Sierra Leone Research Paper

Sierra Leone is a petite country located on the west coast of Africa. Sierra Leone is bordered by Guinea, Liberia, and the Atlantic Ocean. The most common language here is Kiro; it is a mix of English and a variety of African languages. Sierra Leone has multiple large resources like diamonds, chromite, and rutile. Also Sierra Leone was home to a bloody and costly civil war. The civil war in Sierra Leone began on March 23, 1991 and lasted until January 18, 2002. The Revolutionary United Front (RUF) decided it was time to try and overthrow Joseph Momoh, and with the help of Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) it was made possible. By the time the war was finished, over fifty thousand people had lost their lives and countless

Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 8 Oct. 2015. .) In 1985 Stevens retired and he chose Joseph Saidu Momoh as his successor. Just becoming president Momoh was aware that corruption was putting the economy in a downward spiral. In 1991 the fighting in Liberia finally got into Sierra Leone. Momoh sent troops to the border to fight the Liberian rebels. Sierra Leones army came to be under attack by the NPFL and the RUF. This was the beginning of a long brutal civil war. In April of 1992 Momoh was deposed in a coup led by Capt. Strasser who said poor conditions the troops had to live through while fighting the rebels was a reason for ousting Momoh. ("Sierra Leone | History - Geography." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia

There are iron ore reserves, however they are not commercially mined any more. ( "Mano River Minerals CO :::." Mano River Minerals CO :::. Web. 8 Oct. 2015. .) Diamonds are mined by a few private companies and multiple private prospectors. The National Diamond Mining Company (Diminco) also mined diamonds until 1995. ("Mano River Minerals CO :::." Mano River Minerals CO :::. Web. 8 Oct. 2015. .) Many diamonds are found in river beds. The diamond trade has fallen ff since the 1960’s dues to smuggling and lack of resources. Much of the diamond region was left in the hands of rebel forces throughout the 1990s and early 21st century, basically giving them a way to fund the war. The trading of these so-called “blood” or “conflict” diamonds was a huge problem in Sierra Leone and many African countries. The United Nations Security Council passed a resolution in July 2000 that banned the import of uncertified rough diamonds from Sierra Leone. The ban was lifted in June 2003. The privately owned Sierra Leone Development Company mined iron ore at Marampa from 1933 to 1975. In 1981 the government reopened the mine at Marampa under the management of an Austrian company but soon encountered financial difficulties and suspended operations in 1985. Rutile, found in the southwest, was exploited beginning in the mid-1960s by Sherbro Minerals