How the diamond trade is enslaving millions of africans. Diamonds and the struggle for democracy sierra leones bitter experience with civil war garnered international attention only after the may 1997 coup, though the conflict between the revolutionary united front ruf and successive governments has raged for at least a decade against the backdrop of more than three decades of. Several useful and insightful texts on sierra leones civil conflict include john hirshs sierra leone. Diamonds and the struggle for democracy international peace academy occasional paper series by john l. Sierra leone is known for its blood diamonds that were mined and sold to diamond conglomerates during the civil war, to buy the weapons that fuelled its atrocities. These blood diamonds are smuggled out of west africa and sold to legitimate diamond merchants in london, antwerp, and new york, often with the complicity of the international diamond industry.
This brief but useful account of sierra leones decline, from a promising colony to a brutalized failed state, explains the sequence of events, errors, and reversals by which the country reached its present nadir. Dec 15, 2001 sierra leone s bitter experience with civil war garnered international attention only after the may 1997 coup, though the conflict between the revolutionary united front ruf and successive governments has raged for at least a decade against the backdrop of more than three decades of progressive state collapse. Members of our group visited 20 polling centers and 80 polling stations. The three most senior surviving leaders, issa sesay, morris kallon and augustine gbao, were convicted in february 2009 of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Diamonds and the struggle for democracy international peace academy occasional paper series at. In the 1970s and early 1980s, economic growth rate slowed because of a decline in the mining sector and increasing corruption among government officials. Most of the diamond extraction in sierra leone is alluvial diamond mining. Talinibeanie kiva the website of a foreignowned diamond mining company in sierra leone states, our diamonds doing good. John hirsch traces sierra leones downward spiral in this book, drawing on his firsthand experience as us amabassador in freetown in 1995 1998.
Diamonds and the struggle for democracy international peace academy occasional paper 1 by hirsch, john l. A study of international military intervention in the conflict in sierra. Three micah challenge teams were deployed in five of the 14 voting districts. Launching of book written by john hirsch, former united states ambassador to sierra leone, at. The case of sierra leone, 17871900 contributions in afroamerican and african studies, no 147 from greenwood publishing group sierra leone. Women chiefs and post war reconstruction in sierra leone. This will segue into the postconflict challenges and opportunities faced by sierra leone, as well as a discussion of relevant policy recommendations made by economists. This brief but useful account of sierra leone s decline, from a promising colony to a brutalized failed state, explains the sequence of events, errors, and reversals by which the country reached its present nadir. Diamonds and the struggle for democracy, lynne rienner pub 1. Launching of book written by john hirsch, former united states ambassador to sierra leone, at the international peace academy, new york, february 8, 2001.
To maintain that momentum and ensure that citizens remain confident in government and its ability to provide for the public good, usaid continues to. Cip galley, front matter sierra leone s bitter experience with civil war. We worked under the direction of democracy sierra leone dsl, a coalition of over sixty groups trying to promote democratic principles in sierra leone. The author was the us ambassador in freetown from 1995 to 1998. Kono also refered to as koidu is located in the eastern part of sierra leone, and it is the diamond center of the country. Sierra leone has 3 rural provinces, plus a capital city administrative province. The rufs initial demand was to return sierra leone to a democratic pluralist system, but. Diamonds were first discovered in sierra leones forests almost a century ago.
He possesses a ba hons in english language and literature. A person might assume that such an area may be more developed than other towns, but reality is an ironic opposite of that. John hirschs little book describes the climax of this descent into hell, the ten years. Sierra leone web sierra leone news december 2000 on the question of curbing the illicit trade in gems, smillie said that ideally, a global certification system would be established which would cover all diamonds exported.
Hirschs short but useful book complete with a helpful chronology provides both a concise historical explanation for sierra leones conflict and a series of. Making sense of a senseless war university of denver. The revolutionary united front ruf was a rebel army that fought a failed elevenyear war in sierra leone, starting in 1991 and ending in 2002. Explaining patterns of violence in collapsed states. In sierra leone the governments reforms in free healthcare for mothers and young children would not be possible without the support of the donor community, but even ignoring the ongoing economic crisis in europe and elsewhere this financial assistance cannot last forever. It later developed into a political party, which still exists today. Sierra leone is further divided into 149 chiefdoms. Sierra leones bitter experience with civil war garnered international attention only after the may 1997 coup, though the conflict between the revolutionary united front ruf and successive governments has raged for at least a decade against the backdrop of more than three decades of progressive state collapse. Council for development of social science research in africa, 2004. Sesay, amadu, the travails of democracy in sierra leone, in governance and democratisation in west africa, edited by dele olowu, adebayo williams and kayode soremekun, codesria dakar, 1999. It is one of 6 edited books on postconflict peacebuilding and natural resource. Moses moore conteh jr is the national president and coordinator of the sierra leone debating council. The bioled junta managed to keep its promise and returned sierra leone to constitutional democracy by organising general elections in 1996, which ahmad tejan kabbah won to become sierra leones third president under the slpp platform.
Sierra leone foundation for new democracy is building sierra leone s first village preschool center with ecology at the center of construction, curriculum instruction and innovative design. Cip galley, front matter sierra leones bitter experience with civil war. Tracing the deadly path of the worlds most precious stones. British departure in 1961 marked the start of sierra leones independence, as well as the beginning of a checkered political experience. John hirsch traces sierra leones downward spiral in this book, drawing on his firsthand experience as us amabassador in freetown in 19951998. And by struggle, we mean the determination, the humanistic urge to remove the shame of poverty, hunger, disease, squalor, illiteracy, loafing and hopelessness from this african land of sierra leone blessed with minerals, forests, rivers, and all that is required to restore the dignity, prestige and power of the african as an equal competitor on. Sierra leone diamonds and the struggle for democracy international peace academy occasional paper series by john l. Democracy, governance and human rights sierra leone u. Report of the panel of experts appointed pursuant to security council resolution 6 2000, paragraph 19, in relation to sierra leone. Follow our progress as we demonstrate that responsible and sustainable diamond mining can and will elevate and empower the people, the economy, and the country of sierra leone. The sickening spectacle of chaos and mayhem that unfolded in the well of parliament during the sitting of the fifth parliament of the second republic, seems to have been conjured from a gangster movie of dim witted desperados and bovine bandits. Hirsch analyzes the historical, social, and economic contexts of the struggle, as well as the impacts of regional and international powers. United nations security council resolution 1181 wikipedia.
John l hirsch sierra leone s bitter experience with civil war garnered international attention only after the may 1997 coup, though the conflict between the revolutionary united front ruf and successive. First discovered in 1930, the diamonds of sierra leone have funded one of the most savage rebel campaigns in modern history. Sierra leone diamonds and the struggle for democracy. The challenges and the way forward article pdf available in geojournal 763. Sierra leone democracy by thuggery and politics of. International center for transitional justice, sierra leone. Diamonds and the struggle for democracy howtodoit manual for librarians ipa occasional paper series international peace academy occasional paper series. Background diamonds from sierra leone contains a sample of the titular theme song for the 1971 james bond film diamonds are forever as performed by shirley bassey. The chiefdoms are hereditary, tribal units of local governance. Sierra leone web sierra leone bibliography, by peter c.
Sierra leones bitter experience with civil war garnered international attention only after the may 1997 coup, though the conflict between the revolutionary united front ruf and successive governments had raged for at least a decade against the backdrop of more. Hirsch 2001, paperback at the best online prices at ebay. The curse of diamond mining in sierra leone sierra leone. Kanye west diamonds from sierra leone stripped youtube. A library will serve as a place for knowledge sharing and development.
Oct 20, 2017 a unilateral decision by the president of sierra leone to choose his successor as leader of the ruling all peoples congress has raised fears about the future of democracy in the country civil. Since the sierra leone peoples partyslpp came to power in a controversial runoff elections on 4th april, 2018 the citizens of sierra leone have witness and experience a blatant abuse of their constitution which the slpp were lampooning the now opposition all peoples congressapc for over the past ten years. Muslim fula merchants in sierra leone monographs in international studies, africa series, no. A decision that queries the track records and personalities of aspiring candidates will do justice to our fledgling democracy. Diamonds and the struggle for democracy international peace academy occasional paper series hirsch, john l. Diamonds and the struggle for democracy international peace academy occasional paper series. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. John hirsch traces sierra leones downward spiral, drawing on his firsthand experience as us ambassador in freetown in 19951998. International peace academy occasional paper series.
During my second week in sierra leone as a kiva fellow, i visited kono. Senno, toni, ricerca darmonia cosmica tra i birrwa della sierra leone, emi bologna, italy, c. The song connects the material wealth west had become accustomed to following his rise to fame with the horrors of the civil war in the west african country sierra leone, financed by the illegal diamond trade. Female soldiers in sierra leone harvard university. Sierra leone and conflict diamonds royal charter, as a british colony in 1799. United nations security council resolution 1181, adopted unanimously on july 1998, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in sierra leone, the council established the united nations observer mission in sierra leone unomsil to monitor the military and security situation in the country for an initial period of six months until january 1999. Sierra leonehistorycivil war, 19912002 lc linked data. Hirsch a copy that has been read, but remains in clean condition. Jan 20, 2008 even places like burundi and sierra leone, he points out, became democracies after the brutality and violence of bloody civil wars although they are vulnerable to risk. Africa, with a semipermanent lawlessness in the diamond mining areas.
Hirsch paperback, 175 pages, published 2000 by lynne rienner pub isbn. For more information on this book by lynne rienner publishers, please click here. But having tasted power, the sierra leone military would not let go. To maintain that momentum and ensure that citizens remain confident in government and its ability to provide for the public good, usaid continues to support programs. At independence, sierra leone had an apparently stable political system. Sierra leones bitter experience with civil war garnered international attention only after the may 1997 coup, though the conflict between the revolutionary united front ruf and successive governments has raged for at least a decadeagainst the backdrop of more than three decades of progressive state collapse. There are then 14 districts 12 rural, 2 for the capital freetown. Mar 25, 2017 in 1972, just a few years after sierra leone gained its independence from britain, miners unearthed a rare diamond weighing 968. The gem was nicknamed the star of sierra leone and was. Democracy and prebendal politics in nigeria ibadan. John hirsch traces sierra leone s downward spiral, drawing. In sierra leone diamond sale, echoes of corruption and. Jimmy kandeh political science university of richmond.
Sierra leone our democracy, our only power make it work. Diamonds and the struggle for democracy boulder, co. Pages can include limited notes and highlighting, and the copy can include previous owner inscriptions. Diamonds and the struggle for democracy, by john l. Of some curiosity is the title of the book atrocities, diamonds and diplomacy, since penfold never subscribed to the hamfisted view peddled by the likes of david crane, the special courts first prosecutor that the sierra leone war was all about diamonds. Sierra leone foundation for new democracy works in partnership with communities to build the foundation for citizens of all ages to deliberate and enact new, nonadversarial alternatives that nurture democratic relationships and decision making among and across individuals, families, institutions, and the environment. Home of national commission for democracy in sierra leone. Launching of book written by john hirsch, former united states ambassador to sierra. Sierra leone is divided into provinces, districts, and chiefdoms. The rationale for creating the commission was the need for an independent body to engineer the attitudinal transformation so badly required in the people of conflicttorn sierra leone for the promotion of democracy, good governance, patriotism, national development and the exercise of civic rights and responsibilities.