Sierra Leone Civil War

Sierra Leone was inhabited by early Africans over two thousand years ago but became part of the United Nations in 1961 when they gained their independence from the British. Sierra Leone had been a colony of Britain ever since 1808. As like the entire world, there was a great influence that came from Africa. Britain actually used Sierra Leone as a great educational ground by establishing the only University in Sub-Saharan Africa. However the British tried to over step their boundaries by…

Sierra Leone, which means “Lion Mountains”, is a very diverse country located on the west coast of Africa. Sierra Leone is impressively known for the country’s wealth in diamonds, also known as “blood diamonds” because of the blood that is shed to get these diamonds. The country is home to approximately 6.3 million people. Although English is the country’s official language, the languages of Temne, Mende, and Krio are also spoken. Sierra Leone’s inhabitant history, first contact with the…

A Vacuum of Death Greg Campbell’s Blood Diamonds is a didactic narrative of the atrocities that have pursued throughout the Sierra Leone over the natural resource of diamonds. Campbell gives vivid detail into the realities behind the beauty of diamonds through the tales of smugglers, RUF victims, and his investigative research on this valued resource. This piece illuminates the key issues of exploitation and corruption that are carried out by smugglers and rebel fighters, and fueled by…

jail sentence on charges of aiding and abetting war crimes during the brutal civil war in neighbouring Sierra Leone. In 1989 Charles Taylor stared the Liberia civil war. He was a warlord and was elected president in 1997. For six year, before he was forced into exile in Nigeria he governed Liberia. He was convicted for 11 charges of war crime and crime against humanity. This was for his alleged role in the brutal civil war in neighbouring Sierra Leone. He was accused of backing rebels that are…

In Sierra Leone of Africa, 1991, the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) began to attack villages to gain control of land and overthrow the corrupt All People’s Congress (APC). Sierra Leone took on a civil war between ruthless rebels and the army. Within time, the RUF began to grow and the question of a village being attacked was when, not if. Ishmael’s village…

transformation into a boy soldier, he was just like any other child. He was young and inexperienced. Nothing yet had prepared him for the troubles he would face in times of Sierra Leone Civil War. He attempted to maintain innocence through his childhood memories and also his sense of wonder, soon to realize the anxiety of war haunts his mind. The violence, drugs, and terror are stick in his head like a broken record. It is not until he becomes a killer that he really loses his innocence. The…

conflict diamonds started to be present and problematic in Sierra Leone as soon as DeBeers mining company took control of all diamond prospects throughout this region. Although DeBeers was keeping a moderate watch on the trading and actions being taken through it, traders from Lebanon (bordered by Syria and Israel to the south) were able to easily smuggle and mine diamonds out through the company. Later towards the 1950s, countries, such as Sierra Leone, had to give up the chance of regulating…

Genre Nonfiction: Autobiography This story was written by Ishmael, and it describes events in his life. The events take place from his early teens to his late teens. Setting The setting is Sierre Leone during the 1990’s. The story mentions towns such as: Mogbwemo, Mattru Jong, and Freetown. The setting is integral because Ishmael goes into detail about the time and place. Characters Ishmael Beah- Ishmael is both the protagonist and the antagonist of the story. He…

Ishmael Beah is a Sierra Leonean that was forced to become a soldier at a very young age. Growing up, the Rebels invaded Mogbwemo, his hometown, which caused him to be separated from his family. As a young child, he witnessed disaster take place before his eyes, day in and day out. There were rarely any moments in his life that did not cause him some form of psychological harm. Throughout the times of being a boy soldier, Ishmael was introduced to a lot of toxic things, drugs being one of the…

Once diamonds were found in Sierra Leone, they were sought out in many other countries. This proved that a certain resource can be anywhere large or small, but the concept of how and why the diamond industry or any concept, such as cotton, will erupt and diffuse if profit is evident. Yet again raising the question of why are there so many more diamonds as a resource in Sierra Leone that any other country. Scientists have proved that diamonds come from the rock kimberlite, which is stored in…