power ».

Martin has been featured on dozens of albums and several film soundtracks, and notable collaborations include work with REM guitarist Peter Buck, Iraqi master musician Rahim Alhaj, West African Griot and master musician Foday Musa Suso, delta bluesman CeDell Davis, Rumi scholar and poet Coleman Barks, and Native American poet and songwriter Joy Harjo.