A Long Way Gone: Sierra Leone Background

Write the information in GREEN!

Sierra Leone Profile !  Full Name: Republic of Sierra

Leone !  Population: 5.7 million (2009) !  Capital: Freetown

!  Major Languages: English, Krio, and various African languages.

!  Major Religions: Islam and Christianity

!  Monetary Unit: Leone

!  Major Exports: Diamonds, Rutile, Cocoa, Coffee, and Fish

History of Sierra Leone ! Sierra Leone: Name means “Lion

Mountains”

!  1462: Portuguese explorers arrive in Sierra Leone, which was also already occupied by several African tribes that had migrated to the area.

!  1500s-1700s: Traders stopped in Sierra Leone to exchange cloth and metal goods for ivory, timber, and slaves. *Abolitionists later help slaves

return to Africa in what is now the “Province of Freedom” or Freetown in Sierra Leone. They came to be called Krio.

History of Sierra Leone ! 1808: Sierra Leone became a British

crown colony

!  1839: Slaves aboard the Amistad revolt to secure their freedom. Their leader is Sengbe Pieh (Joseph Cinque), a young Mende from Sierra Leone.

!  1951: A constitution is enacted by the British to begin the process of decolonization (or when a colony becomes self-governing)

!  April 27, 1961: Sierra Leone becomes independent with Sir Milton Margai as its first prime minister.

Sengbe Pieh (Joseph Cinque)

Sir Milton Margai

History of Sierra Leone !  1971: Sierra Leone was declared a

republic, and Siaka Stevens became executive president.

!  1978: Sierra Leone became a one-party state with the All People’s Congress as the sole legal party.

!  1985: Stevens retired and appointed Major General Joseph Saidu Momoh the next president. Momoh’s APC rule was marked by increased abuse of power.

Siaka Stevens

Civil War in Sierra Leone !  March 1991: The Revolutionary

United Front (RUF) began attacking villages in eastern Sierra Leone. *Goal: To rid the country of the

APC government * Rebel leader: Foday Sankoh

!  April 1992: The National Provisional Ruling Council (NPRC) was established, but it proved to be as ineffective as the APC at repelling the RUF.

!  1995: The RUF held much of the countryside in their control.

Civil War in Sierra Leone !  1996-2000: Sierra Leone tries various

campaigns to stop the RUF, including signing a peace deal in 1996 that unraveled in 1997.

!  1999: The United Nations finally became involved in the effort to disarm the rebels

!  2001: A second peace agreement was signed that allowed disarmament to begin as the government regained authority in rebel-held areas.

!  January 2002: President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah (elected in 1996) declared the civil war officially over.

Recovery in Sierra Leone !  2002: British troops left Sierra Leone and President Kabbah is reelected. ! Summer 2002: A Sierra Leone Special

Court begins holding a series of war crimes trials that lasted until 2006.

!  2003: Rebel leader Foday Sankoh died.

!  Many child soldiers, like Ishmael Beah, also had to begin a personal healing process to restore their sense of humanity and to forgive themselves.

Ishmael Beah !  At 15, UNICEF removed Beah from

fighting and helped him begin rehabilitating.

!  In 1998 he moved to the U.S. and finished high school. He graduated from Oberlin College in 2004.

!  He is a member of the Human Rights Watch Children’s Rights Division Advisory Committee and speaks on behalf of children affected by war.

!  He began the Ishmael Beah Foundation to help former child soldiers.

The Diamond Trade in Sierra Leone !  During the civil war in Sierra Leone,

people who purchased diamonds in the West unknowingly funded the mission of Foday Sankoh and the RUF

!  These diamonds came to be known as “blood diamonds” or “conflict diamonds”

!  These diamonds were specifically mined in war zones of Africa to fund the invading army’s efforts.

!  Liberia would trade weapons and training to Sierra Leone in exchange of their diamonds.

Kimberley Process Certification Scheme !  Created in 2002 to control the flow

blood diamonds. !  A Kimberley Certification must be

presented by a gems owner before it can leave the country.

!  This forces the government to keep track of the diamonds they are importing and exporting and their value.

Blood Diamonds in the U.S. !  Executive Order 13194 ( Jan 2001)

and 13213 (May 2001) specifically ban the importation of rough diamonds from Sierra Leone and Liberia.

!  Clean Diamond Trade Act (2003): U.S. recognizes that as a major consumer of diamonds, it has a responsibility to severe its ties to any diamond trade that funds war and conflict.

!  This was crucial to the success of the KPCS.