First, as widely known through the recent conviction of taylor, the civil war in sierra leone cannot be explained separately from the liberian civil war. The amazing story of sierra leone, with jariatu sesay, by. This fleeting interest, however, obscured much of the longer history of the region, and made sierra leone a laboratory for postcold war interventions. Jun 21, 2017 eleanor massah is a civil war amputee in sierra leone and was 9 yrs old when she lost her leg in a landmine incident. She then attended college in the united states, where she remained during sierra leones decadelong civil war, trying to awaken the international community to her countrys need for help. He illuminates the social logics at play and clarifies the motives behind their constitution, conflict engagement, and conciliation. 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. More than a decade later, they share their stories, and. Between 1991 and 2002, sierra leone was heavily damaged by a tremendously violent civil war.
The 26 best sierra leone civil war books, such as no tears, what rebels want, the war machines, soldiers of light and surviving civil war. In early may 2000, the revolutionary united front rufone of the main parties to the civil waradvanced. 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. Except for the sound of the rain, on the road, on the roofs, on the umbrella, there was absolute silence. The sierra leone civil war 19912002 was a civil war in sierra leone that began on 23. Jonathon torgovnik wrote about eight women that he interviewed after the war had ended in his book. The book is a firsthand account of beahs time as a child soldier during the civil war in sierra leone 1990s. Sierra leones civil war internally displaced as many as 2 million people, or almost half the population, and forced almost another half million to seek refuge in neighboring countries 370,000. The armed conflict in sierra leone and the extreme violence of the main rebel. 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. Sierra leone s civil war internally displaced as many as 2 million people, or almost half the population, and forced almost another half million to seek refuge in neighboring countries 370,000 sierra leoneans fled to guinea and 120,000 to liberia. The capital of the country is freetown, which was founded for former repatriated slaves in 1787. Diamond miners in sierra leone sifting through the sand in search of diamonds. Peters sheds light on the ruf militia and the role they played during the sierra leonean civil war.
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 armed conflict in sierra leone human rights watch. The war was declared to have finished on 18 january 2002 officially. He covered the sierra leone civil war as a journalist for inter press service. Inside the war provides readers with an detailed overview of the 19912002 civil war.
This is the most authoritative study of the sierra leone civil war to emanate from africa, or indeed any publications programme on africa. Free slaves, freetown, and the sierra leonean civil war african. A message from a blood diamond victim sierra leones civil. 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. Sierra leone came to world attention in the 1990s when a catastrophic civil war linked to the diamond trade was reported globally. Interesting facts about sierra leone and its civil war. Free slaves, freetown, and the sierra leonean civil war. The book is clearly written and accessible, although i found myself referencing an. It collected a lot of information about the recent history of sierra leone and about the war and its causes and consequences. Underlying grievances and the role of the revolutionary united front the root of the conflict is and remains diamonds, diamonds and diamonds. War and the crisis of youth in sierra leone by krijn peters.
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. Ibrahim kamara 2000 to the economist, this is war motivated by greed. Similarly, a 2015 retrospective on barras in the independent talks up its epic importance in having rescued sierra leone from a hell on earth the piece never even mentions the ruf. Aug, 2008 the people of kono, sierra leone have experienced the horrors of civil war and blood diamonds. 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. A former child soldier imagines tomorrow in sierra leone ishmael beah was 12 when he was orphaned by sierra leones civil war and recruited as a child soldier. The civil war of sierra leone started because the government needed diamonds to make money for the country so they made children as young as. Oct 20, 2012 the civil war of sierra leone started because the government needed diamonds to make money for the country so they made children as young as 5 years old to work in the diamond mines dig in search. Why we work in sierra leone sierra leone is rebuilding its economy following the longterm repercussions of the devastating civil war and the more recent ebola crisis, during which nearly 4,000 lives were lost. As we drove along i found myself fascinated with the deep oooooohhs and aaaahhhhss that made up her conversational speech patterns. Aug 07, 2015 sierra leones trc describes the violence during the civil war thus. Since 1991, this west african nation has been brought to its knees by a series of coups, violent conflicts, and finally, outright war.
In 2005, the report, comprising four books of almost 2000 pages, was made available to the public. Exchild soldiers literary bestseller is factually flawed. Sierra leone has been a source of and destination for refugees. The sierra leone civil war sierra leone was ravaged by a civil war that started in 1991 and lasted until 2002. Till 1961, it was a part of the british colonial empire. Cynthia was originally from sierra leone, and i loved the way those two dusky words rolled off her tongue. She is a beneficiary of melqosh mission international rendering a heartfelt. Sierra leones civil war internally displaced as many as 2 million people, or almost half the population, and forced almost another half million to seek refuge in neighboring countries 370,000 sierra leoneans fled to guinea and 120,000 to liberia. She then attended college in the united states, where she remained during sierra leone s decadelong civil war, trying to awaken the international community to her countrys need for help. Download citation free slaves, freetown, and the sierra leonean civil war this book is a historical narrative of sierra leone from the midfifteenth century to the end of its civil war in 2002. British military intervention in the sierra leone civil war. Civil war in sierra leone and the role of blood diamonds. Her gift for storytelling about their lives, as sierra leone was gripped by civil war, has added to this highly individual book.
Eldred jones led a remarkable and distinguished life personally and professionally, but also contributed to the social and educational developments in. The people of kono, sierra leone have experienced the horrors of civil war and blood diamonds. Sierra leone is a country located towards the northwest side of the african continent. Based on a wealth of original interviews with perpetrators of violence in sierra leones civil war, this book provides a detailed response. During the war an estimated 50,000 sierra leoneans were killed, over one million were displaced from their. The ebola crisis has had a huge impact on children in particular, creating many thousands of orphans and disrupting education services. The search for africas fighting spirit by tim butcher, a long way gone by ishmael beah, sierra leone by k. In sierra leones civil war, young girls were captured, raped, forced to take up arms and kill innocent civilians. Memoirs of a boy soldier 2007 is a memoir written by ishmael beah, an author from 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. It began in march 1991, as the revolutionary united front ruf. Interesting facts about sierra leone and its civil war a.
Oct 25, 2012 though it was originally a civil war, the bloody conflict in sierra leone was also closely intertwined with varied external factors prevalent in west african politics. Sierra leone lion mountain was embroiled in a civil war that resulted in the death of over 50,000 civilians. A dirty war in west africa recounts lansana gberies harrowing experiences as a journalist during the decadelong civil war in sierra leone. War and the crisis of youth in sierra leone is a work of unique empirical depth and ethnographic knowledge. Sierra leones trc describes the violence during the civil war thus. A political history rebels in a rotten state is an important and interesting addition to the remarkably vast, and growing, literature on the war in sierra leone.
War and the crisis of youth in sierra leone the international. 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. 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 war has ended today, but it is clear that things are hardly settled. 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. Aug 31, 2016 a decade on, the guardian cast it as the last significant event in sierra leones long civil war, suggesting that it tied up all loose ends. 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. A former child soldier imagines tomorrow in sierra leone. A long way gone sierra leone civil war buy study guide the sierra leone civil war began in 1991 with the attacks of the revolutionary united front ruf, led by former army corporal foday sankoh, on government military and civilian targets. Conflict diamonds in sierra leone excerpt from diamond. Beginning in march 1991, driven by the desire to overthrow the current government, oust corrupt politicians, and redistribute the resources of sierra leone, the.
Two million were relocated and tens of thousands died in this 11 year war. May 20, 2014 interesting facts about sierra leone and its civil war. Sierra leone has lost a great patriot professor eldred. It is distinguished by its careful and learned attention to the causes and nature of. Conflict diamonds in sierra leone excerpt from diamond road. 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. 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. Jan 20, 2008 it claims that the orphan and teenage survivor of sierra leone s civil war, in which tens of thousands of people were massacred and much of the population displaced, appears mistaken about the. Reports emerged of indiscriminate amputations, abductions of women and children, recruitment of children as combatants, rape, sexual slavery, cannibalism, gratuitous killings and wanton destruction of villages and towns. 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. Free slaves, freetown, and the sierra leonean civil war joseph. Best on sierra leone 14 books goodreads share book.
A decade on, the guardian cast it as the last significant event in sierra leones long civil war, suggesting that it tied up all loose ends. It claims that the orphan and teenage survivor of sierra leones civil war, in which tens of thousands of people were massacred and much of the population displaced, appears. During the war an estimated 50,000 sierra leoneans were killed, over one million were displaced from their homes, and thousands were victims of brutal amputations, rapes, and assaults human rights. It explores the genesis of the crisis, the contradictory roles of different internal and external actors, civil society and the media. David harris, lecturer in african studies, university of bradford, author of sierra leone. Jariatu sesay, of mamas mothers against military advancement, grew up in sierra leone, africa. The united kingdom began a military intervention in sierra leone on 7 may 2000 under the codename operation palliser. It was in the year 1991, when the civil war in sierra leone was started by the revolutionary united front led by foday sankoh. From the series diamond road, produced by kensington communications. This book is a historical narrative of sierra leone from the midfifteenth century to the end of its civil war in 2002. War and the crisis of youth in sierra leone is among the rare breed of books. Eleanor massah is a civil war amputee in sierra leone and was 9 yrs old when she lost her leg in a landmine incident. Civil war devastated sierra leone in the 1990s, and today it is the poorest country in the world.
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