Sierra Leone CASE STUDY Geography West Coast of

Sierra Leone CASE STUDY

Geography West Coast of Africa Founded in 1961 ◦ Was not on a map in HS Bordered by Liberia and Guinea Population-5. 6 million ◦ Wisconsin-5. 7 million Area-27600 mi/sq ◦ 65560 mi/sq

Sierra Leone: As a colony and Independence British Colony ◦ Main source of slaves going to the Caribbean and SE America ◦ Back to Africa Movement—Kiro (Creole) People ◦ Introduced Protectorate and instills a frontier government ◦ Kiro people placed in leadership (Common Language) ◦ What does this mean? 1951 Universal Suffrage is Granted ◦ 1961 Declares its Freedom

“Rug is pulled out from underneath” Colony is free ◦ Too Expensive/Unjust to keep for British Military Rule (Sort of) ◦ Shortly after their own freedom, the first military coup would occur ◦ This would cause various Warlords to attempt to seek power Declared a Republic ◦ 1978 Becomes One party system (Essentially a Dictatorship) ◦ Power Struggle ensues

Civil War Wide spread Civil War erupted in the country in 1991 Foday Sankoh ◦ Former Army Corporal ◦ 1991 Begins to capture Towns along the Liberia boarder ◦ *Remember this

RUF Brutal Tactics ◦ ◦ ◦ Gangster Rap on patrols Rape Mutilation Drugs Child Soldiers Said they were fighting for a “free Sierra Leone” ◦ In reality they were putting a warlord in power through force

Child Soldiers

Child Soldiers

Child Soldiers

Destroys a Generation SIERRA LEONE UNITED STATES

RUF Falls RUF would eventually over step their own power ◦ Capture Westerners ◦ The West would take notice Great Britain would be at the center of the worldwide reaction ◦ Biggest Importer of conflict diamonds ◦ Their political failures through intervention would be a failure ◦ Said there was no problems in Sierra Leone War Fallout ◦ ◦ 2 Million Refugees 50, 000 Dead 100, 000 People Mutilated 50, 000 Child Soldiers

Diamond Trade Diamonds fueled the Civil War ◦ Smuggled across boarder into Liberia ◦ First place that the RUF would capture Kimberly process would be developed in response Sierra Leone Diamond Exports ◦ 2013: $163 Million ◦ Average person lives off of less than $1200/year ◦ One of the poorest nations in the world (208/228 recognized by CIA World factbook) https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=s 7 Ruj 5 y 9 FH 4

Follow Up Being a colony, how would Sierra Leone learn to govern itself? Why was their no outside intervention? Does the Kimberly process really work? What is the point of using child soldiers?