About Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea in the north, Liberia in the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean in the southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of 71,740 km2 (27,699 sq mi) and has a population estimated at 6.4 million. The country has a tropical climate, with a diverse environment ranging from savannah to rainforests.
Freetown is the capital, seat of the central government, and largest city. Bo is the second largest city. Other major cities in the country with a population over 100,000 are Kenema, Koidu Town and Makeni. The country is home to Fourah Bay College, the oldest university in West Africa, established in 1827. The Njala University in the country's second largest city of Bo is the other major university in the country. Sierra Leone is home to the third largest natural harbours in the world, the Queen Elizabeth II Quay (also known as the QE II Quay and locally as the Deep Water Quay or Government Warf).
English is the official language of Sierra Leone spoken at schools, government administration and by the media. The Krio language (a language derived from English and several African languages and native to the Sierra Leone Krio people) is the national language of Sierra Leone and is the most widely spoken language in virtually all parts of Sierra Leone. The Krio language is spoken by 97% of Sierra Leone's population and unites all the different ethnic groups, especially in their trade and interaction with each other. Sierra Leone is officially home to fifteen ethnic groups, each with its own language and costume; however, the two largest are the Mende and Temne, each comprises 30% of the population. The Mende are predominantly found in South-eastern Sierra Leone and the Temne predominate in Northern Sierra Leone. The two ethnic groups are major rivals, particularly in politics.
Early inhabitants of Sierra Leone included the Sherbro, Temne and Limba, and Tyra peoples, and later the Mende, who knew the country as Romarong, and the Kono who settled in the East of the country. In 1462, it was visited by the Portuguese explorer Pedro da Cintra, who gave it its name Serra de Leão, meaning 'Lion Mountains'.
Sierra Leone became an important centre of the transatlantic trade in human beings (i.e., slaves), until 1792 when Freetown was founded by the Sierra Leone Company as a home for formerly enslaved African Americans. In 1808, Freetown became a British Crown Colony, and in 1896, the interior of the country became a British Protectorate; in 1961, the two combined and gained independence.
Over two decades of government neglect of the interior followed by the spilling over of the Liberian conflict into its borders eventually led to the Sierra Leone Civil War, which began in 1991 and was resolved in 2000 after the United Nations led by Nigeria defeated the rebel forces and restored the civilian government elected in 1998 to Freetown.
Since then, almost 72,500 former combatants have been disarmed and the country has reestablished a functioning democracy. The Special Court for Sierra Leone was set up in 2002 to deal with war crimes and crimes against humanity committed since 1996.
Sierra Leone is the lowest ranked country on the Human Development Index and seventh lowest on the Human Poverty Index, suffering from endemic corruption and suppression of the press.
The Sierra Leone Civil War began in 1991, by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) under Foday Sankoh. Tens of thousands died and more than 2 million people (well over one-third of the population) were displaced because of the 11-year conflict. Neighboring countries became host to significant numbers of refugees attempting to escape the civil war. It was officially declared over on 18 January 2002.
Origins and Causes
Control of Sierra Leone's diamond industry was a primary objective for the war. Although endowed with abundant natural resources, Sierra Leone was ranked as the poorest country in the world by 1998. With the breakdown of all state structures, wide corridors of Sierra Leonean society were opened up to the trafficking of arms and ammunition, and an illegal trade in recreational drugs from Liberia and Guinea.
Beginning of the civil war
The RUF launched its first campaign into eastern Kailahun (Sierra Leone) from Liberia on March 23, 1991. In the four months following, about 107,000 refugees fled the conflict into Guinea. Foday Sankoh was head of the military wing of the RUF. According to Sierra Leone and writer Abdul Koroma, the rebels were quick to demonstrate their brutality, decapitating community leaders and putting their heads on stakes.
Forced recruitment of children was also a later feature of the government strategy. The intellectuals in the RUF opposed the methods being used, but within the first year of the rebellion these individuals had been eliminated as Sankoh took over the movement. Among the victims were two of Sankoh's allies.
End of the Civil War
After the events of May 2000, a new cease-fire was necessary to reinvigorate the peace process. This agreement was signed November of that year in Abuja. However, Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration did not resume, and fighting continued. In late 2000, Guinean forces entered Sierra Leone to attack RUF bases from which attacks had been launched against Liberian dissidents in Guinea. A second Abuja Agreement, in May 2001, set the stage for a resumption of DDR on a wide scale and a significant reduction in hostilities. As disarmament progressed, the government began to reassert its authority in formerly rebel-held areas. By early 2002, some 72,000 ex-combatants had been disarmed and demobilized, although many still awaited re-integration assistance (Cooper 2004, 110, Bell 2005). On 18 January 2002 President Kabbah declared the civil war officially over.
http://www.who.int/countries/sle/en/
