The war has ended today, but it is clear that things are hardly settled. The conflict in sierra leone and the engagement of the united nations the conflict in sierra leone dates from march 1991 when fighters of the revolutionary united front ruf launched a war from the east of the country near the border with liberia to overthrow the government. A new book written by kalamazoo college associate professor of history joseph bangura promotes new perspectives on the formation and social history of sierra leone. Beah was 12 years old when he fled his village after it was attacked by rebels, and he wandered the warfilled country until brainwashed by an army unit that forced him to use guns and drugs. Love and survival in sierra leone, bolten explored the survival efforts of makeni community members following sierra leones civil war and the subsequent fouryear occupation of the town by rebel forces 19982002. Inside the war provides readers with an detailed overview of the 19912002 civil war. Because of their refusal to dislodge the rebels, makeni citizens received little.
The definitive book on the sierra leone civil war about the book sierra leone. Apr 20, 2011 sierra leones ability to avoid political unrest ended in 1990 when a civil war broke out. Professor jones was a sierra leonean academic and literary critic known for his book othellos countrymen. War and the crisis of youth in sierra leone is among the rare breed of books, essential for scholars and policy analysts, that is sure to make waves for all of the right reasons. Once identified as a source of the new barbarism, it has also become a proving ground for western interventions in the war against terrorism. A study of africa in the elizabethan and jacobean drama. Inside the war provides readers with an detailed overview of the 19912002 civil cluding descriptions of sierra leones culture and prewar history, a yearbyyear account of the civil war, and narratives from 30 people who describe their experiences as both civilians and fighters. Its land yields diamonds, gold, bauxite, and rutile titanium dioxide.
Sierra leone came to world attention in the 1990s when a catastrophic civil war linked to the diamond trade was reported globally. It is this unusual lens that makes the war machine s so thoughtprovoking, even for those intimately familiar with the mano river war, and hoffman provides enough. Inside the war provides readers with an detailed overview of the 19912002 civil cluding descriptions of sierra leones culture and prewar history, a yearbyyear account. Sierra leone has lost a great patriot professor eldred. It entails the history of sierra leone from its days as a slave harbor through to its founding as a home for free slaves. This is the most authoritative study of the sierra leone civil war to emanate from africa, or indeed any publications programme on africa. Best on sierra leone 14 books meet your next favorite book. Sierra leone is no place to be young the new york times.
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 in an attempt to overthrow the joseph momoh government. This book is a historical narrative of sierra leone from the midfifteenth century to the end of its civil war in 2002. Ravaged by war one of the most challenging effects of the civil war that childfund and other organizations have faced is the reintegration of former refugees into sierra. The book discusses some of the forces that have tended to unite and disintegrate the nation, paying particular attention to the deeds and misdeeds of the political elite. Once divided and devastated by an 11year civil war, sierra leoneans now draw on ancient traditions of addressing issues within the safety of the family circle to make their communities whole again. Ishmael beah is a graduate of oberlin college with a b. Beah was 12 years old when he fled his village after it was attacked by rebels, and he wandered the war filled country until brainwashed by an army unit that forced him to use guns and drugs. 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 government military and civilian targets.
Based on a wealth of original interviews with perpetrators of violence in sierra leones civil war, this book provides a detailed response. Memoirs of a boy soldier has been published in over thirty. The search for africas fighting spirit by tim butcher, a long way gone by ishmael beah, sierra leone by k. Published books the sierra leonean writers series slws. From 1991 to 2002, sierra leone was embroiled in a devastating civil war, fought primarily between the revolutionary united front ruf and sierra leone army sla.
Hoffmans book is at once a tightlywound first person account of life amongst sierra leones lumpen proletariat and an impressive work of economic and cultural theory. Understanding atrocity in the sierra leone civil war hurst publishers. 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. War and the crisis of youth in sierra leone the international. 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. The conventional diplomatic approach to sierra leones civil war is that it has been a contest between two clearly. The united nations presence in sierra leone has made that country a subject of international attention to an unprecedented degree.
The ruf and the destruction of sierra leone gberie, lansana. Fambul tok, krio for family talk, emerged from the unique approach to community reconciliation pioneered in sierra leone. President bio and vice president jalloh together with officials from ministries, departments, and agencies, donated 3 months of their salaries to eliminate school fees for more than 2 million students in primary and secondary education. 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. War and the crisis of youth in sierra leone by krijn peters. The book is a firsthand account of beahs time as a child soldier during the civil war in sierra leone 1990s. It collected a lot of information about the recent history of sierra leone and about the war and its causes and consequences. The amazing story of sierra leone, with jariatu sesay, by.
It is bordered by liberia to the southeast and guinea to the northeast. Inside the war provides readers with an detailed overview of the 19912002 civil cluding descriptions of sierra leones culture and prewar history, a yearbyyear account of the civil war, and narratives from 30 people who describe their experiences as both civilians and fighters written after the 2012 conviction of liberian warlord charles taylor for crimes committed. Nov 05, 2017 from 1991 to 2002, sierra leone was embroiled in a devastating civil war, fought primarily between the revolutionary united front ruf and sierra leone army sla. Online shopping for sierra leone from a great selection at books store. However, he also delves into the historical reasons for division in this particular country. The brutality of that civil war in sierra leone is on a par with the worst atrocities of the 20th century. A dirty war in west africa recounts lansana gberies harrowing experiences as a journalist during the decadelong civil war in sierra leone. This lesson will briefly summarize the sierra leone civil war, how and why it started, and the key events of sierra leone s civil war from its beginning in 1991 to its end in 2002. Civil war crippled sierra leone between 1991 and 2002, forcing the displacement of half of the estimated 4. On the other, the aftermath of the war precipitated a huge inter national effort to construct a liberal peace, with mixed results. 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. Although sierra leone is one of the few countries that is rich in some precious natural resources such as diamonds and rare minerals, this country has been continuously dealing with povertyrelated issues. Twelve years of nearly continuous civil war finally ended in freetown and sierra leone in 2002. In the war machines, danny hoffman considers how young men are made available for violent labor both on the battlefields and in the diamond mines, rubber plantations, and other unregulated industries of west africa.
It will become a classic for its sober and measured analysis that challenges conventional wisdom and for bringing a critical analysis to bear on the words and actions. Although most of the population is engaged in subsistence agriculture, sierra leone is also a mining centre. The war destroyed much of the citys infrastructure and economy. Adoption of the constitution of 1978 created a oneparty republic based on the all peoples congress. Continuing ethnic violence in the countryside however, forced a mass immigration of people into freetown. The 32 best sierra leone civil war books, such as salone, no tears, what rebels want, the war machines and soldiers of light. Once divided and devastated by an 11year civil war, sierra leoneans now draw on ancient traditions of addressing issues within the safety of. It concludes with an analysis of the major challenges facing sierra leone in the postconflict period, as well as the prospects for building a progressive, democratic. It is bordered by the atlantic ocean in the west, by guinea in the north and east, and by liberia in the south. A collection of essays by sierra leonean intellectuals promises a less eurocentric agenda and a more localized inquiry into the causes and course of the sierra leone civil war. Sierra leone is an african country that has recently come out of a civil war that led to the countrys severe and persistent poverty issue.
But the wars aftermath with its environment in which christians and muslims regularly pray together for peace embodies a story of healing and forgiveness unequaled in any time or place. Stephen ellis, desmond tutu professor, free university, amsterdam and author of external mission. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. K professor bangura releases book on sierra leone news. Exchild soldiers literary bestseller is factually flawed. Findings on the worst forms of child labor 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. It became the second permanent african american settlement in africa, after freetown, sierra leone. Eldred jones led a remarkable and distinguished life personally and professionally, but also contributed to the social and educational developments in sierra leone over the best part of a century. Chosen by british abolitionists as a colony for freed african slaves, sierra leone became one of the most diverse colonies in all of africa. Life and war in sierra leone in a novel, aminatta forna writes about the effects of sierra leone s civil war on the countrys women. The book is clearly written and accessible, although i found myself. The ebola crisis has had a huge impact on children in particular, creating many thousands of orphans and disrupting education services, with all schools closed for.
African agency in the making of a british colony promotes new perspectives on the formation and social history of sierra leone. It explores the genesis of the crisis, the contradictory roles of different internal and external actors, civil society and the media. The constitution of 1971 made sierra leone a republic within the commonwealth. Free slaves, freetown, and the sierra leonean civil war joseph. He is currently completing a novel set in his home country of sierra leone. New book explores generational preconceptions in postwar. Sierra leone has a tropical climate with a diverse environment ranging from savanna to rainforests, a. List of books and articles about sierra leone history. Oct 25, 2012 the sierra leone civil war was the result of varied interactions between structural problems in sierra leone society which increased grievances among people and, accordingly, led to the emergence of the ruf.
Land sierra leones 350mi 560km atlantic coastline is made up of a belt. As a chief port city of sierra leone, freetown is the commercial center for trade in platinum, gold, diamonds, and oil. 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. Life and war in sierra leone in a novel, aminatta forna writes about the effects of sierra leones civil war on the countrys women.
Her gift for storytelling about their lives, as sierra leone was gripped by civil war, has added to this highly individual book. Jan 20, 2008 civil war crippled sierra leone between 1991 and 2002, forcing the displacement of half of the estimated 4. Fermes three decades of ethnographic engagements to examine the physical and psychological aftereffects of the harms of sierra leones civil war. The sierra leone civil war may be a distant memory to some, but its social effects as well as psychological and emotional scars are still fresh for many children and families. 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. Internal conflict crippled the country from the late 1980s onward, culminating in a brutal civil war that took place from 1991 to 2002. This civil war garnered international attention for its blatant use of child soldiers and for the skyrocketing of child soldiers in sierra leone. Memoirs of a boy soldier by ishmael beah, the memory of love by aminatta forna, radiance of tomorrow by i. In 2005, the report, comprising four books of almost 2000 pages, was made available to the public.
Memoirs of a boy soldier 2007 is a memoir written by ishmael beah, an author from sierra leone. Facts about child soldiers in sierra leone borgen project. Based on his ethnographic research with militia groups in sierra leone and liberia during those countries recent civil wars, hoffman traces the path of young fighters who moved. Sierra leone is rebuilding its economy following the longterm repercussions of the devastating civil war and the more recent ebola crisis, during which nearly 4,000 lives were lost. The sierra leone civil war was the result of varied interactions between structural problems in sierra leone society which increased grievances among people and, accordingly, led to the emergence of the ruf. It took some doing, but on april 25, 1822, this group moved off the lowlying islands and took possession of the highlands behind cape mesurado, thereby founding presentday monrovia, which was named after u. He is a unicef ambassador and advocate for children affected by war.
Sierra leone colony and protectorate hut tax war of 1898 fourah bay college njala university bai bureh sierra leone 19611971 operation khukri sierra leone civil war operation palliser special court for sierra leone sierra leone selection trust ethnic groups limba people temne people national reformation council music of sierra leone sports. This book goes more deeply into an understanding of ruf fighters their beliefs and their atrocities than previous studies. Time magazine named the book as one of the top ten nonfiction books of 2007, ranking it at number three. Since 1991, this west african nation has been brought to its knees by a series of coups, violent conflicts, and finally, outright war. Popular sierra leone books meet your next favorite book. Although diamonds seemingly played a significant role in financing the war once it started, diamonds more likely contributed to corrupting. The anc in exile, 19601990 kieran mittons readable book seeks to explain atrocity in the sierra leone civil war, rather than the causal factors of the war which occupy much of the literature, and presents a new and very plausible thesis to. This fleeting interest, however, obscured much of the longer history of the region, and made sierra leone a laboratory for postcold war interventions. Free slaves, freetown, and the sierra leonean civil war. Virtually unnoticed in the catalogue of horrors emanating from sierra leones brutal civil war is the forcible conscription of children, some as young as 7 years old. This civil war garnered international attention for its blatant use of child soldiers and for the skyrocketing of. In 2018, sierra leone made a minimal advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labor. Indeed, ibrahim abdullahs incisive introduction to this volume wastes no time in inveighing against the outlandish explanations that such scholars as chabal, deloz. Freetown, and the sierra leonean civil war african histories and modernities joseph kaifala.
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