Independence in Sierra Leone

1. Independence in Sierra Leone

2. First Contact with Europe • Several tribes were living in region that is known as Sierra Leone today • 1462- Portugese explorers arrive in Sierra Leone and map out geography of region • Sierra Leone means “Lion Mountains” • 1500’s -1700’s- Traders stop in Sierra Leone to exchange cloth and metal goods for ivory, timber and slaves • 1787- British abolitionists set up the “Province of Freedom” or Freetown(capital of Sierra Leone today • Freetown was a place where freed slaves would be able to live in Africa- they become known as Krios

3. Colonization of Sierra Leone • 1808- Sierra Leone officially becomes a British colony • While the British had support from the Krios in the colony, they did have some resistance from other tribal groups in the area • 1930- Diamonds are discovered in Sierra Leone and become a major exporting product • 1951- British enact a constitution that began the decolonization process in Sierra Leone • April 27, 1961- Sierra Leone becomes independent with Sir Milton Margai as its first prime minister

4. Tensions Begin • 1971- Sierra Leone declares itself a republic and Siaka Stevens becomes the executive president • 1978-Sierra Leone becomes a one-party state will the All People’s Congress as the sole political party • 1985- Stevens retired and appointed Major General Joseph SaiduMomohu as next president • Momohu’s rule is marked with increased abuse of power

5. Civil War • The Revolutionary United Front(RUF), led by FodaySankoh, begin attacking villages in eastern Sierra Leone • Momohu’s army was unable to stop the RUF and they gain control over of key diamond mining areas in the south and east of Sierra Leone • April 1992- A coup overthrows the APC and Momohu in Sierra Leone and the National Provisional Ruling Council took control of Sierra Leone • 1995- The RUF controlled much of the countryside • April 1996- Presidental and parliamentary elections are held- Ahmad TejanKebbah becomes president of Sierra Leone

6. End of The Civil War • 1999- the United Nations finally becomes involved in disarming the rebels in Sierra Leone • 2001: The Abuja Agreements allowed for disarmament of rebel forces to begin as the Sierra Leone government began regaining control of areas held by the rebels • January 2002- President Kebbah declares the civil war officially over. • Summer 2002: A Sierra Leone Special Court begins holding a series of war crimes trials that lasted until 2006

7. Blood Diamonds • During the Civil War in Sierra Leone people who purchased diamonds in the West were unknowingly funding the RUF in Sierra Leone • These diamonds came to be known as “blood diamonds” or “conflict diamonds” • The diamonds were specifically mined in war zones of Africa to fund the efforts of the invading armies • Liberia would trade weapons and training with the RUF in exchange for diamonds.

8. Diamond Mining Countries in Africa • South Africa • Namibia • Botswana • Republic of Congo • Sierra Leone

9. Where are Diamonds Found? • Rough diamonds can either be found below the Earth’s surface through industrial mining or in river beds and streams through alluvial mining • Mining these diamonds only requires a shovel, pan and hard labor • Mining diamonds is painful work with miners often working in slave conditions • The RUF forced civilians to mine for these diamonds and used the money to buy weapons to continue the fighting

10. Conflict Free Diamonds? • Diamonds are small and easy to transport making it hard to track all diamonds leaving a given country • Diamonds from conflict regions are often mixed in with legitimate diamonds and certified as conflict free **Though many diamond experts claim that one can examine a diamond and identify its origin down to the very mine or river from which it came, others in the industry claim that smuggling and mixing diamonds from different origins makes it almost impossible to know if the diamond indeed came from a conflict area. **

11. The Kimberley Process • 2003: The Kimberley Process, a joint initiative, was introduced to help stem the flow of conflict diamonds • Voluntary initiative that requires participants to certify that shipments of rough diamonds are conflict free • The diamond industry also implemented a System of Warranties to help trace rough diamonds from mining to point of sale

12. Child Soldiers • RUF needs guns and soldiers to continue their fight • Diamonds provide money for guns • Children provide the soldiers for war • Why Children? • Impressionable • Easy to brainwash • Uneducated • Obedient • No Alternatives • No Family • Need Protection • Money • Provide Order

13. Capturing the Children • Most child soldiers are aged between 14 to 18(some countries use children as young as 7 and 8 years old) • Most are taken through abduction or force • Threaten to cut off their limbs • Jobs for children included: Messengers, Spies, Cooks, Mine Clearers and Slaves. The number of children under the age of 18 who have been coerced or induced to take up arms as child soldiers is generally thought to be in the range of 300,000.” – United Nations

14. Afghanistan A Global Issue Sri Lanka Congo Chechnya Thailand Nepal Somalia Sudan Iraq Columbia Palestine

15. World Recovery • In the past decade, over 6 million people from Sierra Leone, Angola, Liberia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have become refugees after being forced from their homes by diamond fueled conflict. An estimated 100,000 child soldiers are in use in various parts of Africa • In Sierra Leone many child soldiers had to go through a personal healing process to restore their sense of humanity and to forgive themselves • With all of the conflict diamonds roaming around the Earth, people started to put several different embargos on diamonds in Africa. Also they now have a system to identify the origin of the diamond that you purchase so you know its conflict free • Despite UN arms embargoes and diamond certification schemes such as the Kimberley Process, the struggle against child soldiers and blood diamonds will continue