The search for africas fighting spirit by tim butcher, a long way gone by ishmael beah, sierra leone by k. From the series diamond road, produced by kensington communications. The ruf and the destruction of sierra leone gberie, lansana on. Rwanda, we hear about female fighters in sierra leone and sri lanka. The war has ended today, but it is clear that things are hardly settled. Sengbe pieh was a mende farmer whose extraordinary courage in resisting slavery earned him a lasting place in the histories of sierra leone and the united states sengbe was captured in his rice farm in january, 1839 and ultimately sold to a spanish slave trader near modern sulima. 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. Underlying grievances and the role of the revolutionary united front the root of the conflict is and remains diamonds, diamonds and diamonds. Since 1991, this west african nation has been brought to its knees by a series of coups, violent conflicts, and finally, outright war. Jariatu went on to college in the united states, where she remained to became a mobilizing voice for peace, human rights, and womens empowerment during her countrys terrible civil war. Conflict diamonds in sierra leone excerpt from diamond.
Inappropriate the list including its title or description facilitates illegal activity, or contains hate speech or ad hominem attacks on a fellow goodreads member or author. Free slaves, freetown, and the sierra leonean civil war african. These days, life is mostly back to normal for albert and his family. Government sierra leone is governed under the constitution of 1991 as amended. From 1971 sierra leone is a republic with himself as executive president. With the political situation stable, the mission helped organize sierra leones first ever free and fair presidential and parliamentary elections by providing logistics and public information support.
British military intervention in the sierra leone civil war. Sierra leone web photos from the sierra leone conflict. The first liberian civil war was an internal conflict in liberia from 1989 until 1997. The special court for sierra leone convicted charles taylor of crimes against humanity. Although small numbers of british personnel had been deployed previously, palliser was the first largescale intervention by british forces in the sierra leone civil war. Civil war in sierra leone and the role of blood diamonds.
The only account of this brutal ten year war that includes firsthand narratives from a wide array of the participants themselves one of the most brutal and tragic events in recent african history, the sierra leone civil war is remembered in the west for its horrific exploitation of children and its various factions use of blood diamonds to fund their vicious fight. May 17, 2007 sierra leone ratified the convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women in 1988 without reservation, but since it was emerging from an 11year civil war that had. Sierra leone web sierra leonean heroes 19th century. From an early age, she helped the family put food on the table. Most of the civilians of sierra leone are finding themselves hostage in this conflict. The people of kono, sierra leone have experienced the horrors of civil war and blood diamonds. Sierra leones army came under attack not only from the npfl but also from the revolutionary united front ruf, led by former sierra leone army corporal foday sankoh, who was collaborating with the liberian rebels. Sierra leone lion mountain had been embroiled in a civil war that began in march 1991, as the revolutionary united front ruf attempted to overthrow successive. It is meant for children and it is meant to tell about the impact of the war on the lives of children so that it does not happen again. The campaign, launched on january 6, 1999, was a surprise attack on the countrys capital of freetown, but it ultimately stretched into a threeweek occupation. Between 1991 and 2002, sierra leone was heavily damaged by a tremendously violent civil war.
A dirty war in west africa recounts lansana gberies harrowing experiences as a journalist during the decadelong civil war in sierra leone. 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. Freetown marked the most intensive and concentrated period of human rights violations in sierra leone s eightyear civil war, said peter takirambudde. Internal conflict crippled the country from the late 1980s onward, culminating in a brutal civil war that took place from 1991 to 2002. Spam or selfpromotional the list is spam or selfpromotional. Sierra leone is a country in western africa with a coast on the atlantic ocean. War and the crisis of youth in sierra leone the international african library book 41. Historical perspectives on contemporary healthcare in sierra leone. 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. The british administration favored a policy of indirect rule whereby they relied on slightly reorganized indigenous institutions to implement colonial policies and maintain order. The united kingdom began a military intervention in sierra leone on 7 may 2000 under the codename operation palliser. Free slaves, freetown, and the sierra leonean civil war joseph. Siaka stevens remains in control for eighteen years by dismantling the countrys checks on the abuses of power.
The war in sierra leone was started by the late foday sankoh and the revolutionary united front ruf when they invaded sierra leone from the eastern border with liberia in 1991. They are caught in a power struggle between the different factions involved in the fight for power and control of sierra leone s natural resources, such as the diamond mines. Shocking war crimes in sierra leone human rights watch. A short history of sierra leone 2nd edition by christopher fyfe author visit amazons christopher fyfe page. In 1967 however, the all peoples congress apc, a group which had detached from the slpp in 1957, won the elections. This book is a historical narrative of sierra leone from the midfifteenth century to the end of its civil war in 2002. Chris coulter abstract this article looks at how the category of female fighters in the sierra leone civil war 19912002 was interpreted by the local population and by the international humanitarian community. In early may 2000, the revolutionary united front ruf. May 14, 2017 under the rule of president joseph momoh in the 1970s, sierra leone reached a point where it could not import oil and gasoline, leaving the country without electricity for months at a time. History of sierra leone embassy of the republic of sierra. Sierra leone has been ravaged by a civil war that lasted from 1991 to 2002, and resulted in some 70,000 casualties and 2.
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. Free slaves, freetown, and the sierra leonean civil war. The conflict killed about 250,000 people and eventually led to the involvement of the economic community of west african states ecowas and of the united nations. The civil war turned so cruel that it is unimaginable. They are caught in a power struggle between the different factions involved in the fight for power and control of sierra leones natural. The amazing story of sierra leone, with jariatu sesay, by. Government reignited its programs in sierra leone, aiming to reduce the threat of regional destabilization, to raise awareness of the widespread atrocities that were committed during the civil war, and to increase international support for the government and the people of sierra leone.
Although diamonds seemingly played a significant role in financing the war once it started, diamonds more likely contributed to corrupting. Sierra leones leading trade partners are belgium, germany, the united states, and cote divoire. Sengbe was captured in his rice farm in january, 1839 and ultimately sold to a spanish slave trader near modern sulima. Sierra leone came to world attention in the 1990s when a catastrophic civil war linked to. 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. The sierra leone civil war was an armed conflict in the west african country of sierra leone from 1991 t0 2002. Incorrect book the list contains an incorrect book please specify the title of the book. It was in the year 1991, when the civil war in sierra leone was started by the revolutionary united front led by foday sankoh. 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. Sierra leone s leading trade partners are belgium, germany, the united states, and cote divoire. The peace did not last long, and in 1999 the second liberian civil war broke out.
What happened in the hague and in arusha affected the warcrime trials in sierra leone, and the outcome of these may in turn affect proposed trials in. Since the end of the war, the government of sierra leone has undergone the arduous task of rebuilding the countrys physical and. 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. War tribunals and warcrime courts catch our attention. Aerial photos from eastern sierra leone of ruf mining activities in february 2000, after the rebel group had asserted it was not involved in mining.
Ibrahim kamara 2000 to the economist, this is war motivated by greed. These assessments will address a history of the civil war in sierra leone. 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. The civil war in sierra leone raged from 1991 to 2002. When my parents told me that fide had diedhe was blown up by a land mine in sierra leone, on september 3, 1997i stared at them for a while and then started to smile because i knew that they. Freetown and guinea 1998 photos of amputations in freetown and sierra leonean refugees in guinea.
Beginning in march 1991, driven by the desire to overthrow the current government, oust corrupt politicians, and redistribute the resources of sierra leone, the. List of books and articles about sierra leone history. The war was characterized by widespread atrocities, including the abduction of children and systematic rape. Sierra leone s army came under attack not only from the npfl but also from the revolutionary united front ruf, led by former sierra leone army corporal foday sankoh, who was collaborating with the liberian rebels. Jariatu sesay grew up in sierra leone as eldest daughter in a large family. The conditions that led to the war included a repressive predatory. Koidu displaced 1992 civilians fleeing koidu following the first rebel attack on 23 october 1992. From this point sierra leone declines into a long era of repressive rule, military coups and by the end of the century terrifying and violent anarchy. 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 was set apart by its corruption, negligence and electoral violence. 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.
The category of the female fighter both challenges and. Sierra leone lion mountain was embroiled in a civil war that resulted in the death of over 50,000 civilians. The war was declared to have finished on 18 january 2002 officially. Its leader, siaka stevens, formed a new government, and when sierra leone disengaged. When your country is endowed with great riches as sierra leone is with its diamond fields, yet ranks as one of the poorest countries in the world because those riches are siphoned off by the ruling elite whilst the general population struggles to survive on a daily basis, you have a society where revolutionary ideology can rapidly take hold.
Sierra leone ratified the convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women in 1988 without reservation, but since it was emerging from an. Freetown marked the most intensive and concentrated period of human rights violations in sierra leones eightyear civil war, said peter takirambudde. He is studying history at the university of sierra leone and planning for the future. As we drove along i found myself fascinated with the deep oooooohhs and aaaahhhhss that made up her conversational speech patterns. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Inside the war provides readers with an detailed overview of the 19912002 civil war. Sengbe pieh was a mende farmer whose extraordinary courage in resisting slavery earned him a lasting place in the histories of sierra leone and the united states. Conflict diamonds in sierra leone excerpt from diamond road. The geography includes swamps, beaches, wooded hills, and mountains in the interior. History of sierra leone in 1808 sierra leone became a british crown colony, ruled under a colonial governor. In many ways, operation no living thing served as the climax of sierra leone s civil war. Sierra leone came to world attention in the 1990s when a catastrophic civil war linked to the diamond trade was reported globally. 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. Sankoh was a military corporal in the army before he was imprisoned by the apc government for his alleged involvement in an abortive military coup.
The trade in blood diamonds was the focal point of the trial, which demonstrated how natural resource exploitation can serve to fund armed conflict and lead to the abuse of human rights. History of sierra leone embassy of the republic of. Since the end of the war, the government of sierra leone has undergone the arduous task of rebuilding the countrys physical and social infrastructure while fostering reconciliation. For the first time since the aftermath of world war ii, a former head of state was indicted and found guilty of war crimes. Apr 25, 2017 civil war in sierra leone and the role of blood diamonds 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. Two million were relocated and tens of thousands died in this 11 year war. Sierra leones visceral civil war has spawned a vast literature of books and articles dealing with its causes and consequences, suggesting reform. He covered the sierra leone civil war as a journalist for inter press service. Aug, 2008 the people of kono, sierra leone have experienced the horrors of civil war and blood diamonds.