Transitional Justice in West Africa

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Sierra Leone

• Sierra Leone's GDP is $4.8 billion with a per capita income of $800 (2007 est.)
• Sierra Leone is bordered by Guinea in the north, Liberia in the east, and the Atlantic Ocean on the west and south.

Ethnic Diversity

The Bulom people were thought to have been the earliest inhabitants of Sierra Leone, followed by the Mende and Temne peoples in the 15th century, and thereafter the Fulani. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to explore the land and gave Sierra Leone its name. Freetown, on the coast, was ceded to English settlers in 1787 as a home for blacks discharged from the British armed forces and also for runaway slaves who had found asylum in London.

Accordingly, about 10% of the population is Creole (Krio) - descendants of freed or escaped slaves who settled in the Freetown area in the late 18th century. The other 90% of the population is made up of 20 African ethnic groups - with 30% Mende, 30% Temne, and the other 30% being various other minority groups. There are also a significant number of refugees from Liberia's recent civil war, as well as a small number of Europeans, Lebanese, Pakistanis, and Indians.

English is the official language, though its regular use is limited to the literate minority. Mende is the principal vernacular in the south, Temne in the north. Krio (an English-based Creole language) is a first language for only 10% of the population but is understood by about 95%. The country is 60% Muslim, 10% Christian, and 30% indigenous beliefs (CIA World Factbook).

Politics

Sierra Leone became an independent nation on April 27, 1961. A military coup overthrew the civilian government in 1967, which was in turn replaced by civilian rule a year later. The country declared itself a republic in 1971. A coup attempt early in 1971 led then-prime minister Siaka Stevens to call in troops from neighboring Guinea's army, which remained for two years. Stevens turned the government into a one-party state under the aegis of the All Peoples' Congress Party in 1978. In 1992 rebel soldiers overthrew Stevens' successor, Joseph Momoh, and called for a return to a multiparty system. In 1996, another military coup ousted the country's president. Nevertheless, a multiparty presidential election proceeded in 1996 and People's Party candidate Ahmad Tejan Kabbah won with 59.4% of the vote, becoming Sierra Leone's first democratically-elected president.

But a violent military coup ousted President Kabbah's civilian government in May 1997. The leader of the coup, Lieut. Col. Johnny Paul Koroma, assumed the title of Head of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC). Koroma began a reign of terror, destroying the economy and murdering enemies. The Commonwealth of Nations demanded the reinstatement of Kabbah, and ECOMOG, the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group, sent in a Nigerian-led peacekeeping force to intervene. On March 10,1998, after ten months in exile, Kabbah resumed his rule over Sierra Leone. The ousted junta and other rebel forces continued to wage attacks, many of which included the torture, rape, and brutal maimings of thousands of civilians, including countless children. Amputation by machete was the horrific signature of the rebel group, the Revolutionary United Front (RUF). In addition to political power, the rebels sought control of Sierra Leone's rich diamond fields. They were supported with arms and money by Liberia's President Charles Taylor.

In January 1999, rebels and Liberian mercenaries stormed the capital, demanding the release of the imprisoned RUF leader, Foday Sankoh. ECOMOG forces gained control of Freetown, but President Kabbah later released Sankoh in order to allow him to participate in peace negotiations. Pressured by Nigeria and the US, among other countries, Kabbah agreed to an untenable power-sharing agreement in July 1999, which made Sankoh vice president of the country - and in charge of the diamond mines. The accord dissolved in May 2000 after the RUF abducted about 500 UN peacekeepers and attacked Freetown. Sankoh was captured and died in government custody in 2003, while awaiting trial for war crimes. The conflict was officially declared over in January 2002.

Part Two - Transitional Justice in Sierra Leone

Additional Resources

Sierra Leone Timeline

Sierra Leone ICTJ Activity (International Center for Transitional Justice)

The Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone - Another African Diamond War

Sierra Leone Country Presentation (CDD/CI Workshop, February 2008)

State Department Human Rights Report 2007 - Sierra Leone