Commanding Executive Outcomes in Angola and Sierra Leone *
Unapologetic, unassuming and forthright, the combat exploits of Executive
Outcomes in Angola and Sierra Leone are recounted for the first time by a
battlefield commander who was on the ground during all their major combat
operations
From fighting the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola
for critical oil installations and diamond fields to the offensive against the
Revolutionary United Front in Sierra Leone to capture the Kono
diamond fields, and the palace coup which ousted Captain Valentine Strasser, van
Heerden was at the forefront.
He tells of the tragedy of child soldiers, illegal diamond mining and
the curse of government soldiers who turn on their own people; he tells of RUF
atrocities, the harrowing attempt to rescue a downed pilot and the efforts to
recover the remains of soldiers killed in action.
Coupled with van Heerden's gripping exposé, hitherto unpublished
photographs, order of battle charts and battle maps offer unprecedented access
to the major actions as they took place on the ground during the heydays of
Executive Outcomes.
About the Authors Andrew Hudson holds three post-graduate degrees,
works internationally and enjoys travelling. He divides his time between earning
an income, indulging his passion for collecting books on conflict in Africa and road running in weird and wonderful
locations.
Roelf van Heerden decided at a young age that the vastness and
unpredictability of the wild African outdoors were far superior to the confines
of an office. With his sights set firmly on the next high ground, the next
mountain range and the next mirage, he set off on his life's adventure as a
soldier.
