Sierra Leone

Overview

Unfortunately, Sierra Leone has been ravaged by internal wars the last couple of years. This diamond rich small country in West Africa has been on the news more often than most travelers like - and most of the news coverage was about hands cut off and refugees.

Things are starting to look up again. The security situation is a lot better than a few years ago (the only was up, though) and travelers are checking things out again. Freetown the capital. It is by far the city with the best infrastructure, there are some nice restaurants run by Lebanese immigrants. Good beaches are nearby.

Sierra Leone became a British colony in the 1780's and remained so until independence in 1961. It remained as a realm of Queen Elizabeth II represented by a Governor General, until it became a republic with a President as head of state in 1971.

History

The 1991 to 2002 civil war between the government and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of more than 2 million people (about one-third of the population), many of whom are now refugees in neighboring countries. With the support of the UN peacekeeping force and contributions from the World Bank and international community, demobilization and disarmament of the RUF and Civil Defense Forces (CDF) combatants has been completed. National elections were held in May 2002 and the government continues to slowly reestablish its authority. However, the gradual withdrawal of most UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) peacekeepers in 2004 and early 2005, deteriorating political and economic conditions in Guinea, and the tenuous security situation in neighboring Liberia may present challenges to the continuation of Sierra Leone's stability.