Government sierra leone is governed under the constitution of 1991 as amended. Conflict profile sierra leone 1991 2001 the decadelong war in sierra leone began in 1991 as a revolt against a longstanding dictatorship. Inside the war provides readers with an detailed overview of the 19912002 civil cluding descriptions of sierra leones culture and prewar history, a yearbyyear account of the civil war, and narratives from 30 people who describe their experiences as both civilians and fighters. This book is a historical narrative covering various periods in sierra leones history from the fifteenth century to the end of its civil war in 2002. President kabbah was reelected with 70% of the vote in may 2002. Sierra leones leading trade partners are belgium, germany, the united states, and cote divoire. The conflict in sierra leone and the engagement of the united nations the conflict in sierra leone dates from march 1991 when fighters of the revolutionary united front ruf launched a war from the east of the country near the border with liberia to overthrow the government. Peters sheds light on the ruf militia and the role they played during the sierra leonean civil war. Civil war in sierra leone and the role of blood diamonds. By early december, it is estimated to have killed about 1,660 people in sierra leone, and there were about 7,635 suspected and confirmed cases of it in the country, according to the centers for disease control. He illuminates the social logics at play and clarifies the motives behind their constitution, conflict engagement, and conciliation. Sierra leone history, west african history, books barnes.
The war began on march 23, 1991, when the revolutionary united front ruf under foday sankoh, with support of liberian rebel leader charles taylor and his group, the national patriotic front of liberia nfpl, attempted to overthrow the. Two million were relocated and tens of thousands died in this 11 year war. The sierra leone civil war 19912002 began on 23 march 1991 when the revolutionary united front r u f, with support from the special forces of. It explores the genesis of the crisis, the contradictory roles of different internal and external actors, civil society and the media. Although the conflict has been over for more than a decade, this western african country is still struggling to recover from the bloodshed and violence that left more than 50,000 people dead. Inside the war provides readers with an detailed overview of the 19912002 civil cluding descriptions of sierra leones culture and prewar history, a yearbyyear account. The reason for the protracted civil war tearing sierra leone apart is the legacy of british colonialism and the struggle by the ruling cliques to rob the countrys wealth. The sierra leone civil war was an armed conflict in the west african country of sierra leone from 1991 t0 2002. Sep 22, 2006 after a decadelong civil war, whose media images of ak47toting child soldiers and atrocities committed against civilians shocked a world already stunned by genocide in rwanda and the former yugoslavia, sierra leone voted in may 2002 for a government that would restore order and rebuild a country in which almost every educational, medical. This is a rich introduction not only to sierra leone but to the politics of africa and its place in the world.
Hayward, a higher education specialist has described sierra leone as a pioneer of west african history. Free slaves, freetown, and the sierra leonean civil war joseph. The sierra leone civil war was the result of varied interactions between structural problems in sierra leone society which increased grievances among people and, accordingly, led to the emergence of the ruf. Julia gallagher, lecturer in international politics, royal holloway, university of london this is the first general history of sierra leone to take account of the civil war of 19912002. Clearly written and well organised, it is the best single introduction to its subject now available. This is the most authoritative study of the sierra leone civil war to emanate from africa, or indeed any publications programme on africa. Introduction between 1991 and 2002, sierra leone was heavily damaged by a tremendously violent civil war.
Sierra leones visceral civil war has spawned a vast literature of books and articles dealing with its causes and consequences, suggesting reform. Land sierra leones 350mi 560km atlantic coastline is made up of a belt. Diamond miners in sierra leone sifting through the sand in search of diamonds. This lesson will briefly summarize the sierra leone civil war, how and why it started, and the key events of sierra leone s civil war from its beginning in 1991 to its end in 2002. Although the civil war of sierra leone did not officially begin until 1991, several events occurred in the. The civil war in sierra leone raged from 1991 to 2002. The resulting civil war lasted 11 years, enveloped the country. Inside the war provides readers with an detailed overview of the 19912002 civil cluding descriptions of sierra leones culture and prewar history, a yearbyyear account of the civil war, and narratives from 30 people who describe their experiences as both civilians and fighters written after the 2012 conviction of liberian warlord charles taylor for crimes. Sierra leoneans share memories of civil war on anniversary. United nations peacekeeping forces two besttrained and equipped armies, jordanians and indians, are preparing to leave, even as two. Torn apart by war from 19912002 and again by ebola from 20142016, the country today is working hard to reclaim a hopeful future. The book is clearly written and accessible, although i found myself referencing an online map frequently it. This fleeting interest, however, obscured much of the longer history of the region.
This is the first general history of sierra leone to take account of the civil war of 19912002. In 1982 there were three publishers in sierra leone, but 2002 there were no book publishers in sierra leone and only one bookshop, a church bookshop for in christian literary material. Our results are complementary to the other recent studies mentioned above, none of which examines institutional impacts. Free slaves, freetown, and the sierra leonean civil war african. It is bordered by the atlantic ocean in the west, by guinea in the north and east, and by liberia in the south. This fleeting and particular interest, however, obscured two crucial processes in this small west african state. The sentence on charles taylor is to be pronounced on may 30, 2012, and sierra leoneans will finally receive some justice for the atrocities they have endured. The war was fueled by wealth from diamonds located in the east of the country, where the rebel united front ruf was strongest. Sierra leone came to world attention in the 1990s when a catastrophic civil war linked to the diamond trade was reported globally. After a decadelong civil war, whose media images of ak47toting child soldiers and atrocities committed against civilians shocked a world already stunned by genocide in rwanda and the former yugoslavia, sierra leone voted in may 2002 for a government that would restore order and rebuild a country in which almost every educational, medical. An estimated 50,000 people were killed in the decadelong civil war. An outbreak of ebola hit sierra leone in march 2014. The sierra leone civil war 19912002 was a civil war in sierra leone that began on 23 march 1991 when the revolutionary united front ruf, with support.
This book includes a history of the war and narratives from over thirty sierra leoneans who witnessed or took part in the. Land sierra leone s 350mi 560km atlantic coastline is made up of a belt. Charles taylor 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 sankoh, a critic of both the. It entails the history of sierra leone from its days as a slave harbor through to its founding as a home for free slaves and toward its political independence and civil war.
The sierra leone civil war 19912002 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 charles taylors national patriotic front of liberia npfl, intervened in sierra leone in an attempt to overthrow the joseph momoh government. Black mans grave sierra leones civil war and its precursors breakout. The people are genuinely joyful for every opportunity to improve their circumstances and the lives of their children. Apr 25, 2017 the civil war in sierra leone has been one of the most grotesque ones in history, and the nations rich diamond reserves have driven much of the violence. On the other, the aftermath of the war precipitated a huge international effort to construct a liberal peace, with mixed results, and thus made sierra leone a laboratory for postcold war interventions. Sierra leone examines 225 years of its history and fifty years of independence, placing state society relations at the centre of an original. This civil war erupted because of the mounting dissatisfaction of the people, especially the youth that were engrossed by the rebellious revolutionary united front ruf, towards the politics of the country that. The war began on march 23, 1991, when the revolutionary united front ruf under foday sankoh, with support of liberian rebel leader charles taylor and his group, the national patriotic front of liberia nfpl, attempted to overthrow. It is the worst outbreak since the virus was first identified almost 40 years ago. Sierra leone is still teetering on brink of war or collapse. Jennifer diggins offers a dynamic account of postwar sierra leone, through the examination of a precarious frontier economy. Sierra leonehistorycivil war, 19912002 lc linked data. The war began on march 23, 1991, when the revolutionary united front ruf under foday sankoh, with support of liberian rebel leader charles taylor and his group, the national patriotic front of liberia nfpl, attempted to overthrow the government of sierra leonean president joseph.
It was in the year 1991, when the civil war in sierra leone was started by the revolutionary united front led by foday sankoh. United front sierra leone rufsl banner, and engaged the state in a civil war that lasted from 1991 to 2002. Its land yields diamonds, gold, bauxite, and rutile titanium dioxide. Thousands of children were forcibly abducted by rebel forces. United frontsierra leone rufsl banner, and engaged the state in a civil war that lasted from 1991 to 2002. In 1991 a brutal civil war broke out in sierra leonea war that engulfed this thirdworld african nation for ten years. Hayward, a higher education specialist has described. Diamond smuggling has been a problem since the 1960s, and during the civil war much of the diamondmining area fell into the hands of rebel groups. May 27, 2014 president weah attends the inauguration of h. Julius maada bio, president of sierra leone duration. Although most of the population is engaged in subsistence agriculture, sierra leone is also a mining centre. It entails the history of sierra leone from its days as a slave harbor through to its founding as a home for free slaves, and toward its political independence and civil war.
Global policy forum, security council united nations, aug. The sierra leone civil war sierra leone was ravaged by a civil war that started in 1991 and lasted until 2002. Internal conflict crippled the country from the late 1980s onward, culminating in a brutal civil war that took place from 1991 to 2002. In the 1860s, as america waged civil war, several thousand african americans sought greater freedom. For the first time since the aftermath of world war ii, a former head of state was indicted and found guilty of war crimes. By 1991, sierra leone had a corrupt government and openly illicit diamond trading and was a vulnerable and attractive site for armed rebellion. In 2004, the disarmament of 70,000 soldiers was completed, and a unsponsored war crimes tribunal opened. The definitive book on the sierra leone civil war about the book sierra leone. This book is a historical narrative of sierra leone from the midfifteenth century to the end of its civil war in 2002. I am only doing this so i can add this to my project. In 1991, sierra leone fell into a bloody civil war that left 50,000 dead from 11 years of fighting. Momoh responded by deploying troops to the border region to repel the incursion of liberian rebels known as the national patriotic front of liberia npfl, led by charles taylor. Oct 25, 2012 the sierra leone civil war was the result of varied interactions between structural problems in sierra leone society which increased grievances among people and, accordingly, led to the emergence of the ruf. He covered the sierra leone civil war as a journalist for inter press service.
A dirty war in west africa recounts lansana gberies harrowing experiences as a journalist during the decadelong civil war in sierra leone. Stephen ellis, professor of social sciences at the free university, amsterdam and author of season of rains. Current news government sierra leone web peace corps in sierra leone friends of sierra leone. The war was declared to have finished on 18 january 2002 officially. The difficulties in the country were compounded in march 1991 when conflict in neighbouring liberia spilled over the border into sierra leone.
Council for the development of social science research in africa. Since 1991, this west african nation has been brought to its knees by a series of coups, violent conflicts, and finally, outright war. On march 23, a civil war began when the revolutionary united front, a group of 100 fighters. Free slaves, freetown, and the sierra leonean civil war. In 1982 there were three publishers in sierra leone, 10 but 2002 there were no book publishers in sierra leone and only one bookshop, a church bookshop for in christian literary material. List of books and articles about sierra leone history. Readers learn of the fighters motivations, the politics of the war and the feelings and thoughts of people caught up.
War and the crisis of youth in sierra leone by krijn peters. Although sierra leone had a long history of publishing and consuming books, the civil war altered this position. The brutal civil war in neighbouring liberia played an undeniable role in the outbreak of fighting in sierra leone. Although diamonds seemingly played a significant role in financing the war once it started, diamonds more likely contributed to corrupting.
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