From the young boys i met in the demobilization camps in sierra leone to the suicide bombers of palestine and chechnya, to the young terrorists who fly planes into the world trade center and the pentagon, we can no longer afford to ignore them. Mariatu kamaras inspiring story of how she survived. Understanding atrocity in the sierra leone civil war. 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. Free slaves, freetown, and the sierra leonean civil war joseph. 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. 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. United nations peacekeeping forces two besttrained and equipped armies, jordanians and indians, are preparing to leave, even as. Sierra leone has been a source of and destination for refugees. The difficulties in the country were compounded in march 1991 when conflict in neighbouring liberia spilled over the border into sierra leone. Conflict profile sierra leone 1991 2001 the decadelong war in sierra leone began in 1991 as a revolt against a longstanding dictatorship. A dirty war in west africa indiana university press. 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. By 1991, sierra leone had a corrupt government and openly illicit diamond trading and was a vulnerable and attractive site for armed rebellion.
War and the crisis of youth in sierra leone is a work of unique empirical depth and ethnographic knowledge. It collected a lot of information about the recent history of sierra leone and about the war and its causes and consequences. Free slaves, freetown, and the sierra leonean civil war african. 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 momah. United front sierra leone rufsl banner, and engaged the state in a civil war that lasted from 1991 to 2002. Underlying grievances and the role of the revolutionary united front the root of the conflict is and remains diamonds, diamonds and diamonds. Memoirs of a boy soldier 2007 is a memoir written by ishmael beah, an author from sierra leone. Rebels in a rotten state is an important and interesting addition to the remarkably vast, and growing, literature on the war in sierra leone. This fleeting and particular interest, however, obscured two. On march 23, a civil war began when the revolutionary united front, a group of 100 fighters from sierra leone and liberia, invaded east sierra leone. Since 1991, this west african nation has been brought to its knees by a series of coups, violent conflicts, and finally, outright war. The first post civil war elections were held in may 2002, with kabbah winning reelection with a majority of the vote.
Inside the war provides readers with an detailed overview of the 19912002 civil war. A dirty war in west africa recounts lansana gberies harrowing experiences as a journalist during the decadelong civil war in sierra leone. Ibrahim kamara 2000 to the economist, this is war motivated by greed. Hayward, a higher education specialist has described sierra leone. He covered the sierra leone civil war as a journalist for inter press service. We have to take concrete steps to remove the causes of their rage. This book is a historical narrative of sierra leone from the midfifteenth century to the end of its civil war in 2002. Taylor received a portion of sierra leones diamond wealth. 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. In the 1860s, as america waged civil war, several thousand african americans sought greater freedom. The civil war in sierra leone was declared over in january 2002, after 11 years. The rebel group, national patriotic front of liberia npfl, led by charles taylor, provided arms and cash to the ruf.
Fatima and abdul are separated during the war in sierra leone. 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. Jonathon torgovnik wrote about eight women that he interviewed after the war had ended in his book. 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. Sierra leone civil war 19912002 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. The definitive book on the sierra leone civil war about the book sierra leone. War and the crisis of youth in sierra leone by krijn peters. This fleeting interest, however, obscured much of the longer history of the region, and made sierra leone a laboratory for postcold war interventions. It is distinguished by its careful and learned attention to the causes and nature of the atrocities of the war, rather than to the war.
Civil war devastated sierra leone in the 1990s, and today it is the poorest country in the world. The sierra leone civil war 19912002 was a civil war in sierra leone that began on 23. This is the most authoritative study of the sierra leone civil war to emanate from africa, or indeed any publications programme on africa. Exchild soldiers literary bestseller is factually flawed the dates dont add up, say critics of acclaimed book by orphaned survivor of sierra leone s war barbara mcmahon in sydney.
Free slaves, freetown, and the sierra leonean civil war. It explores the genesis of the crisis, the contradictory roles of different internal and external actors, civil society and the media. The latter group bonded under the revolutionary united front sierra leone rufsl banner, and engaged the state in a civil war that lasted from 1991 to 2002. History of sierra leone s civil war many african countries such as angola, democratic republic of the congo, republic of the congo, and liberia have suffered from devastating civil wars induced by rebel. The civil war has carved deep scars into sierra leone s society, which will take generations to heal before the shadow of past carnage can be forgotten. Momoh responded by deploying troops to the border region to repel the incursion of liberian rebels known as the national patriotic front of liberia. Sierra leone is still teetering on brink of war or collapse. 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. 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. 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.
Exchild soldiers literary bestseller is factually flawed. War and the crisis of youth in sierra leone the international african library book 41. The sierra leone rebel leader who refused to disarm. They both, unknown to the other, end up in london and after 10 years, when they are each with someone else, fate causes their paths to cross. In free slaves, freetown, and the sierra leonean civil war, joseph kaifala provides a readable narrative historical account of various periods in sierra leone s history from the fifteenth. 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 taylor s national patriotic front of liberia npfl, intervened in sierra leone in an attempt to overthrow the joseph momoh government. It was in the year 1991, when the civil war in sierra leone was started by the revolutionary united front led by foday sankoh. In his book, awardwinning journalist greg campbell explores the role of diamonds during sierra leones civil war and how the big names in the industry, such. This book is a historical narrative covering various periods in sierra leone s history from the fifteenth century to the end of its civil war in 2002.
Sierra leone came to world attention in the 1990s when a catastrophic civil war linked to the diamond trade was reported globally. Sold far and wide to fund the war efforts, the countrys diamonds particular would come to be known as blood or conflict diamonds. Jennifer diggins offers a dynamic account of post war sierra leone. Caryl phillips travels to the capital, freetown, and meets the writers struggling to make a living. History of sierra leones civil war hands for africa.
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