A Civil War History of Sierra Leone

Between 1991-2002 Sierra Leone endured a brutal civil war that became synonymous with amputations, blood diamonds, child soldiers, cannibalism, kidnappings, rape and sexual slavery. The question of how a peace-loving country descended into such a violent civil war in which multiple factions committed the most macabre war crimes and crimes against humanity is what its Truth and Reconciliation Commission set out to investigate at the end of the conflict and it is a question that underlies this narrative.

Many Sierra Leoneans, especially those born after the war, do not understand how their country became so engulfed in a protracted civil war that in the end ruined countless lives and property. This book does not set out to offer definitive answers - it merely provides a path to understanding the cumulative effects of entrenched corruption, human rights violations, and bad governance that made war inevitable.

It is a comprehensive history of the Sierra Leonean civil war that is intended as a starting point for those who are interested in delving deeper into the labyrinth of diplomacy, violence, treachery, and claims to supernatural powers that rendered the Sierra Leonean civil war complex and nearly impossible to end.