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Do not fill this in! {{Short description|Country on the southwest coast of West Africa}} {{Other uses}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}} {{Use British English|date=August 2020}} {{very long|date=June 2023|words=18,000}} {{Infobox country | common_name = Sierra Leone | coordinates = {{Coord|08|30|00|N|12|06|00|W|type:adm1st_region:SL-W|display=inline,title}} | conventional_long_name = Republic of Sierra Leone | image_flag = Flag of Sierra Leone.svg | alt_flag = [[Flag of Sierra Leone|Flag]] | image_coat = Coat of arms of Sierra Leone.svg | national_anthem = "[[High We Exalt Thee, Realm of the Free]]"{{parabr}}{{center|[[File:Sierra Leone's national anthem.ogg]]}} | national_motto = "Unity, Freedom, Justice" | image_map = Sierra Leone (orthographic projection).svg | map_caption = {{map caption|location_color=dark green}} | capital = [[Freetown]] | largest_city = capital | official_languages = [[English language|English]]<!-- DO NOT add [[Bengali language]] here. Please start a conversation at the talk page to reach a consensus before adding Bengali language to this parameter. --> | religion_ref = <ref name=religions /> | demonym = Sierra Leonean | languages_type = Spoken and national languages<ref>{{cite web |editor1-first=M. Paul |editor1-last=Lewis |editor2-first=Gary F. |editor2-last=Simons |editor3-first=Charles D. |editor3-last=Fennig |year=2015 |title=Liberia |website=[[Ethnologue]] |edition=18th |location=Dallas, Texas |publisher=SIL International |url=http://www.ethnologue.com/country/lr/languages}}</ref> | ethnic_groups = {{unbulleted list |35.5% [[Mende people|Mende]] |33.2% [[Temne people|Temne]] |6.4% [[Limba people (Sierra Leone)|Limba]] |4.4% [[Kono people|Kono]] |3.4% [[Fula people of Sierra Leone|Fula]] |2.9% [[Susu people|Susu]] |2.9% [[Loko people|Loko]] |2.8% [[Koranko people|Koranko]] |2.6% [[Sherbro people|Sherbro]] |2.4% [[Mandingo people of Sierra Leone|Mandingo]] |1.3% [[Sierra Leone Creole people|Krio]] }} | ethnic_groups_year = 2015<ref name="Census2015"/> | religion = {{ubl |78.6% [[Islam]] |20.4% [[Christianity]] |1.1% Other religions}} | government_type = [[Unitary state|Unitary]] [[Presidential system|presidential]] [[republic]] | leader_title1 = [[President of Sierra Leone|President]] | leader_name1 = {{nowrap|[[Julius Maada Bio]]}} | leader_title2 = [[Vice-President of Sierra Leone|Vice-President]] | leader_name2 = {{nowrap|[[Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh]]}} | leader_title3 = [[Chief Minister of Sierra Leone|Chief Minister]] | leader_name3 = {{nowrap|[[David Moinina Sengeh|David Sengeh]]}} | leader_title4 = [[Speaker of the House of Parliament of Sierra Leone|Speaker of Parliament]] | leader_name4 = {{nowrap|[[Abass Bundu|Abass Chernor Bundu]]}} | legislature = [[Parliament of Sierra Leone|Parliament]] | sovereignty_type = [[Independence]] | sovereignty_note = from the [[United Kingdom]] | established_event1 = [[Sierra Leone (1961β1971)|Dominion]] | established_date1 = 27 April 1961 | established_event2 = [[Republic]] | established_date2 = 19 April 1971 | area_km2 = 71,740 | area_rank = 117th <!-- Area rank should match [[List of countries and dependencies by area]] --> | area_sq_mi = 27,699 | percent_water = 1.1 | population_estimate = 8,908,040<ref>{{Cite CIA World Factbook|country=Sierra Leone|access-date=22 June 2023|year=2023}}</ref> | population_estimate_year = 2023 | population_estimate_rank = 100th | population_density_km2 = 112 | population_density_rank = 114th<sup>a</sup> | population_density_sq_mi = 291 | GDP_PPP = {{increase}} $17.784 billion<ref name="IMFWEO.SL">{{cite web |url=https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2023/October/weo-report?c=724,&s=NGDPD,PPPGDP,NGDPDPC,PPPPC,&sy=2020&ey=2028&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=country&ds=.&br=1 |title=World Economic Outlook Database, October 2023 Edition. (SL) |publisher=[[International Monetary Fund]] |website=IMF.org |date=10 October 2023 |access-date=21 October 2023}}</ref> | GDP_PPP_year = 2023 | GDP_PPP_rank = 152nd | GDP_PPP_per_capita = {{increase}} $2,097<ref name="IMFWEO.SL" /> | GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 185th | GDP_nominal = {{decrease}} $3.519 billion<ref name="IMFWEO.SL" /> | GDP_nominal_year = 2023 | GDP_nominal_rank = 170th | GDP_nominal_per_capita = {{decrease}} $414<ref name="IMFWEO.SL" /> | GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 193rd | Gini = 35.7 <!--number only--> | Gini_year = 2018 | Gini_change = <!--increase/decrease/steady--> | Gini_ref = <ref name="wb-gini">{{cite web |url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.GINI?locations=SL |title=GINI index (World Bank estimate) β Sierra Leone |website=[[World Bank]] |access-date=22 March 2020}}</ref> | HDI = 0.477 <!--number only--> | HDI_year = 2021<!-- Please use the year to which the data refers, not the publication year--> | HDI_change = increase <!--increase/decrease/steady--> | HDI_ref = <ref name="HDI">{{cite web|url=https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/global-report-document/hdr2021-22pdf_1.pdf|title=Human Development Report 2021/2022|language=en|publisher=[[United Nations Development Programme]]|date=8 September 2022|access-date=30 September 2022}}</ref> | HDI_rank = 181st | currency = [[Sierra Leonean leone|Leone]] | currency_code = SLL | utc_offset = {{sp}} | time_zone = GMT | date_format = dd/mm/yyyy | drives_on = right | calling_code = +232 | cctld = [[.sl]] | footnote_a = Rank based on 2007 figure | religion_year = 2020 | national_languages = [[Krio language|Krio]] }} <!-- DO NOT make the lead longer; it is already too long. (December 2017) --> '''Sierra Leone''',{{efn|[{{IPAc-en|audio=En-us-Sierra Leone.ogg|s|i|Λ|Ιr|Ι|_|l|i|Λ|oΚ|n|(|i|)}}, <small>also</small> {{IPAc-en|UK|s|i|Λ|ΙΙr|Ι|_|-}}, {{IPAc-en|US|Λ|s|ΙͺΙr|Ι|_|-}},<ref>{{citation|last=Wells|first=John C.|year=2008|title=Longman Pronunciation Dictionary|edition=3rd|publisher=Longman|isbn=9781405881180}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Merriam-Webster|Sierra Leone|access-date=22 April 2019}}</ref> ({{lang-kri|Salone}})].<ref name="Salone">{{citation|title=Salone Definition|url=https://glosbe.com/kri/en/Salone}}</ref>}} officially the '''Republic of Sierra Leone''', is a country on the southwest coast of [[West Africa]]. It shares its southeastern border with [[Liberia]] and is bordered by [[Guinea]] to the north. With a land area of {{convert|71740|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}},<ref name="Sierra Leone">{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761563681/Sierra_Leone.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080228134322/http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761563681/Sierra_Leone.html|archive-date=28 February 2008|title=Sierra Leone (country) |encyclopedia=Encarta Encyclopedia|access-date=19 February 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> Sierra Leone has a [[tropical climate]] and with a variety of environments ranging from [[savannas]] to [[rainforests]]. According to the 2015 census, Sierra Leone has a population of 7,092,113,<ref name =Census2015>{{cite web|url=https://sierraleone.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/National%20Analytical%20Report.pdf |title=Sierra Leone 2015 Population and Housing Census National Analytical Report |access-date=28 March 2020 |website=Statistics Sierra Leone| df=dmy }}</ref> with [[Freetown]] serving as both the capital and largest city. The country is divided into five administrative regions, which are further subdivided into [[Districts of Sierra Leone|16 districts]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://necsl.org/index_files/2017_Press_Releases/Completed_RegistrationPressRelease2017.pdf|title=National Electoral Commission β Press Release|date=6 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171114202122/http://necsl.org/index_files/2017_Press_Releases/Completed_RegistrationPressRelease2017.pdf|archive-date=14 November 2017|url-status=dead|access-date=1 February 2018}}</ref><ref name=":02">{{Cite news|url=http://www.africareview.com/news/Sierra-Leone-unveils-new-geographical-map/979180-4041036-4x8dfaz/index.html|title=Sierra Leone unveils new geographical map|work=Africa Review|access-date=1 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180221142807/http://www.africareview.com/news/Sierra-Leone-unveils-new-geographical-map/979180-4041036-4x8dfaz/index.html|archive-date=21 February 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> Sierra Leone is governed as a [[presidential republic]], with a [[unicameral parliament]] and a [[directly elected]] [[Executive president|president]]. Sierra Leone is a [[secular state]] with [[Constitution of Sierra Leone|the constitution]] providing for the [[separation of state and religion]] and [[freedom of conscience]], encompassing [[freedom of thought]] and [[Freedom of religion|religion]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sierra Leone |url=https://www.state.gov/reports/2020-report-on-international-religious-freedom/sierra-leone/ |access-date=2024-03-06 |website=United States Department of State |language=en-US}}</ref> [[Muslims]] constitute three-quarters of the population with a significant [[Christian]] minority. Notably, religious tolerance is very high, reflecting a social norm and part of the nation's cultural identity.<ref>United Nations (5 July 2013), [https://news.un.org/en/story/2013/07/443992-inter-religious-cooperation-can-be-vital-asset-rebuilding-sierra-leone-un "Inter-religious cooperation can be vital asset for rebuilding Sierra Leone β UN expert"]. [https://news.un.org/en/story/2013/07/443992-inter-religious-cooperation-can-be-vital-asset-rebuilding-sierra-leone-un Archived]. Retrieved October 26, 2021.</ref> Sierra Leone's current territorial configuration was established by the [[British Empire]] through two historical phases: initially, the coastal [[Sierra Leone Colony and Protectorate|Sierra Leone Colony]] was founded in 1808 to resettle returning Africans following the [[abolition of the slave trade]]; subsequently, the inland Protectorate was created in 1896 in the wake of the [[Berlin Conference of 1884β1885]]. This led to the formal recognition of the territory as the [[Sierra Leone Colony and Protectorate]], or British Sierra Leone.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hargreaves |first=J. D. |date=January 1956 |title=IV. The Establishment of the Sierra Leone Protectorate and the Insurrection of 1898 |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/cambridge-historical-journal/article/abs/iv-the-establishment-of-the-sierra-leone-protectorate-and-the-insurrection-of-18981/3AF7D282B682C6DF80D06C0ED396E68A |journal=Cambridge Historical Journal |language=en |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=56β80 |doi=10.1017/S1474691300000330 |issn=2051-9818}}</ref><ref>UNITED NATIONS INTEGRATED PEACEBUILDING OFFICE IN SIERRA LEONE. [https://unipsil.unmissions.org/about-sierra-leone-history ABOUT SIERRA LEONE: HISTORY.] [https://unipsil.unmissions.org/about-sierra-leone-history Archived]. Retrieved October 26, 2021.</ref> Independence from the [[United Kingdom]] was attained in 1961, with Sierra Leone transitioning into a [[Commonwealth realm]] as the [[Dominion of Sierra Leone]] under the leadership of Prime Minister [[Sir Milton Margai]] of the [[Sierra Leone People's Party]] (SLPP).<ref name="Humphrey">{{Cite journal |last=Fisher |first=Humphrey J. |date=December 1969 |title=Elections and Coups in Sierra Leone, 1967 |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-modern-african-studies/article/abs/elections-and-coups-in-sierra-leone-1967/F7F447FA2BE820E80298249E540C2DC4 |journal=The Journal of Modern African Studies |language=en |volume=7 |issue=4 |pages=611β636 |doi=10.1017/S0022278X00018863 |issn=1469-7777}}</ref> Under prime minister [[Siaka Stevens]] of the [[All People's Congress]] (APC), the country adopted a new constitution in 1971, transforming Sierra Leone into a presidential republic with Stevens as the inaugural president. After declaring the APC the [[One party system|sole legal party]] in 1978, Stevens was succeeded by [[Joseph Saidu Momoh]] in 1985. Momoh's enactment of a new constitution in 1991 reintroduced a [[multi-party system]]. That year, a protracted [[Sierra Leone Civil War|civil war]] initiated, featuring the government and the [[Revolutionary United Front]] (RUF) rebel group, leading to significant turmoil. The conflict, characterized by multiple [[Coup d'Γ©tat|coups d'Γ©tat]], persisted for 11 years. Intervention by [[ECOMOG]] forces and later the United Kingdom resulted in the defeat of the RUF in 2002, ushering in a period of relative stability and recovery efforts. The remaining two main political parties are the APC and the SLPP. Sierra Leone is a culturally diverse nation, home to approximately [[Ethnic groups in Sierra Leone|18 ethnic groups]], with the [[Temne people|Temne]] and [[Mende people]]s being predominant. The [[Krio people|Creole people]], descendants of freed African-American, Afro-Caribbean slaves and liberated Africans, constitute about 1.2% of the population. English is the official language, while [[Krio language|Krio]] is the [[lingua franca]], spoken by 97% of the population. The country is rich with natural resources, notably diamonds, gold, [[bauxite]] and aluminium. Sierra Leone maintains membership in several international organizations, including the United Nations, African Union, [[Economic Community of West African States]] (ECOWAS), and the Commonwealth of Nations, among others. ==Etymology== Sierra Leone derives its name from the [[Lion Mountains]] near Freetown. Originally named {{lang|pt|Serra Leoa}} ([[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] for 'lioness mountains') by Portuguese explorer [[Pedro de Sintra]] in 1462, the modern name is derived from the [[Venetian language|Venetian]] spelling, which was introduced by [[Republic of Venice|Venetian]] explorer [[Alvise Cadamosto]] and subsequently adopted by other European [[cartography|mapmakers]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://reignministries.org/5-things-know-sierra-leone/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200326125346/https://reignministries.org/5-things-know-sierra-leone/ |archive-date=26 March 2020 |title=5 Thing to Know About Sierra Leone |website=reignministries.org |access-date=14 July 2021}}</ref> == History == {{Main|History of Sierra Leone}} === Early history === [[File:Prehistoric pottery shards, Sierra Leone.jpg|thumb|Fragments of [[prehistoric]] [[pottery]] from [[Kamabai]] Rock Shelter]] [[File: Bunce Island 1805.jpg|thumb|right|[[Bunce Island]], 1805, during the period the slave factory was run by [[Sir John Anderson, 1st Baronet, of Mill Hill|John]] and [[Alexander Anderson (slave trader)|Alexander Anderson]]]] [[File: slaves sierra leone.jpg|thumb|An 1835 illustration of liberated Africans arriving in Sierra Leone]] [[File:Houses at Sierra-Leone (May 1853, X, p.55) - Copy.jpg|thumb|Houses at Sierra-Leone (May 1853, X, p. 55)<ref name="Juvenile1853">{{cite journal|title=Houses at Sierra-Leone|journal=The Wesleyan Juvenile Offering: A Miscellany of Missionary Information for Young Persons|date=May 1853|volume=X|page=55|url=https://archive.org/details/wesleyanjuvenil19socigoog|access-date=29 February 2016}}</ref>]] Sierra Leone's history is marked by continuous human habitation for at least 2,500 years,<ref name="Culture of Sierra Leone">{{cite web|url=http://www.everyculture.com/Sa-Th/Sierra-Leone.html|title=Culture of Sierra Leone|author=Countries and Their Cultures|access-date=22 February 2008}}</ref> influenced by migrations from across Africa.<ref name="Sierra Leone History">{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-55344/Sierra-Leone|title=Sierra Leone History|encyclopedia=EncyclopΓ¦dia Britannica|access-date=19 February 2008}}</ref> The adoption of iron technology by the ninth century and the establishment of agriculture by 1000 AD along the coast.<ref name="Sierra Leone - History">{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Africa/Sierra-Leone-HISTORY.html|title=Sierra Leone β History|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of the Nations|access-date=22 February 2008}}</ref> Climate shifts over centuries altered the ecological zones, influencing migration and conquest dynamics.<ref name="brooks"/> The region's dense [[tropical rainforest]] and swamps, coupled with the presence of the [[tsetse fly]] which carried a disease fatal to horses and the [[zebu]] cattle used by the [[Mande people|MandΓ© people]], provided natural defenses against invasions by the [[Mandinka Empire]] and other African empires,<ref name="brooks">{{Cite journal |last=Fyfe |first=Christopher |date=July 1995 |title=Weighing the Probabilities - Landlords and Strangers: Ecology, Society and Trade in Western Africa, 1000β1630. By George E. Brooks. Boulder: Westview Press, 1994. Pp. xvi + 360. Β£14.95, paperback (ISBN 0-8133-1263-9). |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-african-history/article/abs/weighing-the-probabilities-landlords-and-strangers-ecology-society-and-trade-in-western-africa-10001630-by-george-e-brooks-boulder-westview-press-1994-pp-xvi-360-1495-paperback-isbn-0813312639/2F429B373D4D68546604D51858920ADF |journal=The Journal of African History |language=en |volume=36 |issue=2 |pages=319β320 |doi=10.1017/S0021853700034174 |issn=1469-5138}}</ref><ref name="protected from influence">[[#Utting|Utting]] (1931), p. 33.</ref> and limited influence by the [[Mali Empire]], preserving its indigenous cultures from external dominions. The introduction of [[Islam]] by [[Susu people|Susu]] traders, merchants and migrants in the 18th century further enriched the cultural tapestry, eventually establishing a strong foothold in the north. The later conquest by [[Samory TourΓ©]] in the northeast solidified Islam among the [[Yalunka people|Yalunka]], [[Kuranko]] and [[Limba people (Sierra Leone)|Limba]] people.<ref name="rainforest"> [[Sierra Leone#Utting|Utting]] (1931), p. 8.</ref><!--Expand this section to tell about the culture of indigenous peoples and how and why they became Muslim. Also, describe paramount chiefs, the tribal organisation as they influenced colonial and early national history--> ===European trading=== The 15th century marked the beginning of European interaction with Sierra Leone, highlighted by [[Portuguese discoveries|Portuguese explorer]] [[Pedro de Sintra]] mapping the region in 1462 and naming it after the lioness mountains.<ref name="ReferenceA">''Kingfisher Geography Encyclopedia''. {{ISBN|1-85613-582-9}}, p. 180.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://slconcordtimes.com/pedro-da-cintra-did-not-name-sierra-leone-an-exploration-into-available-evidence/ |title=Pedro da Γ§intra did not name Sierra Leone: An Exploration into available evidence |date=22 June 2017 |work=Sierra Leone Concord Times |access-date=26 May 2017 |archive-date=6 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170806061658/http://slconcordtimes.com/pedro-da-cintra-did-not-name-sierra-leone-an-exploration-into-available-evidence/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> This naming has been subject to historical reinterpretation, suggesting earlier European knowledge of the region. Following Sintra, European traders established fortified posts, engaging primarily in the [[History of slavery|slave trade]], which shaped the socio-economic landscape significantly.<ref name="LeVert">{{Cite book |last =LeVert |first =Suzanne |title =Cultures of the World: Sierra Leone |page =[https://archive.org/details/sierraleone0000leve/page/22 22] |publisher =Marshall Cavendish |isbn =978-0-7614-2334-8 |year =2006 |url =https://archive.org/details/sierraleone0000leve/page/22 }}</ref> Traders from European nations, such as the [[Dutch Republic]], [[Kingdom of England|England]] and [[Kingdom of France|France]] also started to arrive in Sierra Leone and establish trading stations. These stations quickly began to primarily deal in slaves, who were brought to the coast by indigenous traders from interior areas undergoing wars and conflicts over territory. The Europeans made payments, called ''Cole'', for rent, tribute, and trading rights, to the king of an area. Local Afro-European merchants often acted as middlemen, the Europeans advancing them goods to trade to indigenous merchants, most often for slaves and ivory.<ref>Christopher Fyfe, ''A History of Sierra Leone'', Introduction.</ref><ref name="Sibthorpe">{{Cite book |last =Sibthorpe |first =A. B. C. |title =The History of Sierra Leone |page=7|publisher=Routledge |isbn =978-0-7146-1769-5 |year =1970}}</ref> === Early Portuguese interactions=== Portuguese traders were particularly drawn to the local craftsmanship in [[ivory]], leading to a notable trade in ivory artifacts such as horns, [[Salt cellar|saltcellars]], and spoons. This exchange underscored the region's artistic talents during the period. === Mane expansion === The 1600s witnessed several waves of [[Mane people]] migrating into Sierra Leone, adding to the region's cultural diversity.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}} === Black Poor of London === {{Main|Committee for the Relief of the Black Poor}}In the late 18th century, African Americans who had fought for the [[British Crown]] during the [[American Revolutionary War]] were resettled in Sierra Leone, forming a unique community named [[Black Loyalists]]. This resettlement scheme was partly motivated by social issues in London, with the Sierra Leone Resettlement Scheme offering a new beginning for the [[Black Poor]], though it was fraught with challenges. ==== Resettlement of Black Loyalists ==== In the late 18th century, many African Americans claimed the protection of the British Crown. There were thousands of these Black Loyalists, people of African ancestry who joined the British military forces during the American Revolutionary War.<ref>Cassandra Pybus, ''Epic Journeys of Freedom: Runaway Slaves of the American Revolution and Their Global Quest for Liberty'' (Beacon Press, Boston, 2006); Graham Russell Hodges, Susan Hawkes Cook, Alan Edward Brown (eds.), ''The Black Loyalist Directory: African Americans in Exile After the American Revolution''. {{JSTOR|2947159}}.</ref> Many of these Loyalists had been slaves who had escaped to join the British, lured by promises of freedom ([[emancipation]]). The official documentation known as the ''[[Book of Negroes]]'' lists thousands of freed slaves whom the British evacuated from the nascent United States and resettled in colonies elsewhere in [[British North America]] (north to Canada, or south to the West Indies). Pro-slavery advocates accused the Black Poor of being responsible for a large proportion of crime in 18th century London. While the broader community included some women, the Black Poor seems to have exclusively consisted of men, some of whom developed relationships with local women and often married them. Slave owner [[Edward Long (colonial administrator)|Edward Long]] criticized marriage between black men and white women.<ref name=Siva2021>{{cite journal |first1=Michael |last1=Siva |title=Why Did the Black Poor of London Not Support the Sierra Leone Resettlement Scheme? |journal=History Matters Journal |volume=1 |issue=2 |date=Winter 2021 |pages=25β47 }}</ref> However, on the voyage between [[Plymouth|Plymouth, England]] and Sierra Leone, seventy European girlfriends and wives accompanied the [[Committee for the Relief of the Black Poor|Black Poor settlers]].<ref>Sivapragasam, Michael, "Why Did Black Londoners not join the Sierra Leone Resettlement Scheme 1783β1815?" Unpublished master's dissertation (London: Open University, 2013), pp. 40β43.</ref> Many in London thought that moving them to Sierra Leone would lift them out of poverty.<ref>[[Peter Fryer]] in ''[[Staying Power: The History of Black People in Britain]]'' (London: [[Pluto Press]], 1984; p. 195) quotes a contemporary commentator who called them "indigent, unemployed, despised and forlorn", saying that "it was necessary they should be sent somewhere, and be no longer suffered to invest {{sic}} the streets of London" (C. B. WadstrΓΆm, ''An Essay on Colonization'', 1794β5, II, 220).</ref> The Sierra Leone Resettlement Scheme was proposed by entomologist [[Henry Smeathman]] and drew interest from humanitarians like [[Granville Sharp]], who saw it as a means of showing the pro-slavery lobby that black people could contribute towards the running of the new colony of Sierra Leone. Government officials soon became involved in the scheme as well, although their interest was spurred by the possibility of resettling a large group of poor citizens elsewhere.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2005-08-31|title=Freed slaves in Sierra Leone|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/aug/31/race.bookextracts|access-date=2020-09-20|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> [[William Pitt the Younger]], prime minister and leader of the Tory party, had an active interest in the Scheme because he saw it as a means to repatriate the Black Poor to Africa, since "it was necessary they should be sent somewhere, and be no longer suffered to infest the streets of London".<ref name=Siva2021/> ==== Establishment of the Province of Freedom ==== In January 1787, the ''Atlantic'' and the ''Belisarius'' set sail for Sierra Leone, but bad weather forced them to divert to Plymouth, during which time about 50 passengers died. Another 24 were discharged, and another 23 ran away. Eventually, with some more recruitment, 411 passengers sailed to Sierra Leone in April 1787. On the voyage between Plymouth and Sierra Leone, 96 passengers died.<ref name=Siva2021/><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://blackloyalist.com/canadiandigitalcollection/story/exodus/company.htm |title=Black Loyalist Heritage Society |access-date=19 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928222047/http://blackloyalist.com/canadiandigitalcollection/story/exodus/company.htm |archive-date=28 September 2007 |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.plymouth.gov.uk/gustavusvassa |title=Gustavus Vassa: Olaudah Equiano |publisher=Plymouth City Council |access-date=19 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013064927/http://www.plymouth.gov.uk/gustavusvassa |archive-date=13 October 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/sierraleone.htm|title=Economic History of Sierra Leone|access-date=10 October 2016|archive-date=3 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303200704/http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/sierraleone.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1787 the British Crown founded a settlement in Sierra Leone in what was called the "[[Province of Freedom]]". About 400 black and 60 white colonists reached Sierra Leone on 15 May 1787. After they established [[Granville Town]], most of the first group of colonists died, owing to disease and warfare with the indigenous African peoples ([[Temne people|Temne]]), who resisted their encroachment. When the ships left them in September, their numbers had been reduced to "276 persons, namely 212 black men, 30 black women, 5 white men and 29 white women".<ref name=Siva2021/> The settlers that remained forcibly captured land from a local African chieftain, but he retaliated, attacking the settlement, which was reduced to a mere 64 settlers comprising 39 black men, 19 black women, and six white women. Black settlers were captured by unscrupulous traders and sold as slaves, and the remaining colonists were forced to arm themselves for their own protection.<ref name=Siva2021/> The 64 remaining colonists established a second Granville Town.<ref>{{Cite book |last = Pham |first = John-Peter |title = Child Soldiers, Adult Interests: The Global Dimensions of the Sierra Leonean Tragedy |publisher = Nova Publishers |year = 2005 |pages = 4β8 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=ZnPFKpwoIkIC&pg=PA4 |isbn = 978-1-59454-671-6 |access-date = 17 June 2014}}</ref><ref>Michael Sivapragasam, ''Why Did Black Londoners Not Join the Sierra Leone Resettlement Scheme 1783β1815?'' London: Open University, 2013.</ref> === Nova Scotians === {{Main|Nova Scotian Settlers}} Following the American Revolution, Black Loyalists from [[Nova Scotia]], Canada, were relocated to Sierra Leone, founding Freetown and contributing significantly to the [[Krio people]] and [[Krio language]] that would come to define the region. Following the [[American Revolution]], more than 3,000 Black Loyalists had also been settled in [[Nova Scotia]], where they were finally granted land. They founded [[Birchtown, Nova Scotia|Birchtown]], but faced harsh northern winters and racial discrimination from nearby [[Shelburne, Nova Scotia|Shelburne]]. [[Thomas Peters (black leader)|Thomas Peters]] pressed British authorities for relief and more aid; together with British abolitionist [[John Clarkson (abolitionist)|John Clarkson]], the [[Sierra Leone Company]] was established to relocate Black Loyalists who wanted to take their chances in West Africa. In 1792 nearly 1,200 persons from Nova Scotia crossed the Atlantic to build the second (and only permanent) Colony of Sierra Leone and the settlement of [[Freetown]] on 11 March 1792. In Sierra Leone they were called the [[Nova Scotian Settlers]], the ''Nova Scotians'', or the ''Settlers''. Clarkson initially banned the survivors of Granville Town from joining the new settlement, blaming them for the demise of Granville Town.<ref name="Siva2021" /> The Settlers built Freetown in the styles they knew from their lives in the [[American South]]; they also continued American fashion and American manners. In addition, many continued to practise [[Methodism]] in Freetown. In the 1790s, the Settlers, including adult women, voted for the first time in elections.<ref name=economist>{{cite news|url=http://www.economist.com/world/mideast-africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12775514 |title=Sierra Leone's struggle for progress |newspaper=The Economist |date= 11 December 2008|access-date=22 August 2010}}</ref> In 1792, in a move that foreshadowed the women's suffrage movements in Britain, the heads of all households, of which a third were women, were given the right to vote.<ref>[[Simon Schama|Schama, Simon]] (2006), ''Rough Crossings'', p. 363.</ref> Black settlers in Sierra Leone enjoyed much more autonomy than their white equivalent in European countries. Black migrants elected different levels of political representatives, 'tithingmen', who represented each dozen settlers and 'hundreders' who represented larger amounts. This sort of representation was not available in Nova Scotia.<ref>Gilbert, Alan. ''Black Patriots and Loyalists: Fighting for Emancipation in the War for Independence''. University of Chicago 2012, p. 229</ref> The initial process of society-building in Freetown was a harsh struggle. The Crown did not supply enough basic supplies and provisions and the Settlers were continually threatened by illegal slave trading and the risk of re-enslavement.<ref>{{Cite book |last = Fyfe |first = Christopher |title = Our Children Free and Happy: Letters from Black Settlers in Africa in the 1790s|publisher = Edinburgh University Press |year = 1992}}</ref> === Jamaican Maroons and Liberated Africans === {{Main|Jamaican Maroons in Sierra Leone|Sierra Leone Liberated Africans}} The Sierra Leone Company, controlled by London investors, refused to allow the settlers to take [[fee simple|freehold]] of the land. In 1799 some of the settlers revolted. The Crown subdued the revolt by bringing in forces of more than 500 [[Jamaican Maroons]], whom they transported from [[Cudjoe's Town (Trelawny Town)]] via Nova Scotia in 1800. Led by Colonel [[Montague James]], the Maroons helped the colonial forces to put down the revolt, and in the process the [[Jamaican Maroons in Sierra Leone]] secured the best houses and farms.<ref>Schama, Simon, ''Rough Crossings'' (London: 2005), pp. 380β383.</ref> On 1 January 1808, [[Thomas Ludlam (colonial administrator)|Thomas Ludlam]], the Governor of the Sierra Leone Company and a leading abolitionist, surrendered the company's charter. This ended its 16 years of running the Colony. The British Crown reorganised the Sierra Leone Company as the [[African Institution]]; it was directed to improve the local economy. Its members represented both British who hoped to inspire local entrepreneurs and those with interest in the Macauley & Babington Company, which held the (British) monopoly on Sierra Leone trade.<ref>Harris, Sheldon H. (1972), ''Paul Cuffe: Black America and the African Return'', New York: Simon and Schuster, pp. 32β33, especially note 15 on p. 140.</ref> At about the same time (following the Slave Trade Act 1807 which abolished the slave trade), Royal Navy crews delivered thousands of formerly enslaved Africans to Freetown, after liberating them from illegal slave ships. These [[recaptives|Liberated Africans]] or ''recaptives'' were sold for $20 a head as apprentices to the white settlers, Nova Scotian Settlers, and the Jamaican Maroons. Many Liberated Africans were treated poorly and even abused because some of the original settlers considered them their property. Cut off from their various homelands and traditions, the Liberated Africans were forced to assimilate to the Western styles of Settlers and Maroons. For example, some of the Liberated Africans were forced to change their name to a more Western sounding one.<ref name="Suzanne">Schwarz, Suzanne (2021) [https://www.jstor.org/stable/23471003 Reconstructing the Life Histories of Liberated Africans: Sierra Leone in the Early Nineteenth Century]. ''[[History in Africa]]'', Vol. 39 (2012), pp. 175β207 (33). ''[[Cambridge University Press]]''. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/23471003 Archived]. Retrieved 27 October 2021.</ref> Though some people happily embraced these changes because they considered it as being part of the community, some were not happy with these changes and wanted to keep their own identity. Many Liberated Africans were so unhappy that they risked the possibility of being sold back into slavery by leaving Sierra Leone and going back to their original villages.<ref name="Suzanne"/> The Liberated Africans eventually modified their customs to adopt those of the Nova Scotians, Maroons and Europeans, yet kept some of their ethnic traditions.<ref name=Dixon>{{cite book|last1=Dixon-Fyle |first1=Mac |last2=Cole |first2=Gibril Raschid |chapter=Introduction |year=2006 |title=New Perspectives on the Sierra Leone Krio |location=New York |publisher=Peter Lang |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WGiRuAG8K5wC |isbn=978-0-8204-7937-8 |pages=2β3 |quote=A substantial part of this ex-slave population was Yoruba, but members of ethnic groups from other regions of the Atlantic (Igbo, Efik, Fante, etc) were also very much in evidence in this coterie of Liberated Africans. Individuals from ethnic communities indigenous to Sierra Leone were significantly represented among the Liberated Africans [...] Many a Temne, Limba, Mende, and Loko resident of Freetown, influenced by local European officials and missionaries, would come in time to shed their indigenous names, and cultural values, to take on a Creole identity which gave them a better chance of success in the rarefied Victorian ambience{{sic}} of a progressively westernized Freetown society.}}</ref> As the Liberated Africans became successful traders<ref name="Suzanne"/> and spread Christianity throughout West Africa, they intermarried with the Nova Scotians and Maroons, and the two groups eventually became a fusion of African and Western societies.<ref name=Dixon />{{rp|3β4, 223β255}} These [[Liberated Africans in Sierra Leone|Liberated Africans]] were from many areas of Africa, but principally the west coast. Between the 18th and 19th century, freed African Americans, some [[Americo Liberian]] "refugees", and particularly [[Afro-Caribbean]]s, mainly Jamaican Maroons, also immigrated and settled in Freetown. Together these peoples formed the [[Sierra Leone Creole|Creole/Krio ethnicity]] and an [[English-based creole languages|English-based creole]] language ([[Krio language|Krio]]), which is the [[lingua franca]] and [[de facto]] [[national language]] used among many of the ethnicities in the country.<ref name=Thayer>{{cite book|last=Thayer|first=James Steel |year=1991 |title=A Dissenting View of Creole Culture in Sierra Leone|pages= 215β230}} https://www.persee.fr/doc/cea_0008-0055_1991_num_31_121_2116</ref><ref name=Browne-Davies>{{cite book|last= Browne-Davies|first=Nigel |year=2014 |title=A Precis of Sources relating to genealogical research on the Sierra Leone Krio people}} Journal of Sierra Leone Studies, Vol. 3; Edition 1, 2014 https://www.academia.edu/40720522/A_Precis_of_Sources_relating_to_genealogical_research_on_the_Sierra_Leone_Krio_people</ref><ref name=Walker>{{cite book|last=Walker |first=James W |year=1992 |chapter=Chapter Five: Foundation of Sierra Leone |title=The Black Loyalists: The Search for a Promised Land in Nova Scotia and Sierra Leone, 1783β1870 |location=Toronto |publisher=University of Toronto Press |pages=[https://archive.org/details/blackloyalistsse0000walk/page/94 94]β114 |url=https://archive.org/details/blackloyalistsse0000walk |url-access=registration |isbn=978-0-8020-7402-7}}, originally published by Longman & Dalhousie University Press (1976).</ref><ref name="Taylor">{{cite book |last=Taylor |first=Bankole Kamara |title=Sierra Leone: The Land, Its People and History |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I__jAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA68 |date=February 2014 |publisher=New Africa Press |isbn=9789987160389 |page=68}}</ref> === Colonial era (1800β1961) === {{Main|Sierra Leone Colony and Protectorate}} The colonial era saw Sierra Leone evolving under British rule, with a unique settlement pattern composed of displaced Africans following the [[abolition of the slave trade]]. Sierra Leone developed as an educational center in West Africa, with the establishment of [[Fourah Bay College]] in 1827, attracting English-speaking Africans from across the region. The settlement of Sierra Leone in the 1800s was unique in that the population was composed of displaced Africans who were brought to the colony after the British abolition of the slave trade in 1807. Upon arrival in Sierra Leone, each ''recaptive'' was given a registration number, and information on their physical qualities would be entered into the Register of Liberated Africans. Oftentimes the documentation would be overwhelmingly subjective and would result in inaccurate entries, making them difficult to track. In addition, differences between the Register of Liberated Africans of 1808 and the List of Captured Negroes of 1812 (which emulated the 1808 document) revealed some disparities in the entries of the recaptives, specifically in the names; many recaptives decided to change their given names to more [[anglicised]] versions which contributed to the difficulty in tracking them after they arrived in Sierra Leone.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Schwarz|first=Suzanne|date=5 January 2013|title=Reconstructing the Life Histories of Enslaved Africans: Sierra Leone, c. 1808β19|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267884583}}</ref> In the early 19th century, Freetown served as the residence of the British colonial governor of the region, who also administered the [[Gold Coast (British colony)|Gold Coast]] (now [[Ghana]]) and the [[Gambia]] settlements. Sierra Leone developed as the educational centre of [[British West Africa]].<ref>{{cite book|first=Daniel|last=Paracka |year=2003|title=The Athens of West Africa: A History of International Education at Fourah Bay College, Freetown, Sierra Leone|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-415-94795-4}}</ref> The British established [[Fourah Bay College]] in 1827, which rapidly became a magnet for English-speaking Africans on the West Coast. For more than a century, it was the only European-style university in western [[Sub-Saharan Africa]]. [[Samuel Ajayi Crowther]] was the first student to be enrolled at Fourah Bay.<ref name=JHK>{{cite book|last1=Kopytoff|first1=Jean Herskovits|title=A Preface to Modern Nigeria: The "Sierra Leonians" in Yoruba, 1830β1890.|publisher=University of Wisconsin Press|pages=35}}</ref> Fourah Bay College soon became a magnet for [[Sierra Leone Creole people|Creoles/Krio people]] and other Africans seeking higher education in British West Africa. These included Nigerians, Ghanaians, Ivorians and many more, especially in the fields of [[theology]] and education. Freetown was known as the "[[Athens]] of Africa" due to the large number of excellent schools in Freetown and surrounding areas.<ref>Nwauwa, Apollos O. (2003) Book review: "The Athens of West Africa: A History of International Education at Fourah Bay College, Freetown, Sierra Leone by Daniel J. Paracka Jr. New York: Routledge". ''[[Comparative Education Review]]'', Vol 49(4). [https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/498200 Archived]. Retrieved 29 October 2021.</ref> The British interacted mostly with the Krio people in Freetown, who did most of the trading with the indigenous peoples of the interior. Educated Krio people held numerous positions in the colonial government, giving them status and well-paying positions. Following the [[Berlin Conference]] of 1884β1885, the British decided that they needed to establish more dominion over the inland areas, to satisfy what was described by the European powers as "effective occupation" of territories. In 1896 it annexed these areas, declaring them the Sierra Leone Protectorate.<ref name="harris40">Harris, David (2012), [https://books.google.com/books?id=B5RxmwC6aNwC&pg=PA1 ''Civil War and Democracy in West Africa: Conflict Resolution, Elections and Justice in Sierra Leone and Liberia''], I.B. Tauris, p. 40.</ref> With this change, the British began to expand their administration in the region, recruiting British citizens to posts and pushing Krio people out of positions in government and even the desirable residential areas in Freetown.<ref name="harris40"/> [[File: Bai Bureh.jpg|thumb|upright=0.99|[[Bai Bureh]], Temne leader of the [[Hut Tax War of 1898]] against British rule]] During the British annexation in Sierra Leone, several chiefs in the northern and southern parts of the country were resisting the "hut tax" imposed by the colonial administrators but they used diplomacy to achieve their goal. In the north, from 1820 to 1906, there was a Limba chief named Almamy Suluku who ruled his territory for many years, fighting to protect his territory, while at the same time using diplomacy to trick the protectorate administrators while sending fighters to assist [[Bai Bureh]], a prominent Temne chief in [[Kasseh]] who was fighting against the imposition of the "hut tax" by the colonial administrators. The war was later known as the [[Hut Tax War of 1898|Hut Tax War]]. Another prominent figure in Sierra Leone history is Bai Sherbro ({{circa|1830β1912}}). Bai Sherbro was a chief and warrior on Bonthe Island, in the southwestern part of the country. He, like Bai Bureh, resisted the British. Sherbro also sent fighters to assist Bai Bureh in the fight against the British. Sherbro was influential and powerful and the British greatly feared him. Bai Sherbro was captured and with Bai Bureh, exiled to the Gold Coast (modern Ghana). [[Nyagua]] ({{circa| 1842}}β1906), also known as the "Tracking King", was a fierce king who captured many districts and many people came to join him for protection. Nyagua also resisted the British. Realizing that he lacked sufficient strength, he resorted to diplomacy. At the same time, he sent warriors to assist Bai Bureh in fighting against the British. The British later captured Nyagua, and he was also exiled to the Gold Coast. [[Madam Yoko]] ({{circa| 1849}}β1906) was a brilliant woman of culture and ambition. She employed her capacity for friendly communications to persuade the British to give her control of the Kpaa Mende chiefdom. She used diplomacy to communicate with many local chiefs who did not trust her friendship with the British. Because Madam Yoko supported the British, some sub-chiefs rebelled, causing Yoko to take refuge in the police barracks. For her loyalty, she was awarded a silver medal by [[Queen Victoria]]. Until 1906, Madam Yoko ruled as a paramount chief in the new British Protectorate. It appears that she committed suicide at the age of fifty-five, perhaps due to the loss of support from her own people. [[File:SierraLeoneP016.tiff|thumb|Moa River Bridge, Sierra Leone. [[Alphonso Lisk-Carew|Lisk-Carew Brothers]], Freetown, Sierra Leone]] The British annexation of the Protectorate interfered with the sovereignty of indigenous chiefs. They designated chiefs as units of local government, rather than dealing with them individually as had been the previous practice. They did not maintain relationships even with longstanding allies, such as Bai Bureh, who was later unfairly portrayed as a prime instigator of the Hut Tax War.<ref name="Abraham">{{cite journal |title = Bai Bureh, The British, and the Hut Tax War |last = Abraham |first = Arthur |journal = [[The International Journal of African Historical Studies]] |issn = 0361-7882 |volume = 7 |issue = 1 |year = 1974 |pages = 99β106 |doi = 10.2307/216556 |jstor = 216556}}</ref> [[File: British Expeditionary Force in Freetown, 1919.jpg|thumb|British [[West Africa Campaign (World War I)|West African Campaign]] troops in Freetown, 1914β1916. Published caption: "British expeditionary force preparing to embark at Freetown to attack the [[German Cameroons]], the main object of the attack being the port of [[Douala|Duala]]. Auxiliary native troops were freely used in African warfare."]] Colonel [[Frederic Cardew]], military governor of the Protectorate, in 1898 established a new tax on dwellings and demanded that the chiefs use their people to maintain roads. The taxes were often higher than the value of the dwellings, and 24 chiefs signed a petition to Cardew, stating how destructive this was; their people could not afford to take time off from their subsistence agriculture. They resisted payment of taxes, tensions over the new colonial requirements and the administration's suspicions towards the chiefs, led to the Hut Tax war of 1898, also called the Temne-Mende War. The British fired first; the northern front of mainly Temne people was led by Bai Bureh. The southern front, consisting mostly of [[Mende people]], entered the conflict somewhat later, for other reasons. [[File: Bai Bureh (1898).jpg|thumb|Temne leader Bai Bureh seen here in 1898 after his surrender, sitting relaxed in his traditional dress with a handkerchief in his hands, while a Sierra Leonean [[Royal West African Frontier Force|West African Frontier Force]] soldier stands guard next to him ]] For several months, Bureh's fighters had the advantage over the vastly more powerful British forces but both sides suffered hundreds of fatalities.<ref>[http://www.sierra-leone.org/Heroes/heroes5.html History], Sierra-leone.org, Retrieved 17 January 2007.</ref> Bureh surrendered on 11 November 1898 to end the destruction of his people's territory and dwellings. Although the British government recommended leniency, Cardew insisted on sending the chief and two allies into [[exile]] in the Gold Coast; his government hanged 96 of the chief's warriors. Bureh was allowed to return in 1905, when he resumed his chieftaincy of Kasseh.<ref name="Abraham"/> The defeat of the Temne and Mende in the Hut Tax war ended mass resistance to the Protectorate and colonial government, but intermittent rioting and labour unrest continued throughout the colonial period. Riots in 1955 and 1956 involved "tens of thousands" of Sierra Leoneans in the Protectorate.<ref>Killson, Martin (1966), ''Political Change in a West African State: A Study of the Modernization Process in Sierra Leone'', Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, pp. 60; also pp. 106, 107, 110, 111, 186β188 on other riots and strikes.</ref> [[File: The Royal Navy during the Second World War A24465.jpg|thumb|African Naval ratings march past the Governor of Sierra Leone, [[Hubert Craddock Stevenson|Sir Hubert Stevenson]].]] Domestic [[Slavery in Africa|slavery]], which continued to be practised by local African elites, was abolished in 1928.<ref>{{cite web |author=The Committee Office, House of Commons |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmselect/cmintdev/923/923m21.htm |title=House of Commons β International Development β Memoranda |publisher=Publications.parliament.UK |date=6 March 2006 |access-date=17 June 2014 |archive-date=22 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722035235/http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmselect/cmintdev/923/923m21.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> A notable event in 1935 was the granting of a monopoly on mineral mining to the [[Sierra Leone Selection Trust]], run by [[De Beers]]. The monopoly was scheduled to last 98 years. Mining of diamonds in the east and other minerals expanded, drawing labourers there from other parts of the country. In 1924, the UK government divided the administration of Sierra Leone into Colony and Protectorate, with different political systems constitutionally defined for each. The Colony was Freetown and its coastal area; the Protectorate was defined as the [[hinterland]] areas dominated by local chiefs. Antagonism between the two entities escalated to a heated debate in 1947, when proposals were introduced to provide for a single political system for both the Colony and the Protectorate. Most of the proposals came from leaders of the Protectorate, whose population far outnumbered that in the colony. The Krios, led by [[I. T. A. Wallace-Johnson|Isaac Wallace-Johnson]], opposed the proposals, as they would have resulted in reducing the political power of the Krios in the Colony. In 1951, [[Lamina Sankoh]] (''born'': Etheldred Jones) collaborated with educated protectorate leaders from different groups, including [[Sir]] [[Milton Margai]], [[Siaka Stevens]], Mohamed Sanusi Mustapha, [[John Karefa-Smart]], Kande Bureh, Sir [[Albert Margai]], [[Amadu Wurie]] and Sir [[Banja Tejan-Sie]] joined together with the powerful [[paramount chiefs]] in the protectorate to form the [[Sierra Leone People's Party]] or SLPP as the party of the Protectorate. The SLPP leadership, led by Sir Milton Margai, negotiated with the British and the educated Krio-dominated colony based in Freetown to achieve independence.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sierra-leone.org/Heroes/heroes8.html|title=Sierra Leone Web β Sierra Leonean Heroes β Achievement of Independence|website=www.sierra-leone.org}}</ref> Owing to the astute politics of Milton Margai, the educated Protectorate elites were able to join forces with the [[paramount chiefs]] in the face of Krio intransigence. Later, Margai used the same skills to win over opposition leaders and moderate Krio elements to achieve independence from the UK.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newafricanmagazine.com/special-reports/country-reports/sierra-leone-a-nation-reborn/how-independence-was-won |title=How Independence Was Won |publisher=Newafricanmagazine.com |access-date=19 March 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029212925/http://www.newafricanmagazine.com/special-reports/country-reports/sierra-leone-a-nation-reborn/how-independence-was-won |archive-date=29 October 2013}}</ref> In November 1951, Margai oversaw the drafting of a new constitution, which united the separate Colonial and Protectorate legislatures and provided a framework for [[decolonisation]].<ref name="advocate">[http://www.advocatenations.org/html/sierra_leone.html Advocate Nations of Africa: Sierra Leone] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141205062710/http://www.advocatenations.org/html/sierra_leone.html |date=5 December 2014 }}</ref> In 1953, Sierra Leone was granted local ministerial powers and Margai was elected [[Chief Minister]] of Sierra Leone.<ref name="advocate"/> The new constitution ensured Sierra Leone had a parliamentary system within the [[Commonwealth of Nations]].<ref name="advocate"/> In May 1957, Sierra Leone held its first parliamentary election. The SLPP, which was then the most popular political party in the colony of Sierra Leone as well as being supported by the powerful paramount chiefs in the provinces, won the most seats in Parliament and Margai was re-elected as Chief Minister by a landslide. === Independence and post-independence era === Sierra Leone gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1961, transitioning to a nation with its own governance structures, though it faced significant political instability post-independence, including the establishment of a one-party state and periods of civil unrest. ==== 1960 Independence Conference ==== On 20 April 1960, Milton Margai led a 24-member Sierra Leonean delegation at constitutional conferences that were held with the Government of [[Queen Elizabeth II]] and British Colonial Secretary [[Iain Macleod]] in negotiations for independence held in London.<ref name="Murtala Mohammed Kamara">{{cite web |url=http://news.sl/drwebsite/publish/printer_200517413.shtml |title=Sierra Leone was ripe for Independence: Exclusive interview with Reginald Boltman |publisher=News.sl |date=28 February 2011 |author=Murtala Mohammed Kamara |access-date=17 June 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131126085732/http://news.sl/drwebsite/publish/printer_200517413.shtml |archive-date=26 November 2013 }}</ref><ref name="Momoh">{{cite web|last=Momoh |first=John |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201105040814.html |title=Sierra Leone: Viewpoint β Celebrating a New Nation! |publisher=allAfrica.com |date=4 May 2011 |access-date=20 May 2012}}</ref> On the conclusion of talks in London on 4 May 1960, the United Kingdom agreed to grant Sierra Leone independence on 27 April 1961.<ref name="Murtala Mohammed Kamara"/><ref name="Momoh"/> ==== Independence (1961) and Margai Administration (1961β1964) ==== On 27 April 1961, Sir Milton Margai led Sierra Leone to independence from Great Britain and became the country's first Prime Minister. Sierra Leone had its own parliament and its own prime minister, and had the ability to make 100% of its own laws, however, as with countries such as Canada and Australia, Sierra Leone remained a "Dominion" and Queen Elizabeth was Queen of the independent [[Sierra Leone (1961β1971)|Dominion of Sierra Leone]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Kargbo|first1=Michael S.|title=British Foreign Policy and the Conflict in Sierra Leone, 1991β2001|date=2006|publisher=Peter Lang|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tfW5ACrYksQC&pg=PA70|pages=70|isbn=9783039103324|access-date=19 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Fyle|first=Magbaily C.|title=Historical Dictionary of Sierra Leone|date=2006|publisher=Scarecrow Press|location=Lanham, Maryland|isbn=978-0-8108-5339-3|pages=XVIIβXXII|url=https://archive.org/details/historicaldictio0000fyle}}</ref> Thousands of Sierra Leoneans took to the streets in celebration. The Dominion of Sierra Leone retained a parliamentary system of government and was a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The leader of the main opposition [[All People's Congress]] (APC), Siaka Stevens, along with Isaac Wallace-Johnson, another outspoken critic of the SLPP government, were arrested and placed under [[house arrest]] in Freetown, along with sixteen others charged with disrupting the independence celebration.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/april/27/newsid_2502000/2502411.stm |title=BBC On This Day {{pipe}} 27 {{pipe}} 1961: Sierra Leone wins independence |work=[[BBC News]] |access-date=20 May 2012 |date=27 April 1961}}</ref> In May 1962, Sierra Leone held its [[Sierra Leonean general election, 1962|first general election]] as an independent nation. The [[Sierra Leone People's Party]] (SLPP) won a [[Plurality (voting)|plurality]] of seats in parliament, and Milton Margai was re-elected as prime minister. Margai was popular among Sierra Leoneans during his time in power, mostly known for his self-effacement. He was neither corrupt nor did he make a lavish display of his power or status.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sierra-leone.org/Heroes/heroes8.html|title=Sierra Leone Web β Sierra Leonean Heroes β Achievement of Independence|website=www.sierra-leone.org|access-date=28 November 2018}}</ref> He based the government on the [[rule of law]] and the separation of powers, with multiparty political institutions and fairly viable representative structures. Margai used his conservative ideology to lead Sierra Leone without much strife. He appointed government officials to represent various ethnic groups. Margai employed a brokerage style of politics, by sharing political power among political parties and interest groups; especially the involvement of powerful paramount chiefs in the provinces, most of whom were key allies of his government.{{citation needed|date=April 2014}} ==== After the death of Milton Margai and Albert Margai's tenure (1964β1967) ==== Upon Milton Margai's unexpected death in 1964, his younger [[half-brother]], Sir Albert Margai, was appointed as Prime Minister by parliament. Sir Albert's leadership was briefly challenged by Foreign Minister John Karefa-Smart, who questioned Sir Albert's succession to the SLPP leadership position. Karefa-Smart led a prominent small minority faction within the SLPP party in opposition of Albert Margai as Prime Minister. However, Karefa-Smart failed to receive broad support within the SLPP in his attempt to oust Albert Margai as both the leader of the SLPP and Prime Minister. The large majority of SLPP members backed Albert Margai over Karefa-Smart. Soon after Albert Margai was sworn in as Prime Minister, he fired several senior government officials who had served in his elder brother Sir Milton's government, viewing them as a threat to his administration, including Karefa-Smart. Sir Albert resorted to increasingly [[authoritarian]] actions in response to protests and enacted several laws against the opposition All People's Congress, whilst attempting to establish a [[one-party state]].<ref name="Murtala Mohammed Kamara"/><ref name="Momoh"/> Sir Albert was opposed to the colonial legacy of allowing executive powers to the Paramount Chiefs, many of whom had been key allies of his late brother Sir Milton. Accordingly, they began to consider Sir Albert a threat to the ruling houses across the country. Margai appointed many non-Creoles to the country's [[civil service]] in Freetown, in an overall diversification of the civil service in the capital, which had been dominated by members of the Creole ethnic group. As a result, Albert Margai became unpopular in the Creole community, many of whom had supported Sir Milton. Margai sought to make the army homogeneously [[Mende people|Mende]],<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal|title=SAGE Journals: Your gateway to world-class journal research|journal=Journal of Conflict Resolution|volume=60|issue=4|pages=587β616|doi=10.1177/0022002714545332|year = 2016|last1 = Harkness|first1 = Kristen A.|hdl=10023/9391|s2cid=54538341|hdl-access=free}}</ref> his own ethnic group, and was accused of favouring members of the Mende for prominent positions. In 1967, riots broke out in Freetown against Margai's policies; in response, he declared a [[state of emergency]] across the country. Sir Albert was accused of corruption and of a policy of [[affirmative action]] in favour of the Mende ethnic group.<ref>{{Cite book |last = Pham |first = John-Peter |title = Child soldiers, adult interests: the global dimensions of the Sierra Leonean tragedy |publisher = Nova Publishers |year = 2005 |pages = 33β35 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=ZnPFKpwoIkIC&pg=PA32 |isbn = 978-1-59454-671-6 |access-date = 17 June 2014}}</ref> He also endeavoured to change Sierra Leone from a democracy to a [[one-party state]].<ref name="Time">{{cite magazine |title=End of The Exception |url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,941075,00.html |magazine=Time |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629005010/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,941075,00.html?iid=chix-sphere |archive-date=29 June 2011 |date=31 March 1967 |url-status=live}}</ref> Although possessing the full backing of the country's security forces, he called for free and fair elections.{{citation needed|reason=Citation needed to confirm that he called for 'free and fair' elections considering there was a Mende-led coup soon after the result of his loss in the election was announced.|date=November 2022}} ==== 1967 General Election and military coups (1967β1968) ==== The APC, with its leader [[Siaka Stevens]], narrowly won a small majority of seats in Parliament over the SLPP in a closely contested [[Sierra Leonean general election, 1967|1967 general election]]. Stevens was sworn in as Prime Minister on 21 March 1967. Within hours after taking office, Stevens was ousted in a bloodless military coup led by [[Brigadier General]] [[David Lansana]], the commander of the [[Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces|Sierra Leone Armed Forces]]. He was a close ally of Albert Margai, who had appointed him to the position in 1964. Lansana placed Stevens under [[house arrest]] in Freetown and insisted that the determination of the Prime Minister should await the election of the tribal representatives to the House. Steven was later freed and fled the country, going into exile in neighbouring Guinea. However, on 23 March 1967, a group of military officers in the Sierra Leone Army led by Brigadier General [[Andrew Juxon-Smith]], staged a counter-coup against Commander Lansana. They seized control of the government, arrested Lansana, and suspended the constitution. The group set up the [[National Reformation Council]] (NRC), with Andrew Juxon-Smith as its chairman and Head of State of the country.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldrover.com/history/sierra_leone_history.html |title=History of Sierra Leone |publisher=Worldrover.com |access-date=20 May 2012}}</ref> On 18 April 1968 a group of low-ranking soldiers in the Sierra Leone Army who called themselves the Anti-Corruption Revolutionary Movement (ACRM), led by Brigadier General [[John Amadu Bangura]], [[Sergeants' Coup (Sierra Leone)|overthrew]] the NRC [[Military junta|junta]]. The ACRM junta arrested many senior NRC members. They reinstated the constitution and returned power to Stevens, who at last assumed the office of Prime Minister.<ref>{{Cite book |last = Gberie|first =Lansana |title = A dirty war in West Africa: the RUF and the destruction of Sierra Leone |publisher =C. Hurst & Co. Publishers |year =2005 |pages = 26β27 |url =https://books.google.com/books?id=OeBYQAFPXxsC&pg=PA34|isbn =978-1-85065-742-2|access-date =17 June 2014}}</ref> Stevens had Bangura arrested in 1970 and charged with conspiracy and treason. He was found guilty and sentenced to death, despite the fact that it was Bangura whose actions led to Stevens' return to power.<ref name="Focus">{{Cite web |url=http://www.focus-on-sierra-leone.co.uk/Vol3_3.htm |title=focus-on-sierra-leone.co.uk |website=www.focus-on-sierra-leone.co.uk |access-date=2018-07-11 |archive-date=12 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180712001509/http://www.focus-on-sierra-leone.co.uk/Vol3_3.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> Brigadier Lansana and [[Samuel Hinga Norman|Hinga Norman]], the main army officers involved in the first coup (1967), were unceremoniously dismissed from the armed forces and made to serve time in prison. Norman was a guard to [[Governor-general]] [[Henry Josiah Lightfoot Boston|Sir Henry Lightfoot-Boston]].<ref name="Humphrey"/> Lansana was later tried and found guilty of treason and sentenced to death in 1975.<ref name="Humphrey" /> ==== One-party state and dawn of the 'Republic' (1968β1991) ==== [[File: All People's Congress political rally Sierra Leone 1968.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|An [[All People's Congress|APC]] political rally in the northern town of [[Kabala, Sierra Leone|Kabala]] outside the home of supporters of the rival [[Sierra Leone People's Party|SLPP]] in 1968]] Stevens assumed power as Prime Minister again in 1968, following a series of coups, with a great deal of hope and ambition.<ref name="Humphrey" /> Much trust was placed upon him as he championed multi-party politics. Stevens had campaigned on a platform of bringing the tribes together under [[socialist]] principles. During his first decade or so in power, Stevens renegotiated some of what he called "useless prefinanced schemes" contracted by his predecessors, both Albert Margai of the SLPP and Juxon-Smith of the NRC. Some of these policies by the SLPP and the NRC were said to have left the country in an economically deprived state.<ref name="Humphrey" /> Stevens reorganised the country's oil refinery, the government-owned Cape Sierra Hotel, and a cement factory.<ref>David Harris. ''Sierra Leone: A Political History'', pp. 67β70, New York: Oxford University Press, 2014. {{ISBN|9780199361762}}. $30.00</ref> He cancelled Juxon-Smith's construction of a church and mosque on the grounds of Victoria Park (now known as ''Freetown Amusement Park'' β since 2017). Stevens began efforts that would later improve transportation and movements between the provinces and the city of Freetown. Roads and hospitals were constructed in the provinces, and Paramount Chiefs and provincial peoples became a prominent force in Freetown. Under the pressure of several coup attempts, real or perceived, Stevens' rule grew more and more [[authoritarian]], and his relationship with some of his ardent supporters deteriorated. He removed the SLPP party from competitive politics in general elections, some believed, through the use of violence and intimidation. To maintain the support of the military, Stevens retained the popular John Amadu Bangura as head of the Sierra Leone Armed Forces. After the return to civilian rule, [[by-election]]s were held (beginning in autumn 1968) and an all-APC cabinet was appointed. Calm was not completely restored. In November 1968, unrest in the provinces led Stevens to declare a state of emergency across the country. Many senior officers in the Sierra Leone Army were greatly disappointed with Stevens' policies and his handling of the Sierra Leone Military, but none could confront Stevens. Brigadier General Bangura, who had reinstated Stevens as Prime Minister, was widely considered the only person who could control Stevens. The army was devoted to Bangura, and this made him potentially dangerous to Stevens. In January 1970, Bangura was arrested and charged with [[Conspiracy (crime)|conspiracy]] and plotting to commit a coup against the Stevens government. After a trial that lasted a few months, Bangura was [[convicted]] and [[Capital punishment|sentenced to death]]. On 29 March 1970, Brigadier Bangura was executed by hanging in Freetown. After the execution of Bangura, a group of soldiers loyal to the executed general held a [[mutiny]] in Freetown and other parts of the country in opposition to Stevens' government. Dozens of soldiers were arrested and convicted by a [[court martial]] in Freetown for their participation in the mutiny against the president. Among the soldiers arrested was a little-known army [[corporal]], [[Foday Sankoh]], a strong Bangura supporter, who would later form the [[Revolutionary United Front|Revolutionary United Front (RUF)]]. Corporal Sankoh was convicted and jailed for seven years at the Pademba Road Prison in Freetown. In April 1971, a new republican constitution was adopted under which Stevens became president. In the 1972 by-elections, the opposition SLPP complained of intimidation and procedural obstruction by the APC and militia. These problems became so severe that the SLPP boycotted the [[Sierra Leonean general election, 1973|1973 general election]]; as a result, the APC won 84 of the 85 elected seats.<ref>{{Cite book |last =Rotberg |first =Robert I. |title =State failure and state weakness in a time of terror |publisher = Brookings Institution Press|year =2003 |page = 80 |url =https://books.google.com/books?id=oajfCpTpgCIC&pg=PA80|isbn = 978-0-8157-7574-4|access-date = 17 June 2014}}</ref> An alleged plot to overthrow President Stevens failed in 1974 and its leaders were executed. In mid-1974, Guinean soldiers, as requested by Stevens, were stationed in the country to help maintain his hold on power, as Stevens was a close ally of then-Guinean president [[Ahmed SΓ©kou TourΓ©]]. In March 1976, Stevens was elected without opposition for a second five-year term as president. On 19 July 1975, 14 senior army and government officials, including David Lansana, former cabinet minister Mohamed Sorie Forna (father of writer [[Aminatta Forna]]), Brigadier General Ibrahim Bash Taqi and Lieutenant Habib Lansana Kamara were executed after being convicted of attempting a coup to topple president Stevens' government. In 1977, a nationwide student demonstration against the government disrupted Sierra Leone's politics. The demonstration was quickly put down by the army and Stevens' own personal Special Security Division (SSD), a heavily armed paramilitary force he had created to protect him and maintain his hold on power.<ref>Tam-Baryoh, David, ["Politicized security forces or tribalized national politics; which is which?"] ''Newstime Africa''. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120901024455/ |date=1 September 2012 }}. Retrieved 26 February 2013.</ref> SSD officers were loyal to Stevens and were deployed across the country to clamp down on any rebellion or protest against Stevens' government. [[Sierra Leonean parliamentary election, 1977|A general election]] was called later that year in which corruption was again endemic; the APC won 74 seats and the SLPP 15. In 1978, the APC-dominant parliament approved a new constitution making the country a one-party state. The 1978 constitution made the APC the only legal political party in Sierra Leone.<ref name=Gberie>Gberie, Lansana (1998). ''[http://scholars.wlu.ca/etd/30/ War and state collapse: The case of Sierra Leone]'' (M.A. thesis) Wilfrid Laurier University</ref> This move led to another major demonstration against the government in many parts of the country, but it was also put down by the army and Stevens' SSD force. Stevens is generally criticised for dictatorial methods and government corruption, but on a positive note, he kept the country stable and from collapsing into civil war. He created several government institutions that are still in use today.{{citation needed|date=July 2018}} Stevens also reduced ethnic polarisation in government by incorporating members of various ethnic groups into his all-dominant APC government. Siaka Stevens retired from politics in November 1985 after being in power for eighteen years. The APC named a new presidential candidate to succeed Stevens at the party's last delegate conference, held in Freetown in November 1985. The candidate was [[Major General]] [[Joseph Saidu Momoh]], head of the Sierra Leone Armed Forces and Stevens' own choice to succeed him. As head of the armed forces, General Momoh had been loyal to Stevens, who had appointed him to the position. Like Stevens, Momoh was also a member of the minority [[Limba people (Sierra Leone)|Limba]] ethnic group. As the sole candidate, Momoh was elected president without opposition and sworn in as Sierra Leone's second president on 28 November 1985 in Freetown. A one-party parliamentary election between APC members was held in May 1986. President Momoh appointed his former military colleague and key ally, Major General Mohamed Tarawalie to succeed him as the head of the Sierra Leone Military. General Tarawalie was also a strong loyalist and key Momoh supporter. President Momoh named James Bambay Kamara as the head of the [[Sierra Leone Police]]. Bambay Kamara was also a strong Momoh loyalist and supporter. Momoh broke from former President Siaka Stevens by integrating the powerful SSD into the Sierra Leone Police as a special [[paramilitary force]]. Under President Stevens, the SSD had been a powerful personal force used to maintain his hold on power, independent from the Sierra Leone Military and Sierra Leone Police Force. The Sierra Leone Police under Bambay Kamara's leadership was accused of physical violence, arrest, and intimidation against critics of President Momoh's government. President Momoh's strong links with the army and his verbal attacks on corruption earned him much-needed initial support among Sierra Leoneans. With the lack of new faces in the new APC cabinet under President Momoh and the return of many of the old faces from Stevens' government, criticisms soon arose that Momoh was simply perpetuating the rule of Stevens. The next few years under the Momoh administration were characterised by corruption, which Momoh defused by sacking several senior cabinet ministers. To formalise his war against corruption, President Momoh announced a "[[Code of Conduct]] for Political Leaders and Public Servants". After an alleged attempt to overthrow President Momoh in March 1987, more than 60 senior government officials were arrested, including Vice-President [[Francis Minah]], who was removed from office, convicted of plotting the coup, and executed by [[hanging]] in 1989, along with five others. === Sierra Leone Civil War (1991β2002) and the NPRC regime (1992β1996) === {{Further|Sierra Leone Civil War}}The brutal civil war significantly impacted Sierra Leone, with internal and external factors contributing to widespread violence. International interventions, notably by the United Kingdom and the United Nations, were crucial in restoring peace.[[File: School destroyed by Sierra Leone Civil War.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|A school in [[Koindu]] destroyed during the [[Sierra Leone Civil War|Civil War]]; in total 1,270 primary schools were destroyed in the War.<ref name="ilab"/>]] In October 1990, owing to mounting pressure from both within and outside the country for political and economic reforms, president Momoh set up a constitutional review commission to assess the 1978 one-party constitution. Based on the commission's recommendations, a constitution re-establishing a multi-party system was approved by the exclusive APC Parliament by a 60% majority vote, becoming effective on 1 October 1991. There was great suspicion that President Momoh was not serious about his promise of political reform, as APC rule continued to be increasingly marked by abuses of power. The brutal civil war that was going on in neighbouring [[Liberia]] played a significant role in the outbreak of fighting in Sierra Leone. [[Charles Taylor (Liberia)|Charles Taylor]] β then leader of the [[National Patriotic Front of Liberia]] β reportedly helped form the [[Revolutionary United Front|Revolutionary United Front (RUF)]] under the command of former Sierra Leonean army [[corporal]] [[Foday Sankoh|Foday Saybana Sankoh]], an ethnic Temne from [[Tonkolili District]] in Northern Sierra Leone. Sankoh was a British trained former army corporal who had also undergone guerrilla training in Libya. Taylor's aim was for the RUF to attack the bases of Nigerian dominated peacekeeping troops in Sierra Leone who were opposed to his rebel movement in Liberia. On 29 April 1992, a group of young soldiers in the Sierra Leone Army, led by seven army officersβLieutenant Sahr Sandy, Captain Valentine Strasser, [[Solomon Musa|Lieutenant Solomon "SAJ" Musa]], Captain [[Komba Mondeh]], Lieutenant [[Tom Nyuma]], Captain Julius Maada Bio and Captain Komba Kambo<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.sl/drwebsite/exec/view.cgi?archive=2&num=106 |title=NPRC's Komba Kambo Speaks After Eleven Years Of Silence!: Sierra Leone News |first= Sayoh|last= Kamara|work=Awareness Times|publisher=News.sl |date=27 July 2005|access-date=17 June 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222185702/http://news.sl/drwebsite/exec/view.cgi?archive=2&num=106 |archive-date=22 February 2014}}</ref>βstaged a [[military coup]] that sent president Momoh into [[exile]] in Guinea, and the young soldiers established the National Provisional Ruling Council (NPRC), with 25-year-old Captain Valentine Strasser as its chairman and Head of State of the country.<ref name="blogspot1">{{cite web|url=http://salonenow.blogspot.com/2011/08/attempts-to-launder-maada-bios-battered.html#!/2011/08/attempts-to-launder-maada-bios-battered.html |title=SIERRA LEONE NOW: Attempts To Launder Maada Bio's Battered Image Fail... We Were Not Supreme Council Members β Civilians In NPRC Deny Involvement In Atrocities |publisher=Salonenow.blogspot.com |access-date=20 March 2014}}</ref> The NPRC junta immediately suspended the constitution, banned all political parties, limited [[freedom of speech]] and [[freedom of the press]] and enacted a rule-by-decree policy, in which soldiers were granted unlimited powers of administrative detention without charge or trial, and challenges against such detentions in court were precluded. SAJ Musa, a childhood friend of Strasser, became the deputy chairman and deputy leader of the NPRC government. Strasser became the world's youngest Head of State when he seized power just three days after his 25th birthday. The NPRC junta established the National Supreme Council of State as the military highest command and final authority in all matters and was exclusively made up of the highest-ranking NPRC soldiers, including Strasser himself and the original soldiers who toppled President Momoh.<ref name="blogspot1"/> One of the top-ranking soldiers in the NPRC junta, Lieutenant Sahr Sandy, a trusted ally of Strasser, was assassinated, allegedly by Major S.I.M. Turay, a key loyalist of ousted president Momoh. A heavily armed military manhunt was carried out across the country to find Lieutenant Sandy's killer. However, the main suspect, Major S.I.M. Turay, went into hiding and fled the country to Guinea, fearing for his life. Dozens of soldiers loyal to the ousted president Momoh were arrested, including Colonel Kahota M. Dumbuya and Major Yayah Turay. Lieutenant Sandy was given a [[state funeral]] and his funeral prayers service at the [[cathedral]] church in Freetown was attended by many high-ranking soldiers of the NPRC junta, including Strasser himself and NPRC deputy leader Sergeant Solomon Musa. The NPRC junta maintained relations with ECOWAS and strengthened support for Sierra Leone-based ECOMOG troops fighting in the Liberian war. On 28 December 1992, an alleged coup attempt against the NPRC government of Strasser, aimed at freeing the detained Colonel Yahya Kanu, Colonel [[Kahota M.S. Dumbuya]] and former inspector general of police Bambay Kamara, was foiled. Several Junior army officers led by Sergeant Mohamed Lamin Bangura were identified as being behind the coup plot. The coup plot led to the execution of seventeen soldiers by [[firing squad]]. Some of those executed include Colonel Kahota Dumbuya, Major Yayah Kanu and Sergeant Mohamed Lamin Bangura. Several prominent members of the Momoh government who had been in detention at the Pa Demba Road prison, including former inspector general of police Bambay Kamara, were also executed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.standardtimespress.org/artman/publish/article_4699.shtml |title=Standard Times Press Sierra Leone's NPRC's Ruthlessness No Death Certificates For 29 Sierra Leoneans |publisher=Standardtimespress.org |date=23 June 2010 |access-date=20 May 2012 |archive-date=4 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904020215/http://www.standardtimespress.org/artman/publish/article_4699.shtml |url-status=dead }}</ref> On 5 July 1994 SAJ Musa, who was popular among the general population, particularly in Freetown, was arrested and sent into exile after he was accused of planning a coup to topple Strasser, an accusation SAJ Musa denied. Strasser replaced Musa as deputy NPRC chairman with Captain Bio, who was instantly promoted by Strasser to [[brigadier]]. The NPRC's efforts proved to be nearly as ineffective as the ousted Momoh administration in repelling the RUF rebels. More and more of the country fell into the hands of RUF fighters, and by 1994 they had gained control of much of the diamond-rich Eastern Province and were getting close to the capital Freetown. In response, the NPRC hired the services of [[South Africa]]n-based [[private military contractor]] [[Executive Outcomes]] for several hundred mercenary fighters in order to strengthen the response to the advances of the RUF rebels. Within a month they had driven RUF fighters back to enclaves along Sierra Leone's borders and cleared the RUF from the Kono diamond-producing areas of Sierra Leone. With Strasser's two most senior NPRC allies and commanders Lieutenant Sahr Sandy and Lieutenant [[Solomon Musa]] no longer around to defend him, Strasser's leadership within the NPRC's Supreme Council of State became fragile. On 16 January 1996, after about four years in power, Strasser was arrested in a palace coup staged by his fellow NPRC soldiers led by Brigadier Bio at the Defence Headquarters in Freetown.<ref name="FSL Vol 2 No 1">{{cite web |url=http://www.focus-on-sierra-leone.co.uk/Vol2_1.htm |title=FSL Vol 2 No 1 |publisher=Focus-on-sierra-leone.co.uk |access-date=23 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928012312/http://www.focus-on-sierra-leone.co.uk/Vol2_1.htm |archive-date=28 September 2013 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Strasser was immediately flown into exile in a [[military helicopter]] to [[Conakry]], [[Guinea]]. In his first public broadcast to the nation following the 1996 coup, Brigadier Bio stated that his support for returning Sierra Leone to a democratically elected civilian government and his commitment to ending the civil war were his motivations for the coup.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/How+Sierra+Leone+fell+into+the+hands+of+young+soldiers.-a0254314002 |title=How Sierra Leone fell into the hands of young soldiers|publisher=Thefreelibrary.com |access-date=20 May 2012}}</ref> ==== Kabbah's tenure: government, "dawn of a new republic", the AFRC and end of the Civil War (1996β2007) ==== Promises of a return to civilian rule were fulfilled by Bio. Prior to conducting the election, Sierra Leoneans and international stakeholders were involved in a major debate on whether the nation should focus on trying to end the long running civil war, or to conduct elections and hence returning governance back to a civilian-led administration with a multi-party system of parliament that would provide the foundation for long-lasting peace and national prosperity. Following the 1995 National Consultative Conference at the Bintumani Hotel in Freetown, dubbed "Bintumani I", which was a Strasser-led initiative, another National Consultative Conference at the same Bintumani Hotel in Freetown, dubbed "Bintumani II", was initiated by the Bio administration that involved both national and international stakeholders, in an effort to find a viable solution to the issues plaguing the country.<ref name="Kandeh">Kandeh, J. D. (September, 1998), [https://www.jstor.org/stable/524828 "Transition without Rupture: Sierra Leone's Transfer Election of 1996"]. ''[[African Studies Review]]'' Flight. 41, No. 2 (September 1998), pp. 91β111. [[Cambridge University Press]]. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/524828 Archived]. Retrieved October 25, 2021.</ref> "''Peace before Elections vs Elections before Peace''" became a key debate topic and this quickly became a point of national discussion. The discussions eventually concluded with key stakeholders, including Bio's administration and the UN, agreeing that while efforts in finding a peaceful solution to ending the war should continue, a general election should be held as soon as possible.<ref name="Kandeh" /> Bio handed power over to Ahmad Tejan Kabbah of the SLPP, after the conclusion of elections in early 1996 which Kabbah won. President Kabbah took power with a great promise of ending the civil war. After taking over, President Kabbah immediately opened [[dialogue]] with the RUF and invited their leader Foday Sankoh for peace negotiations.<ref name="University">University of Central Arkansas. [https://uca.edu/politicalscience/dadm-project/sub-saharan-africa-region/sierra-leone-1961-present/ 41. Sierra Leone (1961-Present)]. [https://uca.edu/politicalscience/dadm-project/sub-saharan-africa-region/sierra-leone-1961-present/ Archived]. Retrieved 22 October 2021.</ref> On 25 May 1997, 17 soldiers in the Sierra Leone army led by Corporal Tamba Gborie, loyal to the detained Major [[Johnny Paul Koroma]], launched a military coup which sent President Kabbah into exile in Guinea and they established the [[Armed Forces Revolutionary Council]] (AFRC). Corporal Gborie quickly went to the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Services headquarters in New England, Freetown to announce the coup to a shocked nation and to alert all soldiers across the country to report for guard duty. The soldiers immediately released Koroma from prison and installed him as their chairman and Head of State. Koroma suspended the constitution, banned demonstrations, shut down all private radio stations in the country and invited the RUF to join the new junta government, with its leader Foday Sankoh as the Vice-Chairman of the new AFRC-RUF coalition junta government. Within days, Freetown was overwhelmed by the presence of the RUF combatants who came to the city in thousands. The Kamajors, a group of traditional fighters mostly from the Mende ethnic group under the command of deputy [[Defence Minister]] [[Samuel Hinga Norman]], remained loyal to President Kabbah and defended the Southern part of Sierra Leone from the soldiers. After nine months in office, the junta was overthrown by the Nigerian-led [[ECOMOG]] forces, and the democratically elected government of president Kabbah was reinstated in February 1998. On 19 October 1998, 24 soldiers in the Sierra Leone armyβincluding Gborie, Brigadier Hassan Karim Conteh, Colonel Samuel Francis Koroma, Major Kula Samba and Colonel Abdul Karim Sesayβwere executed by firing squad after they were convicted in a [[court martial]] in Freetown, some for orchestrating the 1997 coup that overthrew President Kabbah and others for failure to reverse the mutiny.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/afr51/019/1998/en/|title= Campaigns {{!}} Sierra Leone: Imminent execution / death penalty / legal concern |publisher=Amnesty International|website= Amnesty.org |date= 11 October 1998|access-date= 26 February 2013}}</ref> In October 1999, the United Nations agreed to send [[peacekeeping|peacekeepers]] to help restore order and disarm the rebels. The first of the 6,000-member force began arriving in December, and the [[UN Security Council]] voted in February 2000 to increase the force to 11,000, and later to 13,000. But in May, when nearly all [[Nigeria]]n forces had left and UN forces were trying to disarm the RUF in eastern Sierra Leone, [[Foday Sankoh|Sankoh]]'s forces clashed with the UN troops, and some 500 peacekeepers were taken [[hostage]] as the peace accord effectively collapsed. The hostage crisis resulted in more fighting between the RUF and the government as UN troops launched [[Operation Khukri]] to end the siege. The Operation was successful with Indian and British [[Special Forces]] being the main contingents. The situation in the country deteriorated to such an extent that British troops were deployed in [[Operation Palliser]], originally simply to evacuate foreign nationals. However, the British exceeded their original mandate and took full military action to finally defeat the rebels and restore order. The British were the catalyst for the ceasefire that ended the civil war. Elements of the [[British Army]], together with administrators and politicians, remained after withdrawal to help train the armed forces, improve the infrastructure of the country and administer financial and material aid. [[Tony Blair]], the Prime Minister of Britain at the time of the British intervention, is regarded as a hero by the people of Sierra Leone, many of whom are keen for more British involvement.<ref>{{Cite news|first=Alex|last= Renton|date=2010-04-17|title=Sierra Leone: one place where Tony Blair remains an unquestioned hero|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/apr/18/sierra-leone-international-aid-blair|access-date=2021-02-08|newspaper=The Guardian|language=en}}</ref> Between 1991 and 2001, about [[List of wars by death toll|50,000 people were killed]] in Sierra Leone's civil war. Hundreds of thousands of people were forced from their homes and many became refugees in [[Guinea]] and [[Liberia]]. In 2001, UN forces moved into rebel-held areas and began to disarm rebel soldiers. By January 2002, the war was declared over. In May 2002, [[Ahmad Tejan Kabbah|Kabbah]] was re-elected president by a landslide. By 2004, the disarmament process was complete. Also in 2004, a UN-backed [[war crime]]s court began holding trials of senior leaders from both sides of the war. In December 2005, UN peacekeeping forces pulled out of Sierra Leone. === 2007 General Election and beyond === {{main|2007 Sierra Leonean general election|2018 Sierra Leonean general election}} The elections in 2007 and 2012 marked a return to [[multi-party democracy]], with [[Ernest Bai Koroma]]'s election signaling a period of stability and recovery from the civil war.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2018-03-15|title=7 March 2018 Election in Sierra Leone by numbers|url=http://necsl2018.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Election-Figures_1403.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180315070525/http://necsl2018.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Election-Figures_1403.pdf|archive-date=15 March 2018|access-date=2021-02-08}}</ref> === Struggle with the Ebola epidemic (2014β2016) === The [[Ebola virus epidemic in Sierra Leone|Ebola epidemic]] in 2014 posed a significant health crisis, leading to a national state of emergency and highlighting the ongoing challenges faced by Sierra Leone in public health and governance.<ref name="internationalsos.com">[https://www.internationalsos.com/ebola/index.cfm?content_id=397&language_id=ENG Sierra Leone]. Internationalsos.com. Retrieved 24 February 2017.</ref> == Geography == {{Main|Geography of Sierra Leone}} [[File:UNsierraleone.PNG|thumb|upright=1.5|A map of Sierra Leone]] [[File:Koppen-Geiger Map SLE present.svg|thumb|Sierra Leone map of KΓΆppen climate classification]] Sierra Leone is located on the southwest coast of [[West Africa]], lying mostly between latitudes [[7th parallel north|7Β°]] and [[10th parallel north|10Β°N]] (a small area is south of 7Β°), and longitudes [[10th meridian west|10Β°]] and [[14th meridian west|14Β°W]]. The country is bordered by [[Guinea]] to the north and east, [[Liberia]] to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest.<ref name="LeVertP7">{{Cite book |last =LeVert |first =Suzanne |title =Cultures of the World: Sierra Leone |page =[https://archive.org/details/sierraleone0000leve/page/7 7] |publisher =Marshall Cavendish |isbn =978-0-7614-2334-8 |year =2006 |url =https://archive.org/details/sierraleone0000leve/page/7 }}</ref> Sierra Leone has a total area of {{convert|71740|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}, divided into a land area of {{convert|71620|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}} and water of {{convert|120|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}.<ref name="CIA">{{cite web |title=Sierra Leone |work=[[The World Factbook]] |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/sierra-leone/ |publisher=[[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]]|access-date=15 September 2011}}</ref> The country has four distinct geographical regions. In eastern Sierra Leone the [[plateau]] is interspersed with high mountains, where [[Mount Bintumani]] reaches {{convert|1948|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}, the highest point in the country. The upper part of the [[drainage basin]] of the [[Moa River]] is located in the south of this region. The centre of the country is a region of [[lowland]] [[plain]]s, containing forests, [[The bush|bush]] and [[Arable land|farmland]],<ref name="LeVertP7"/> that occupies about 43% of Sierra Leone's land area. The northern section of this has been categorised by the [[World Wildlife Fund]] as part of the [[Guinean forest-savanna mosaic]] [[ecoregion]], while the south is rain-forested plains and farmland. In the west, Sierra Leone has some {{convert|400|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} of Atlantic coastline, giving it both bountiful marine resources and attractive tourist potential. The coast has areas of low-lying [[Guinean mangroves]] swamp. The national capital [[Freetown]] sits on a coastal [[peninsula]], situated next to the Sierra Leone Harbour. The climate is tropical, with two seasons determining the agricultural cycle: the [[rainy season]] from May to November, and a [[dry season]] from December to May, which includes [[harmattan]], when cool, dry winds blow in off the [[Sahara Desert]] and the night-time temperature can be as low as {{convert|16|Β°C|Β°F|1}}. The average temperature is {{convert|26|Β°C|Β°F|1}} and varies from around {{convert|26|to|36|Β°C|Β°F|1}} during the year.<ref>{{Cite book |last =Blinker |first =Linda |date =September 2006 |title =Country Environment Profile (CEP) Sierra Leone |publisher =Consortium Parsons Brinckerhoff |location =Freetown, Sierra Leone |url =http://www.sliip.org/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=46 |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20130927112254/http://www.sliip.org/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=46 |url-status =dead |archive-date =27 September 2013 |page =12 |access-date =2 July 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last =LeVert |first =Suzanne |title =Cultures of the World: Sierra Leone |pages =[https://archive.org/details/sierraleone0000leve/page/8 8β9] |publisher =Marshall Cavendish |isbn =978-0-7614-2334-8 |year =2006 |url =https://archive.org/details/sierraleone0000leve/page/8 }}</ref> === Biodiversity === {{See also|Wildlife of Sierra Leone}} Sierra Leone is home to four terrestrial ecoregions: [[Guinean montane forests]], [[Western Guinean lowland forests]], [[Guinean forest-savanna mosaic]], and [[Guinean mangroves]].<ref name="DinersteinOlson2017">{{cite journal|last1=Dinerstein|first1=Eric|last2=Olson|first2=David|last3=Joshi|first3=Anup|last4=Vynne|first4=Carly|last5=Burgess|first5=Neil D.|last6=Wikramanayake|first6=Eric|last7=Hahn|first7=Nathan|last8=Palminteri|first8=Suzanne|last9=Hedao|first9=Prashant|last10=Noss|first10=Reed|last11=Hansen|first11=Matt|last12=Locke|first12=Harvey|last13=Ellis|first13=Erle C|last14=Jones|first14=Benjamin|last15=Barber|first15=Charles Victor|last16=Hayes|first16=Randy|last17=Kormos|first17=Cyril|last18=Martin|first18=Vance|last19=Crist|first19=Eileen|last20=Sechrest|first20=Wes|last21=Price|first21=Lori|last22=Baillie|first22=Jonathan E. M.|last23=Weeden|first23=Don|last24=Suckling|first24=KierΓ‘n|last25=Davis|first25=Crystal|last26=Sizer|first26=Nigel|last27=Moore|first27=Rebecca|last28=Thau|first28=David|last29=Birch|first29=Tanya|last30=Potapov|first30=Peter|last31=Turubanova|first31=Svetlana|last32=Tyukavina|first32=Alexandra|last33=de Souza|first33=Nadia|last34=Pintea|first34=Lilian|last35=Brito|first35=JosΓ© C.|last36=Llewellyn|first36=Othman A.|last37=Miller|first37=Anthony G.|last38=Patzelt|first38=Annette|last39=Ghazanfar|first39=Shahina A.|last40=Timberlake|first40=Jonathan|last41=KlΓΆser|first41=Heinz|last42=Shennan-FarpΓ³n|first42=Yara|last43=Kindt|first43=Roeland|last44=LillesΓΈ|first44=Jens-Peter Barnekow|last45=van Breugel|first45=Paulo|last46=Graudal|first46=Lars|last47=Voge|first47=Maianna|last48=Al-Shammari|first48=Khalaf F.|last49=Saleem|first49=Muhammad|display-authors=1|title=An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm|journal=BioScience|volume=67|issue=6|year=2017|pages=534β545|issn=0006-3568|doi=10.1093/biosci/bix014|pmid=28608869|pmc=5451287|doi-access=free}}</ref> Human activities claimed to be responsible or contributing to [[land degradation]] in Sierra Leone include unsustainable agricultural land use, poor soil and water management practices, deforestation, removal of natural vegetation, fuelwood consumption and to a lesser extent overgrazing and urbanisation.<ref name="unccd">{{cite web |url=http://www.unccd.int/cop/reports/africa/national/2004/sierra_leone-eng.pdf |title=National Report on the Implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD): Sierra Leone |year=2004 |author=UNCCD |access-date=24 November 2011 |page=39 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120218021717/http://www.unccd.int/cop/reports/africa/national/2004/sierra_leone-eng.pdf |archive-date=18 February 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref> [[Deforestation]], both for commercial timber and to make room for agriculture, is the major concern and represents an enormous loss of natural economic wealth to the nation.<ref name="unccd"/> Mining and [[slash and burn]] for land conversion β such as cattle grazing β dramatically diminished forested land in Sierra Leone since the 1980s. It is listed among countries of concern for emissions, as having Low Forest Cover with High Rates of Deforestation (LFHD).<ref name="Angelsen, Arild et al 2009 75β77">{{cite web |title=Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD): An Options Assessment Report |publisher=Meridian Institute for the Government of Norway |year=2009 |url=http://www.africaclimatesolution.org/features/REDD-Options_Assessment_Report.pdf |pages=75β77 |access-date=24 November 2011 |author=Angelsen, Arild |display-authors=etal |archive-date=29 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729043738/http://www.africaclimatesolution.org/features/REDD-Options_Assessment_Report.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> There are concerns that heavy logging continues in the Tama-Tonkoli Forest Reserve in the north. Loggers have extended their operations to Nimini, Kono District, Eastern Province; Jui, Western Rural District, Western Area; Loma Mountains National Park, Koinadougu, Northern Province; and with plans to start operations in the Kambui Forest reserve in the Kenema District, Eastern Province.<ref name="Angelsen, Arild et al 2009 75β77"/> The country had a 2019 [[Forest Landscape Integrity Index]] mean score of 2.76/10, ranking it 154th globally out of 172 countries.<ref name="FLII-Supplementary">{{cite journal|last1=Grantham|first1=H. S.|last2=Duncan|first2=A.|last3=Evans|first3=T. D.|last4=Jones|first4=K. R.|last5=Beyer|first5=H. L.|last6=Schuster|first6=R.|last7=Walston|first7=J.|last8=Ray|first8=J. C.|last9=Robinson|first9=J. G.|last10=Callow|first10=M.|last11=Clements|first11=T.|last12=Costa|first12=H. M.|last13=DeGemmis|first13=A.|last14=Elsen|first14=P. R.|last15=Ervin|first15=J.|last16=Franco|first16=P.|last17=Goldman|first17=E.|last18=Goetz|first18=S.|last19=Hansen|first19=A.|last20=Hofsvang|first20=E.|last21=Jantz|first21=P.|last22=Jupiter|first22=S.|last23=Kang|first23=A.|last24=Langhammer|first24=P.|last25=Laurance|first25=W. F.|last26=Lieberman|first26=S.|last27=Linkie|first27=M.|last28=Malhi|first28=Y.|last29=Maxwell|first29=S.|last30=Mendez|first30=M.|last31=Mittermeier|first31=R.|last32=Murray|first32=N. J.|last33=Possingham|first33=H.|last34=Radachowsky|first34=J.|last35=Saatchi|first35=S.|last36=Samper|first36=C.|last37=Silverman|first37=J.|last38=Shapiro|first38=A.|last39=Strassburg|first39=B.|last40=Stevens|first40=T.|last41=Stokes|first41=E.|last42=Taylor|first42=R.|last43=Tear|first43=T.|last44=Tizard|first44=R.|last45=Venter|first45=O.|last46=Visconti|first46=P.|last47=Wang|first47=S.|last48=Watson|first48=J. E. M.|display-authors=1|title=Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity β Supplementary Material|journal=Nature Communications|volume=11|issue=1|year=2020|page=5978|issn=2041-1723|doi=10.1038/s41467-020-19493-3|pmid=33293507|pmc=7723057|bibcode=2020NatCo..11.5978G |doi-access=free}}</ref> [[West Africa#Overfishing|Overfishing]] is also an issue in Sierra Leone. [[Habitat]] degradation for the [[African wild dog]], ''Lycaon pictus'', has been increased, such that this [[Canidae|canid]] is deemed to have been extirpated in Sierra Leone.<ref>Hogan, C. Michael (2009). [http://globaltwitcher.auderis.se/artspec_information.asp?thingid=35993 Painted Hunting Dog: ''Lycaon pictus''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101209234758/http://globaltwitcher.auderis.se/artspec_information.asp?thingid=35993 |date=9 December 2010 }}. GlobalTwitcher.com.</ref> Until 2002, Sierra Leone lacked a forest management system because of the civil war that caused tens of thousands of deaths. Deforestation rates have increased 7.3% since the end of the civil war.<ref name="rainforests.mongabay.com">Butler, Rhett (2005). [http://rainforests.mongabay.com/20sierraleone.htm ''Sierra Leone: Environmental Profile''], mongabay.com</ref> On paper, 55 protected areas covered 4.5% of Sierra Leone as of 2003. The country has 2,090 known [[species]] of higher plants, 147 [[mammals]], 626 birds, 67 [[reptiles]], 35 [[amphibians]], and 99 fish species.<ref name="rainforests.mongabay.com"/> Unrestricted hunting during the war led to the decrease of many animal populations, including elephants, lions, and buffalo. Many of these animals can now only be found in sanctuaries. The tsetse fly, a malaria-carrying mosquito, is now dominant in the region and has led to an increase in the spread of the disease. Still, Sierra Leone's bird populations have been largely the same and includes native birds such as cuckoos, owls, and vultures. The Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary and the Gola Forest Reserves are just two examples of the humanitarian efforts to preserve wildlife after the civil war.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-11-14 |title=Freetown {{!}} Sierra Leone, History, Map, & Facts {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Freetown |access-date=2023-11-21 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> The [[Environmental Justice Foundation]] has documented how the number of [[illegal fishing]] vessels in Sierra Leone's waters has multiplied in recent years. The amount of illegal fishing has significantly depleted fish stocks, depriving local fishing communities of an important resource for survival. The situation is particularly serious as fishing provides the only source of income for many communities in a country still recovering from over a decade of civil war.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Environmental Justice Foundation |url=http://www.ejfoundation.org/page370.html |title=Sierra Leone |date=17 September 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081010165129/http://www.ejfoundation.org/page370.html |archive-date=10 October 2008}}</ref> In June 2005, the [[Royal Society for the Protection of Birds]] (RSPB) and BirdLife International agreed to support a conservation-[[sustainable development]] project in the [[Gola Forest]] in south eastern Sierra Leone,<ref>[[BBC News]], [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7136606.stm ''Sierra Leone sets up forest park''], 10 December 2007 </ref> an important surviving fragment of [[rainforest]] in Sierra Leone. == Government and politics == {{Main|Politics of Sierra Leone}} {{multiple image |width=230 |perrow=1/1 |image1= |caption1=[[Julius Maada Wonie Bio]], current president of Sierra Leone (12 May 2018 - present) |image2= |caption2=Official seal of the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone }} Sierra Leone is a constitutional republic with a [[Direct democracy|directly elected]] president and a [[unicameral legislature]]. The current system of the [[Government of Sierra Leone]] is based on the 1991 [[Constitution of Sierra Leone|Sierra Leone Constitution]]. Sierra Leone has a dominant [[unitary state|unitary]] [[central government]] and a weak [[local government]]. The [[executive branch]] of the Government of Sierra Leone, headed by the [[president of Sierra Leone]] has extensive powers and influence. The president is the most powerful government official in Sierra Leone.<ref name="nyulawglobal.org">Hanatu Kabbah (November 2006). [http://www.nyulawglobal.org/globalex/Sierra_Leone.htm Sierra Leone Legal System and Legal Research]. nyulawglobal.org</ref> Within the confines of the 1991 Constitution, supreme legislative powers are vested in [[Parliament of Sierra Leone|Parliament]], which is the law-making body of the nation. Supreme executive authority rests in the president and members of his cabinet and judicial power with the judiciary of which the [[Chief Justice of Sierra Leone]] is the head. The president is the [[head of state]], the [[head of government]], and the [[commander-in-chief]] of the [[Military of Sierra Leone|Sierra Leone Armed Forces]]. The president appoints and heads a cabinet of ministers, which must be approved by the Parliament. The president is elected by [[Direct election|popular vote]] to a maximum of two five-year terms. The president is the highest and most influential position within the government of Sierra Leone. To be elected president of Sierra Leone, a candidate must gain at least 55% of the vote. If no candidate gets 55%, there is a [[two-round system|second-round runoff]] between the top two candidates. The current president of Sierra Leone is former [[military junta]] leader [[Julius Maada Bio]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/04/04/africa/sierra-leone-presidential-election-intl/index.html|title=Sierra Leone declares former junta head president|first=Bukola |last=Adebayo|work=CNN|access-date=5 April 2018}}</ref> Bio defeated [[Samura Kamara]] of the ruling All People's Congress (APC) in the country's tightly contested 2018 presidential election. Bio replaced outgoing President [[Ernest Bai Koroma]] after Bio was sworn into office on 4 April 2018 by Chief Justice [[Abdulai Cham]]. Bio is the leader of the [[Sierra Leone People's Party]], the current ruling party in Sierra Leone. Next to the president is the [[Vice President of Sierra Leone|vice-president]], who is the second highest-ranking government official in the executive branch of the Sierra Leone Government. As designated by the Sierra Leone Constitution, the vice-president is to become the new president of Sierra Leone upon the death, resignation, or removal of the President. === Parliament === The Parliament of Sierra Leone is [[unicameral]], with 146 seats. Each of the country's 14 districts is represented in parliament. 132 members are elected concurrently with the presidential elections; the other 16 seats are filled by [[paramount chief]]s from the country's 16 [[Administrative division|administrative districts]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-06-01|title=Parliament of Sierra Leone > Home|url=http://www.parliament.gov.sl/|access-date=2021-02-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190601231404/http://www.parliament.gov.sl/|archive-date=1 June 2019}}</ref> The Sierra Leone parliament is led by the Speaker of Parliament, who is the overall leader of Parliament and is directly elected by sitting members of parliament. The current speaker of the Sierra Leone parliament is [[Abass Bundu]], who was elected by members of parliament on 21 January 2014. The current members of the Parliament of Sierra Leone were elected in the 2012 Sierra Leone parliamentary election. The APC currently has 68 of the 132 elected parliamentary seats and the [[Sierra Leone People's Party]] (SLPP) has 49 of the elected 132 parliamentary seats. Sierra Leone's two most dominant [[political party|parties]], the APC and the SLPP, collectively won every elected seat in Parliament in the 2012 Sierra Leone parliamentary election. To be qualified as a Member of Parliament, the person must be a citizen of Sierra Leone, must be at least 21 years old, and must be able to speak, read, and write the English language with a degree of proficiency to enable him to actively take part in proceedings in Parliament; and must not have any criminal conviction.<ref name="nyulawglobal.org"/> Since independence in 1961, Sierra Leone's politics has been dominated by two major political parties: the SLPP and the APC. Other minor political parties have also existed but with no significant support.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sierra Leone National Election Commission Bulletin |date=SeptemberβDecember 2011 |url=http://www.nec-sierraleone.org/Bulletin.html |access-date=25 February 2012 |archive-date=14 November 2012 |archive-url=https://swap.stanford.edu/20121114222820/http://www.nec-sierraleone.org/Bulletin.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> === Judiciary === {{main|Judiciary of Sierra Leone}} [[File: Freetown Court 1984.jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|The Sierra Leone [[Supreme Court of Sierra Leone|Supreme Court]] in the capital [[Freetown]], the highest and most powerful court in the country]] The judicial power of Sierra Leone is vested in the [[judiciary]], headed by the [[Chief Justice of Sierra Leone]] and comprising the Supreme Court of Sierra Leone, which is the highest court in the country, meaning that its rulings, therefore, cannot be appealed against. Other courts include the High Court of Justice, the Court of Appeal, the magistrate courts, and traditional courts in rural villages. The president appoints and parliament approves Justices for the three courts. The Judiciary has jurisdiction in all civil and criminal matters throughout the country. The current acting [[chief justice]] of Sierra Leone is Desmond Babatunde Edwards. === Foreign relations === {{Main|Foreign relations of Sierra Leone}} The Sierra Leonean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation is responsible for foreign policy of Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone has diplomatic relations that include China, Russia,<ref>{{cite web|last1=Ambassade de la FΓ©dΓ©ration de Russie en RΓ©publique de GuinΓ©e|title=Russia and Sierra Leone diplomatic relations|url=http://guinea.mid.ru/web/guinee-fr/actualites-de-l-ambassade/-/asset_publisher/u42vl5IwZdlL/content/55th-anniversary-of-diplomatic-relations-between-russia-and-sierra-leone?inheritRedirect=false&redirect=http%3A%2F%2Fguinea.mid.ru%2Fweb%2Fguinee-fr%2Factualites-de-l-ambassade%3Fp_p_id%3D101_INSTANCE_u42vl5IwZdlL%26p_p_lifecycle%3D0%26p_p_state%3Dnormal%26p_p_mode%3Dview%26p_p_col_id%3Dcolumn-1%26p_p_col_count%3D1|website=mid.ru|access-date=2 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170816063823/https://guinea.mid.ru/web/guinee-fr/actualites-de-l-ambassade/-/asset_publisher/u42vl5IwZdlL/content/55th-anniversary-of-diplomatic-relations-between-russia-and-sierra-leone?inheritRedirect=false&redirect=http%3A%2F%2Fguinea.mid.ru%2Fweb%2Fguinee-fr%2Factualites-de-l-ambassade%3Fp_p_id%3D101_INSTANCE_u42vl5IwZdlL%26p_p_lifecycle%3D0%26p_p_state%3Dnormal%26p_p_mode%3Dview%26p_p_col_id%3Dcolumn-1%26p_p_col_count%3D1|archive-date=16 August 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> Libya, Iran, and Cuba. Sierra Leone has good relations with the West, including the United States, and has maintained historical ties with the United Kingdom and other former [[British Empire|British colonies]] through its membership of the [[Commonwealth of Nations]].<ref>{{cite web |date =October 2008 |title =Background Note: Sierra Leone |publisher=U.S. Department of State |url =https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5475.htm |access-date =7 October 2008}}</ref> The United Kingdom has played a major role in providing aid to the former colony, together with administrative help and military training since intervening to end the Civil War in 2000. Former President [[Siaka Stevens]]' government had sought closer relations with other [[West African]] countries under the [[Economic Community of West African States]] (ECOWAS), a policy continued by the current government. Sierra Leone, along with [[Liberia]], [[Ivory Coast]] and [[Guinea]], form the [[Mano River Union]] (MRU). It is primarily designed to implement development projects and promote regional [[economic integration]] between the four countries.<ref>{{cite web |year =2006 |title =Welcome to the Mano River Union Website |publisher =Mano River Union |url =http://www.manoriverunion.org/ |access-date =7 October 2008 |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20080706124624/http://www.manoriverunion.org/ |archive-date =6 July 2008 |url-status =dead }}</ref> Sierra Leone is also a member of the [[United Nations]] and its specialised agencies, the [[African Union]], the [[African Development Bank]] (AFDB), the [[Organisation of Islamic Cooperation]] (OIC), and the [[Non-Aligned Movement]] (NAM).<ref name=foreign>{{cite encyclopedia |year =2007 |title =Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Relations |encyclopedia =Sierra Leone Encyclopedia |url =http://www.daco-sl.org/encyclopedia/1_gov/1_2mfa.htm |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20090223182542/http://www.daco-sl.org/encyclopedia/1_gov/1_2mfa.htm |archive-date =23 February 2009 |access-date =7 October 2008 |url-status =dead |df =dmy-all }}</ref> Sierra Leone is a member of the [[International Criminal Court]] with a [[Bilateral Immunity Agreement]] of protection for the [[Military of the United States|US military]] (as covered under Article 98). === Military === {{Main|Military of Sierra Leone}} The Military of Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF), are the unified armed forces of Sierra Leone responsible for the territorial security of Sierra Leone's border and defending the national interests of Sierra Leone within the framework of its international obligations. The armed forces were formed after independence in 1961, based on elements of the former British [[Royal West African Frontier Force]] present in the country. The Sierra Leone Armed Forces consist of around 15,500 personnel, comprising the largest Sierra Leone Army,<ref>[http://www.janes.com/extracts/extract/wafrsu/siers100.html Armed forces (Sierra Leone) Jane's Sentinel Security Assessments], June 2008</ref> the Sierra Leone Navy and the Sierra Leone Air Wing.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.janes.com/articles/Janes-World-Air-Forces/Summary-Sierra-Leone.html |title=Summary (Sierra Leone) β Jane's World Air Forces |publisher=Janes.com |date=30 July 2010 |access-date=22 August 2010}}</ref> The [[president of Sierra Leone]] is the [[Commander in Chief]] of the military and the Minister of Defence responsible for defence policy and the formulation of the armed forces.<ref>[http://www.sierraloaded.com]</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.https/ |title=Welcome to the US Petabox |access-date=6 August 2023 |archive-date=19 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130819141428/http://https/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> When Sierra Leone gained independence in 1961, the Royal Sierra Leone Military Force was created from the Sierra Leone Battalion of the West African Frontier Force.<ref name="Kaplan">[https://books.google.com/books?id=tv9yAAAAMAAJ&dq=Royal+Sierra+Leone+Military+Force&pg=PA337 ''Area Handbook for Sierra Leone''], Irving Kaplan, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1976, page 337</ref> The military seized control in 1968, bringing the [[National Reformation Council]] into power. On 19 April 1971, when Sierra Leone became a republic, the Royal Sierra Leone Military Forces were renamed the Republic of Sierra Leone Military Force (RSLMF).<ref name="Kaplan" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.daco-sl.org/encyclopedia/1_gov/1_6rslaf.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100111070308/http://www.daco-sl.org/encyclopedia/1_gov/1_6rslaf.htm |archive-date=11 January 2010 |title=Partners: Sierra Leone Armed Forces |publisher=Daco-sl.org |access-date=20 May 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The RSLMF remained a single-service organisation until 1979 when the Sierra Leone Navy was established. In 1995 Defence Headquarters was established, and the Sierra Leone Air Wing was formed. The RSLMF was renamed as the Armed Forces of the Republic of Sierra Leone (AFRSL). === Law enforcement === Law enforcement in Sierra Leone is primarily the responsibility of the [[Sierra Leone Police]] (SLP), which is accountable to the Minister of Internal Affairs (appointed by the president). Sierra Leone Police was established by the [[British colony]] in 1894; it is one of the oldest police forces in West Africa. It works to prevent crime, protect life and property, detect and prosecute offenders, maintain [[public order]], ensure safety and security, and enhance access to justice. The Sierra Leone Police is headed by the [[Inspector General of Police]], the professional head of the Sierra Leone Police force, who is appointed by the [[president of Sierra Leone]]. Each one of [[Districts of Sierra Leone|Sierra Leone's 14 districts]] is headed by a district police commissioner who is the professional head of their respective district. These Police Commissioners report directly to the Inspector General of Police at the Sierra Leone Police headquarters in Freetown. The current Inspector General of Police is [[William Fayia Sellu]], who was appointed to the position by President [[president Julius Madda Bio]] on 27 July 2022 to replace Ambrose Sovula, who had been in the post since March 2020.<ref>[http://wwwhttps{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}://radiodemocracy.sl/.</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.thesierraleonetelegraph.com/an-open-letter-to-willam-fayia-sellu-sierra-leones-new-inspector-general-of-police/ | title=An Open Letter to Willam Fayia Sellu β Sierra Leone's new Inspector General of Police | date=29 July 2022 }}</ref> === Human rights === {{Main|Human rights in Sierra Leone}} Male [[LGBT rights in Sierra Leone|same-sex sexual activity]] is illegal under Section 61 of the [[Offences against the Person Act 1861]], and imprisonment for life is possible.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://old.ilga.org/Statehomophobia/ILGA_State_Sponsored_Homophobia_2012.pdf| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120611181908/http://old.ilga.org/Statehomophobia/ILGA_State_Sponsored_Homophobia_2012.pdf |archive-date=11 June 2012 |title=State Sponsored Homophobia: A world survey of laws criminalising same-sex sexual acts between consenting adults |publisher=The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association |editor= Lucas Paoli Itaborahy |date=May 2012 |page=35}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Daniel |last=Avery |title=71 Countries Where Homosexuality is Illegal |url=https://www.newsweek.com/73-countries-where-its-illegal-be-gay-1385974 |work=Newsweek |date=4 April 2019}}</ref> Excessive [[police brutality]] is also a frequent problem. Protesters have been killed by security forces, as have prison rioters (in one incident at [[Freetown Central Prison|Pademba Road Prison]], 30 inmates and one [[correction officer]] were killed). Multiple allegations were made during the COVID-19 lockdown period of police attacking people trying to obtain basic necessities.<ref>{{cite web|title=SIERRA LEONE 2020|url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/africa/west-and-central-africa/sierra-leone/report-sierra-leone/|website=Amnesty International|access-date=28 January 2022}}</ref> === Leadership in World governance initiatives === Sierra Leone has been one of the signatories of the agreement to convene a convention for drafting a [[world constitution]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Letters from Thane Read asking Helen Keller to sign the World Constitution for world peace. 1961 |url=https://www.afb.org/HelenKellerArchive?a=d&d=A-HK01-07-B149-F04-022.1.8 |access-date=2023-07-01 |website=Helen Keller Archive |publisher=American Foundation for the Blind}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Letter from World Constitution Coordinating Committee to Helen, enclosing current materials |url=https://www.afb.org/HelenKellerArchive?a=d&d=A-HK01-07-B154-F05-028.1.4 |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=Helen Keller Archive |publisher=American Foundation for the Blind}}</ref> As a result, in 1968, for the first time in human history, a [[World Constituent Assembly]] convened to draft and adopt the [[Constitution for the Federation of Earth]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Preparing earth constitution {{!}} Global Strategies & Solutions {{!}} The Encyclopedia of World Problems |url=http://encyclopedia.uia.org/en/strategy/193465 |url-status= |access-date=2023-07-15 |website=The Encyclopedia of World Problems {{!}} Union of International Associations (UIA)}}</ref> [[Milton Margai]], then [[president of Sierra Leone]], signed the agreement to convene a World Constituent Assembly.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Amerasinghe |first=Terence P. |title=Emerging World Law, Volume 1 |publisher=Institute for Economic Democracy |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-933567-16-7 |page=50 |language=en}}</ref> === Administrative divisions === {{Main|Administrative divisions of Sierra Leone}} [[File:Districts in Sierra Leone 2018.svg|thumb|upright=1.6|The 14 districts and 2 areas of Sierra Leone]] The Republic of Sierra Leone is composed of five regions: the [[Northern Province, Sierra Leone|Northern Province]], [[North West Province, Sierra Leone|North West Province]], [[Southern Province, Sierra Leone|Southern Province]], the [[Eastern Province, Sierra Leone|Eastern Province]], and the [[Western Area]]. Four provinces are further divided into 14 districts; the Western Area is divided into two districts. The provincial districts are divided into 186 chiefdoms, which have traditionally been led by [[paramount chiefs]], recognised by the British administration in 1896 at the time of organising the Protectorate of Sierra Leone. The Paramount Chiefs are influential, particularly in [[villages]] and small rural towns.<ref name="Tristan">[http://scholar.harvard.edu/files/jrobinson/files/history.pdf Tristan Reed and James A. Robinson, ''The Chiefdoms of Sierra Leone''], ''Scholar'', Harvard University, 15 July 2013, accessed 30 April 2014</ref> Each chiefdom has ruling families that were recognised at that time; the Tribal Authority, made up of local notables, elects the paramount chief from the ruling families.<ref name="Tristan"/> Typically, chiefs have the power to "raise taxes, control the judicial system, and allocate land, the most important resource in rural areas".<ref name="daron">Daron Acemoglu, Tristan Reed. and James A. Robinson. [http://public-prod-acquia.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/documents/pe_10_13_Robinson_0.pdf "Chiefs: Economic Development and Elite Control of Civil Society in Sierra Leone"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305101740/http://public-prod-acquia.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/documents/pe_10_13_Robinson_0.pdf |date=5 March 2016 }}, Stanford University, 29 August 2013, accessed 30 April 2014</ref> Within the context of local governance, the districts are governed as ''localities''. Each has a directly elected local district council to exercise authority and carry out functions at a local level.<ref name="Renner-Thomas 2010 6β7">{{Cite book |last =Renner-Thomas |first = Ade |title = Land Tenure in Sierra Leone: The Law, Dualism and the Making of a Land Policy |publisher =AuthorHouse |year =2010 |pages = 6β7 |url =https://books.google.com/books?id=RiIpW6vWVPoC&pg=PA5|isbn=978-1-4490-5866-1|access-date=17 June 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title = ActionAid launches Perception survey as new local councils struggle to survive |publisher = ActionAid |url = http://www.actionaid.org/tanzania/index.aspx?PageID=3925 |access-date = 26 February 2011 |archive-date = 25 September 2022 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220925152420/http://www.actionaid.org/tanzania/index.aspx?PageID=3925 |url-status = dead }}</ref> In total, there are 19 local councils: 13 district councils, one for each of the 12 districts and one for the Western Area Rural, and six municipalities also have elected local councils. The six municipalities include Freetown, which functions as the local government for the Western Area Urban District, and [[Bo, Sierra Leone|Bo]], [[Bonthe]], [[Kenema]], [[Koidu]], and [[Makeni]].<ref name="Renner-Thomas 2010 6β7"/><ref>{{cite web|title=Sierra Leone|url=http://www.clgf.org.uk/regions/clgf-west-africa/sierra-leone/|website=Commonwealth Local Government Forum|access-date=12 January 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Sierra Leone Human Development Report 2007 β Empowering Local Government for Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction β The District Focus Approach to Development |url=http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/sierraleone_nhdr_20071.pdf|website=[[United Nations Development Programme]]|access-date=12 January 2018}}</ref> While the district councils are under the oversight of their respective provincial administrations, the municipalities are directly overseen by the Ministry of Local Government & Community Development and thus administratively independent of district and provincial administrations. {|class="wikitable" style="float:left;" !District!!Capital|!!Area (km<sup>2</sup>)||Province||Population<br /> (2004 census)<ref name=SSL>{{cite web |title =Final Results 2004 population and housing census |publisher=Statistics Sierra Leone |url=http://www.sierra-leone.org/Census/ssl_final_results.pdf|page=3|access-date=17 June 2014}}</ref><!--These are the official figures please do not change without discussion-->||Population<br /> (2015 census)<ref name=census2015>{{cite web |url=https://www.statistics.sl/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/2015-Census-Provisional-Result.pdf |title=Provisional Results |work=Sierra Leone 2015 Population and Housing Census |date=March 2016 |publisher=Statistics Sierra Leone}}</ref> |- |[[Bombali District]] ||[[Makeni]]||align="right"|7,985||rowspan="5"|[[Northern Province, Sierra Leone|Northern<br /> Province]]||align="right"|408,390||align="right"|606,183<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gpro&lng=en&des=wg&srt=npan&col=adhoq&msz=1500&geo=-6636 |title=Bombali β profile of geographical entity including name variants |publisher=World Gazetteer |access-date=20 May 2012 }}{{dead link|date=July 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> |- ||[[Koinadugu District]] ||[[Kabala, Sierra Leone|Kabala]]||align="right"|12,121||align="right"|265,758||align="right"|408,097<ref name="Port Loko">{{cite web|url=http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gpro&lng=en&des=wg&srt=npan&col=adhoq&msz=1500&geo=-6644 |title=Port Loko |publisher=World-gazetteer.com |access-date=20 May 2012 }}{{dead link|date=July 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> |- |[[Port Loko District]] ||[[Port Loko]]||align="right"|5,719||align="right"|453,746||align="right"|614,063<ref name="Port Loko"/> |- |[[Tonkolili District]] ||[[Magburaka]]||align="right"|7,003||align="right"|347,197||align="right"|530,776<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gpro&lng=en&des=wg&srt=npan&col=adhoq&msz=1500&geo=-6647 |title=Tonkolili β profile of geographical entity including name variants |publisher=World Gazetteer |access-date=20 May 2012 }}{{dead link|date=July 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> |- |[[Kambia District]] ||[[Kambia, Sierra Leone|Kambia]]||align="right"|3,108||align="right"|270,462||align="right"|343,686<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gpro&lng=en&des=wg&srt=npan&col=adhoq&msz=1500&geo=-6639 |title=Kambia β profile of geographical entity including name variants |publisher=World Gazetteer |access-date=20 May 2012 }}{{dead link|date=July 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> |- |[[Kenema District]] ||[[Kenema]]||align="right"|6,053||rowspan="3"|[[Eastern Province, Sierra Leone|Eastern<br /> Province]]||align="right"|497,948||align="right"|609,873<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gpro&lng=en&des=wg&srt=npan&col=adhoq&msz=1500&geo=-6640 |title=Kenema β profile of geographical entity including name variants |publisher=World Gazetteer |access-date=20 May 2012 }}{{dead link|date=July 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> |- |[[Kono District]] ||[[Koidu|Koidu Town]] ||align="right"|5,641||align="right"|335,401||align="right"|505,767<ref name="World Gazetteer">{{cite web|url=http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gpro&lng=en&des=wg&srt=npan&col=adhoq&msz=1500&geo=-6638 |title=Kailahun β profile of geographical entity including name variants |publisher=World Gazetteer |access-date=20 May 2012 }}{{dead link|date=July 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> |- |[[Kailahun District]] ||[[Kailahun]] ||align="right"|3,859||align="right"|358,190||align="right"|525,372<ref name="World Gazetteer"/> |- |[[Bo District]] ||[[Bo, Sierra Leone|Bo]] ||align="right"|5,219||rowspan="4"|[[Southern Province, Sierra Leone|Southern<br /> Province]]||align="right"|463,668||align="right"|574,201<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gpro&lng=en&des=wg&srt=npan&col=adhoq&msz=1500&geo=-6635 |title=Bo β profile of geographical entity including name variants |publisher=World Gazetteer |access-date=20 May 2012 }}{{dead link|date=July 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> |- |[[Bonthe District]] ||[[Mattru Jong]] ||align="right"|3,468||align="right"|139,687||align="right"|200,730<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gpro&lng=en&des=wg&srt=npan&col=adhoq&msz=1500&geo=-6637 |title=Bonthe |publisher=World-gazetteer.com |access-date=20 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121216134834/http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gpro&lng=en&des=wg&srt=npan&col=adhoq&msz=1500&geo=-6637 |archive-date=16 December 2012 }}</ref> |- |[[Pujehun District]] ||[[Pujehun]] ||align="right"|4,105||align="right"|228,392 ||align="right"|345,577 |- |[[Moyamba District]] ||[[Moyamba]] ||align="right"|6,902||align="right"|260,910 ||align="right"|318,064 |- |[[Western Area Urban District]] ||[[Freetown]] ||align="right"|13||rowspan="2"|[[Western Area|Western<br /> Area]]||align="right"|772,873||align="right"|1,050,301 |- |[[Western Area Rural District]] ||[[Waterloo, Sierra Leone|Waterloo]] ||align="right"|544||align="right"|174,249||align="right"|442,951 |} {{Clear}} == Economy == {{Main|Economy of Sierra Leone}} [[File:GDP per capita development in Sierra Leone.svg|thumb|right|Historical GDP per capita development]] [[File:Sierra Leone Product Exports (2019).svg|thumb|right|A proportional representation of Sierra Leone exports, 2019]] By the 1990s, economic activity was declining and economic infrastructure had become seriously degraded. Over the next decade, much of the formal economy was destroyed in the country's civil war. Since the end of hostilities in January 2002, massive infusions of outside assistance have helped Sierra Leone begin to recover.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Jackson |first1=Emerson Abraham |title=Economic Methodology: Paradox of Ceteris Paribus Law in the Context of Sierra Leone |journal=MΓ©thod(e)s: African Review of Social Sciences Methodology |date=2 July 2017 |volume=2 |issue=1β2 |pages=31β40 |doi=10.1080/23754745.2017.1354553 |s2cid=31830778 }}</ref> Much of the recovery will depend on the success of the government's efforts to limit corruption by officials, which many feel was the chief cause of the civil war. A key indicator of success will be the effectiveness of government management of its diamond sector. There is high unemployment, particularly among the youth and ex-combatants. Authorities have been slow to implement reforms in the civil service, and the pace of the privatisation programme is also slackening and donors have urged its advancement. The currency is the [[Sierra Leonean leone|leone]]. The [[central bank]] is the [[Bank of Sierra Leone]]. Sierra Leone operates a floating [[exchange rate]] system, and foreign currencies can be exchanged at any of the commercial banks, recognised foreign exchange [[Service bureau|bureaux]] and most hotels. Credit card use is limited in Sierra Leone, though they may be used at some hotels and restaurants. There are a few internationally linked [[automated teller machine]]s that accept [[Visa card]]s in Freetown operated by ProCredit Bank. === Agriculture === {{Further|Agriculture in Sierra Leone}} [[File:Sierra Leone rice farmer.jpg|thumb|A farmer with his rice harvest in Sierra Leone. Two-thirds of Sierra Leone's population are directly involved in [[subsistence agriculture]].<ref name = "future">{{cite web |title = Settling for a future in Sierra Leone |publisher = New Agriculture |date = November 2007 |url = http://www.new-ag.info/focus/focusItem.php?a=291 |access-date = 20 February 2011 |archive-date = 4 August 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200804200645/http://www.new-ag.info/en/focus/focusItem.php?a=291 |url-status = dead }}</ref>]] Two-thirds of the population of Sierra Leone are directly involved in [[subsistence agriculture]].<ref name="future"/> Agriculture accounted for 58 per cent of [[gross domestic product]] (GDP) in 2007.<ref name = "AFEC">{{Cite book |first=OECD β Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development|last= African Development Bank|title =African Economic Outlook 2009: Country Notes: Volumes 1 and 2|publisher=OECD Publishing|year =2009|pages =561β562|isbn=978-92-64-07618-1}}</ref> Agriculture is the largest employer with 80 per cent of the population working in the sector.<ref name = "tour">{{Cite book |last=KΓΆnig|first=Dirk |title =Linking Agriculture to Tourism in Sierra Leone β a Preliminary Research |publisher =GRIN Verlag|year =2008|page =67 |url =https://books.google.com/books?id=ChOkCqPu_QMC&q=agriculture+economy+sierra+leone&pg=PA65|isbn=978-3-638-94680-3}}</ref> [[Rice]] is the most important staple crop in Sierra Leone with 85 per cent of farmers cultivating rice during the rainy season<ref name = "deep rice">{{Cite book |last=Catling|first=David|title = Rice in deep water|publisher =Int. Rice Res. Inst.|year =1992|page = 372 |url =https://books.google.com/books?id=N5JxwKx1RAgC&q=rice+sierra+leone&pg=PA372|isbn=978-971-22-0005-2}}</ref> and an annual consumption of 76 kg per person.<ref name = "rice facts">{{Cite book |title =Rice today, Volume 3:Rice facts |publisher =International Rice Research|year =2004|page =48 |url =https://books.google.com/books?id=3PZjte6EADYC&q=rice+sierra+leone&pg=PA48}}</ref> === Mining === {{Further|Mining in Sierra Leone}} Rich in minerals, Sierra Leone has relied on mining, especially diamonds, for its economic base. The country is among the top ten diamond producing nations. Mineral exports remain the main [[currency]] earner. Sierra Leone is a major producer of gem-quality diamonds. Though rich in diamonds, it has historically struggled to manage their exploitation and export. Sierra Leone is known for its [[blood diamond]]s that were mined and sold to diamond conglomerates during the [[Sierra Leone Civil War|civil war]], to buy the weapons that fuelled its atrocities.<ref>{{cite news|title=UN targets 'blood diamonds' trade|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3117421.stm|work=[[BBC News]]|access-date=28 April 2011|date=1 August 2003}}</ref> In the 1970s and early 1980s, economic growth rate slowed because of a decline in the mining sector and increasing corruption among government officials. {|class="wikitable infobox" style="margin-right: 0; margin-left: 1em; text-align:right;" |+ style="font-size: 115%;" |Percentage of GDP by sector (2007)<ref name="AFEC"/> |- ! scope="col" |Rank ! scope="col" |Sector ! scope="col" |Percentage<br /> of GDP |- ! scope="row" |1 |Agriculture |58.5 |- ! scope="row" |2 |Other services |10.4 |- ! scope="row" |3 |Trade and tourism |9.5 |- ! scope="row" |4 |Wholesale and retail trade |9.0 |- ! scope="row" |5 |Mining and quarrying |4.5 |- ! scope="row" |6 |Government Services |4.0 |- ! scope="row" |7 |Manufacturing and handicrafts |2.0 |- ! scope="row" |8 |Construction |1.7 |- ! scope="row" |9 |Electricity and water |0.4 |} Annual production of Sierra Leone's diamond estimates a range between US$250 millionβ$300 million. Some of that is [[Smuggling|smuggled]], where it is possibly used for [[money laundering]] or financing illicit activities. Formal exports have dramatically improved since the civil war, with efforts to improve the management of them having some success. In October 2000, a UN-approved certification system for exporting diamonds from the country was put in place which led to a dramatic increase in legal exports. In 2001, the government created a mining community development fund ([[Ministry of Mineral Resources (Sierra Leone)|DACDF]]), which returns a portion of diamond export taxes to diamond mining communities. The fund was created to raise local communities' stakes in the legal diamond trade. Sierra Leone has one of the world's largest deposits of [[rutile]], a [[titanium]] ore used as [[paint]] pigment and [[welding]] rod coatings. === Transport infrastructure === {{Main|Transport in Sierra Leone}} [[File:Kenema-Kailahun Road.jpg|thumb|The road from [[Kenema]] to [[Kailahun District]]]] There are several systems of transport in Sierra Leone, which has a road, air and water infrastructure, including a network of highways and several airports. There are {{convert|11,300|km|abbr=off}} of highways in Sierra Leone, of which {{convert|904|km|0|abbr=on}}<ref name="CIA"/> are paved (about 8% of the roads). Sierra Leone's highways are linked to [[Conakry]], Guinea, and [[Monrovia]], Liberia. Sierra Leone has the largest [[natural harbour]] on the African continent, allowing international shipping through the [[Queen Elizabeth II Quay]] in the [[Cline Town, Sierra Leone|Cline Town]] area of eastern Freetown or through Government Wharf in central Freetown. There are {{convert|800|km|0|abbr=on}} of waterways in Sierra Leone, of which {{convert|600|km|0|abbr=on}} are navigable year-round. Major port cities are [[Bonthe]], [[Freetown]], [[Sherbro Island]] and [[Pepel]]. There are ten [[regional airport]]s in Sierra Leone, and one [[international airport]]. The [[Freetown International Airport]] located in the coastal town of [[Lungi, Sierra Leone|Lungi]] in Northern Sierra Leone is the primary airport for domestic and international travel to or from Sierra Leone. Passengers cross the river to Aberdeen [[Heliport]]s in Freetown by [[hovercraft]], ferry or a [[helicopter]]. Helicopters are also available from the airport to other major cities in the country. The airport has [[Pavement (material)|paved]] runways longer than {{convert|3,047|m|abbr=off}}. The other airports have unpaved runways, and seven have runways from {{convert|914|to|1,523|m|abbr=off}} long; the remaining two have shorter runways. Sierra Leone appears on the EU list of prohibited countries with regard to the certification of airlines. This means that no airline registered in Sierra Leone may operate services of any kind within the European Union. This is due to substandard safety standards.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ec.europa.eu/transport/air-ban/pdf/list_en.pdf |title=List of banned E.U. air carriers |access-date=11 July 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090325010606/http://ec.europa.eu/transport/air-ban/pdf/list_en.pdf |archive-date=25 March 2009 }}. ec.Europa.eu</ref> As of March 2023, the country's only [[Lungi International Airport|international airport]] had regularly scheduled direct flights to Istanbul, Paris, Brussels and most major cities in West Africa. In September 2014 there were many Districts with travel restrictions including Kailahun, Kenema, Bombali, Tonkolili, and Port Loko because of [[Ebola virus epidemic in Sierra Leone|Ebola]].<ref>[http://news.sl/drwebsite/publish/article_200526223.shtml Sierra Leone News : Africell Presents Second Consignment of Food to all Quarantined Homes] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006141855/http://news.sl/drwebsite/publish/article_200526223.shtml|date=6 October 2014}}. News.sl. Retrieved 24 February 2017.</ref> === Energy in Sierra Leone === [[File:Sierra Leone electricity production.svg|thumb|Sierra Leone electricity production by source|300px]] ==== Overview ==== As of 2016, about 12% of the population of Sierra Leone had access to electricity. Of that 12%, 10% was in the capital Freetown, and the remaining 90% of the country used 2% of the nation's electricity.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5aec17b7ed915d42f7c6beab/Energy_Africa_Access_Campaign_-_Policy_Compact_Sierra_Leone_Final_Report.pdf|title=Energy Africa Access Campaign Policy Compact Sierra Leone Final Report|website=assets.publishing.service.gov.uk|access-date=2018-12-16}}</ref> The majority of the population relies on biomass fuels for their daily survival, with firewood and coal used most prevalently.<ref name=":5" /> The burning of these sources has been reported to have adverse health effects on women and children.<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal|last1=Taylor|first1=Eldred Tunde|last2=Nakai|first2=Satoshi|date=19 June 2012|title=Prevalence of Acute Respiratory Infections in Women and Children in Western Sierra Leone due to Smoke from Wood and Charcoal Stoves|journal=International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health|volume=9|issue=6|pages=2252β2265|doi=10.3390/ijerph9062252|pmid=22829802|pmc=3397376|issn=1660-4601|doi-access=free}}</ref> A 2012 study was done on the correlation between Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI), and burning biomass fuels in the home. The results were that 64% of children were diagnosed with ARI where firewood stoves were used, and 44% where charcoal stoves were used.<ref name=":5" /> The use of coal and firewood has also posed environmental concerns as they are both in conflict with the push for more sustainable sources of energy.<ref name=":6">{{Cite journal|last1=Munro|first1=Paul|last2=van der Horst|first2=Greg|last3=Healy|first3=Stephen|date=June 2017|title=Energy justice for all? Rethinking Sustainable Development Goal 7 through struggles over traditional energy practices in Sierra Leone|journal=Energy Policy|volume=105|pages=635β641|doi=10.1016/j.enpol.2017.01.038|bibcode=2017EnPol.105..635M |issn=0301-4215}}</ref> As a result, the commercialisation of firewood and coal has been a point of contention with aid donors and government agencies such as the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources and the Forestry Division.<ref name=":6" /> There have been strong pushes for both solar and hydropower to become the dominant sources of energy in Sierra Leone because of the UN's [[Sustainable Development Goals]], particularly goal number seven (affordable and clean energy). Sierra Leone's tropical climate, heavy annual rainfall, and abundance of rivers give it the potential to realistically pursue more solar and hydropower alternatives.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web|url=http://www.undp.org/content/dam/sierraleone/docs/focusareadocs/undp_sle_energyprofile.pdf|title=NATIONAL ENERGY PROFILE OF SIERRA LEONE [JUNE, 2012]|website=www.undp.org|access-date=16 December 2018|archive-date=7 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807083545/http://www.undp.org/content/dam/sierraleone/docs/focusareadocs/undp_sle_energyprofile.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> ==== Solar energy ==== In conjunction with the UK's [[Department for International Development]] (DFID), Sierra Leone has set the goal to provide solar power to all of its citizens by 2025.<ref name=":8">{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-leone-electricity-idUSKCN0Y21Q3|title=Sierra Leone solar push aims to bring electricity to all by 2025|date=2016-05-11|work=Reuters|access-date=2018-12-16}}</ref> This overarching goal has been broken down into smaller goals as well. The first of these goals is to provide solar power to at least 50,000 homes in 2016, the second is 250,000 homes by 2017, and finally to provide power to 1,000,000 people by 2020.<ref name=":8" /> This initiative falls under the [[Energy Africa]] access campaign which seeks to provide electricity to 14 different African countries by 2030.<ref name=":2" /> Previous to this compact agreement, Sierra Leone's private sector for solar energy was weak, as it provided energy to less than 5% of the target population.<ref name=":2" /> Part of the reason for this was due to the import duties and taxes and the lack of quality control.<ref name=":2" /> To ensure that the Energy Africa goal is met, Sierra Leone has agreed to remove its import duties and Value Added Tax (VAT) on certified solar products.<ref name=":8" /> This change will attempt to encourage foreign investment while providing affordable, quality solar products to its citizens. It is estimated that there will be a 30% to 40% cost reduction on solar products with the lack of duties and taxes.<ref name=":2" /> ==== Hydroelectric power ==== As of 2012, Sierra Leone has 3 main hydroelectric plants. The first is the Guma plant which was decommissioned in 1982, the second is the Dodo Plant which is located in the Eastern Province, and finally the [[Bumbuna Dam|Bumbuna plant]].<ref name=":7" /> There is also potential for several new hydroelectric plants to be opened on the Sewa River, Pampana River, Seli River, Moa River, and Little Scarcies.<ref name=":7" /> Amongst all these projects, both finished and potential, the Bumbuna dam still remains the largest of the hydroelectric projects in Sierra Leone.<ref name=":7" /> It is located near the Seli River and Freetown and was estimated to produce about 50 megawatts of electricity.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web|url=https://www.centreforpublicimpact.org/case-study/bumbuna-hydroelectric-plant/|title=The endgame of the Bumbuna hydroelectric plant project|website=Centre for Public Impact (CPI)|access-date=2018-12-16}}</ref> There were plans to increase its capacity 400 megawatts by 2017 which would cost around $750 million.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sierraleone-energy-idUSTRE74P6PZ20110526|title=Sierra Leone signs MoU for $750 million hydropower boost|date=2011-05-26|work=Reuters|access-date=2018-12-16}}</ref> It has been projected that the Bumbuna dam could potentially reduce the amount of spending on foreign fuel and save the country at least $2 million a month.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/ozatp-sierraleone-hydro-20090924-idAFJOE58N05Y20090924|title=Hydro brings light and hope to Sierra Leone|date=2009-09-24|work=Reuters|access-date=2018-12-16}}</ref> In the past this project received its funding of over $200 million from a combination of the [[World Bank]], the [[African Development Bank]], and the Italian company [[Salini Impregilo]].<ref name=":9" /> == Demographics == {{Main|Demographics of Sierra Leone|Languages of Sierra Leone}} [[File:Sierra-Leone-demography.png|thumb|Sierra Leone's total population, from 1961 to 2013]] In 2019 Sierra Leone had a population of 7,813,215<ref name=Stat.sl>{{Cite web|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?locations=SL|title = Population, total - Sierra Leone {{pipe}} Data}}</ref> and a growth rate of 2.216% a year.<ref name="CIA"/> The country's population is mostly young, with an estimated 41.7% under 15, and rural, with an estimated 62% of people living outside the cities.<ref name="CIA"/> As a result of migration to cities, the population is becoming more urban with an estimated rate of urbanisation growth of 2.9% a year.<ref name="CIA"/><ref name="Renner-Thomas 2010 5">{{Cite book |last =Renner-Thomas |first = Ade |title = Land Tenure in Sierra Leone: The Law, Dualism and the Making of a Land Policy |publisher =AuthorHouse |year =2010 |page = 5 |url =https://books.google.com/books?id=RiIpW6vWVPoC&pg=PA5|isbn=978-1-4490-5866-1|access-date=17 June 2014}}</ref> Population density varies greatly within Sierra Leone. The [[Western Area Urban District]], including Freetown, the capital and largest city, has a population density of 1,224 persons per square km. The largest district geographically, [[Koinadugu District|Koinadugu]], has a much lower density of 21.4 persons per square km.<ref name="Renner-Thomas 2010 5"/> English is the [[official language]],<ref name="Sierra Leone Overview">{{cite web |title =Sierra Leone Overview |website=[[United Nations Development Programme]] |url =http://www.sl.undp.org/sloverview.htm |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20110511080815/http://www.sl.undp.org/sloverview.htm |archive-date =11 May 2011 |access-date =3 June 2008 |url-status =dead |df =dmy-all }}</ref> spoken at schools, government administration and in the media. [[Krio language|Krio]] (derived from English and several indigenous African languages, and the language of the [[Sierra Leone Creole people]]) is the most widely spoken language in virtually all parts of Sierra Leone. As the Krio language is spoken by 96% of the country's population,<ref name="CIA"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.language9.com/languages/translation/krio-translation.html |title=Krio Translation Services |publisher=Language9.com |access-date=20 May 2012}}</ref> it unites all the different [[Ethnic groups in Sierra Leone|ethnic group]]s, especially in their trade and interaction with each other.<ref name="https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/181">{{Cite book |last1 = OyΓ¨tΓ‘dΓ© |first1 = B. AkΓntΓΊndΓ© |last2 = Fashole-Luke |first2 = Victor|title = Language and National Identity in Africa |place = Oxford |publisher = Oxford University Press |chapter = Sierra Leone: Krio and the Quest for National Integration |pages = 122β140 |chapter-url = https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/181|date = 15 February 2008 |isbn = 978-0-19-928675-1 }}</ref> Krio is the primary language of communication among Sierra Leoneans at home and abroad,<ref>Thompson, V. A. D. (2013). ''The Transformation of Freetown Christianity, 1960β2000.'' Doctoral Dissertation, University of London.</ref> and has also heavily influenced [[Sierra Leonean English]].<ref>Saidu Bangura, 2015 ''A Roadmap to Sierra Leone English: A Sociohistorical and Ecological Perspective'', Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, PhD thesis, p. 124, 222, 232-242.</ref> After the contribution made by the [[Bangladesh UN Peacekeeping Force]] in the [[Sierra Leone Civil War]] under the [[United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone]], the government of Ahmad Tejan Kabbah declared [[Bengali language|Bengali]] an honorary official language in December 2002.<ref>{{cite web|title=Recounting the sacrifices that made Bangla the State Language|url=http://thedailynewnation.com/news/125160/recounting-the-sacrifices-that-made-bangla-the-state-language|last=Ahmed|first=Nazir|date=21 Feb 2017|access-date=21 May 2020|archive-date=27 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230827061400/https://thedailynewnation.com/news/125160/recounting-the-sacrifices-that-made-bangla-the-state-language|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927121835/http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_29-12-2002_pg9_6|url=http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_29-12-2002_pg9_6|date=29 Dec 2002|archive-date=27 September 2013|title=Sierra Leone makes Bengali official language|website=[[Daily Times (Pakistan)|Daily Times]]}}</ref> According to the ''World Refugee Survey 2008'', published by the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, Sierra Leone had a population of 8,700 [[refugees]] and asylum seekers at the end of 2007. Nearly 20,000 Liberian refugees voluntarily returned to [[Liberia]] over the course of 2007. Of the refugees remaining in Sierra Leone, nearly all were Liberian.<ref name="World Refugee Survey 2008">{{cite news|title=World Refugee Survey 2008|publisher=U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants|date=19 June 2008|url=http://www.refugees.org/resources/refugee-warehousing/archived-world-refugee-surveys/2008-world-refugee-survey.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121228132236/http://www.refugees.org/resources/refugee-warehousing/archived-world-refugee-surveys/2008-world-refugee-survey.html|archive-date=28 December 2012}}</ref> {{Largest cities | name = Largest cities of Sierra Leone | country = Sierra Leone | stat_ref = Government of Sierra Leone 2004 Census<ref>{{Cite web | title = Final Results 2004 population and housing census | publisher = Government of Sierra Leone| year = 2006 | url =http://www.sierra-leone.org/Census/ssl_final_results.pdf| access-date = 26 February 2011}}</ref><!--These are the official figures; please do not change without discussion--> | list_by_pop = List of cities in Sierra Leone | div_name = District | city_1 = Freetown | div_1 = Western Area Urban District | pop_1 = 853,651 | img_1 = Freetown-aerialview.jpg | city_2 = Bo, Sierra Leone {{!}} Bo| div_2 =Bo District|pop_2 = 149,957 |img_2=Bo-City-Sierra-Leone.jpg | city_3 = Kenema| div_3 =Kenema District |pop_3 = 128,402|img_3=Kenema.jpg | city_4 = Makeni| div_4 = Bombali District|pop_4 = 82,940 | city_5 = Koidu {{!}} Koidu Town| div_5 = Kono District|pop_5 = 80,025|img_4=KoiduStreet.jpg | city_6 = Lunsar| div_6 = Port Loko District|pop_6 = 24,450 | city_7 = Port Loko| div_7 =Port Loko District |pop_7 = 23,195 | city_8 = Pandebu-Tokpombu |div_8 = Kenema District|pop_8 = 20,219 | city_9 = Kabala, Sierra Leone {{!}} Kabala| div_9 =Koinadugu District |pop_9 = 19,074 | city_10 =Waterloo, Sierra Leone {{!}} Waterloo| div_10 = Western Area Urban District|pop_10 = 18,579 }} The populations quoted above for the five largest cities are from the 2004 census. The figure for Freetown is for the Western Urban Area (Greater Freetown). Other figures are estimates from the source cited. Different sources give different estimates. Some claim that [[Magburaka]] should be included in the above list, but there is considerable difference among sources. One source estimates the population at 14,915,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://population-of.com/en/Sierra-Leone/02/Magburaka |title=Population of Magburaka |publisher=Population-of.com |access-date=22 August 2010}}</ref> whilst another puts it as high as 85,313.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.exaf.eu/exaf/page.php?pid=210 |title=Exaf |publisher=Exaf.EU |access-date=22 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720161721/http://www.exaf.eu/exaf/page.php?pid=210 |archive-date=20 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> "Pandebu-Tokpombu" is presumably the extended town of Torgbonbu, which had a population of 10,716 in the 2004 census. "Gbendembu" had a larger population of 12,139 in that census. In the 2004 census, Waterloo had a population of 34,079. {{Clear}} === Religion === {{main|Religion in Sierra Leone}} {{bar box |float=right |titlebar=#ddd |title=[[Religion in Sierra Leone]] (2020)<ref name=religions>{{cite web | url=http://www.globalreligiousfutures.org/countries/sierra-leone#/?affiliations_religion_id=0&affiliations_year=2010®ion_name=All%20Countries&restrictions_year=2015 | title=Religions in Sierra Leone {{pipe}} PEW-GRF | access-date=9 December 2017 | archive-date=20 February 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180220152154/http://www.globalreligiousfutures.org/countries/sierra-leone#/?affiliations_religion_id=0&affiliations_year=2010®ion_name=All%20Countries&restrictions_year=2015 | url-status=dead }}</ref> |left1=Religion |right1=per cent |bars= {{bar percent|[[Islam]]|green|78.5}} {{bar percent|[[Christianity]]|Blue|20.4}} {{bar percent|Other faiths|black|1.1}} }} [[File: Pendemdu Mosque and Church.JPG|thumb|A mosque and a church in Sierra Leone]] Sierra Leone is officially a [[secular state]]. [[Islam]] and [[Christianity]] are the two main religions in the country. The constitution of Sierra Leone provides for [[freedom of religion]] and the Sierra Leone Government generally protects it. The Sierra Leonean Government is constitutionally forbidden from establishing a [[state religion]], though Muslim and Christian prayers are usually held in the country at the beginning of major political occasions, including presidential inaugurations and the official opening of the new session of Parliament. Surveys of the religious make up of Sierra Leone vary widely, though [[Muslims]] make up the majority of the population. Based on 2015 estimates of the population of Sierra Leone, 77% of the population are Muslims, 22% are [[Christians]], and 1% practise [[African traditional religion]]. According to 2020 estimates by the [[Pew Research Center]]<ref>[http://www.statesmansyearbook.com/entry?entry=countries_sl.RELIGION]{{dead link|date=August 2021}}</ref> 78.5% of Sierra Leone's population are Muslims (mostly [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]]), 20.4% are Christians (mostly [[Protestantism|Protestants]]) and 1.1% belong to a traditional African religion or other beliefs. The Inter-Religious Council of Sierra Leone estimated that 77% of Sierra Leone's population are Muslims, 21% are Christians, and 2% are followers of traditional African religions.<ref>[https://2009-2017.state.gov/documents/organization/171636.pdf Sierra Leone]. state.gov</ref> Most of Sierra Leone's ethnic groups are Muslim majority, including the country's two largest ethnic groups: the Mende and Temne. Sierra Leone is regarded as one of the most religiously tolerant countries in the world.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21603015-sierra-leone-bucks-west-african-trend-celebrating-its-religious-tolerance-all|title=All things happily to all men|newspaper=The Economist}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Major Religions of Sierra Leone|url=https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-religions-are-practised-in-sierra-leone.html|access-date=2021-04-30|website=WorldAtlas|date=4 April 2018|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ayvnewspaper.com/index.php/k2-categories/politics/item/849-sierra-leone-hailed-for-religious-tolerance|title=Sierra Leone Hailed for Religious Tolerance|date=March 3, 2016|website=AYV Newspaper|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401123817/http://ayvnewspaper.com/index.php/k2-categories/politics/item/849-sierra-leone-hailed-for-religious-tolerance|archive-date=1 April 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> Most of the major Muslim and Christian holidays are officially [[Public holiday|national holidays]] in the country, and religious conflict is rare.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Brima |first1=Abdul |title=Preventing religious conflict in Sierra Leone: a careful balancing act |url=https://www.peaceinsight.org/en/articles/preventing-religious-conflict-sierra-leone-careful-balancing-act/?location=sierra-leone&theme=mediation-dialogue |website=Peace Insight |publisher= |access-date=4 April 2021}}</ref> The country is home to the Sierra Leone Inter-Religious Council, which is made up of both Christian and Muslim religious leaders to promote peace and tolerance throughout the country.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.unicef.org/wcaro/2009_5743.html |title=Media Centre β In Sierra Leone, partnerships with religious leaders help combat child mortality |publisher=UNICEF |date=29 November 2010 |access-date=20 March 2014 |archive-date=22 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180822014727/https://www.unicef.org/wcaro/2009_5743.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.religionsforpeaceinternational.org/what-we-do/stop-war/conflict-transformation |title=Conflict Transformation |publisher=Religions for Peace International |access-date=20 March 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140228053733/http://www.religionsforpeaceinternational.org/what-we-do/stop-war/conflict-transformation |archive-date=28 February 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor/emergency/ircsl.stm |title=Interreligious Community Advocates for Peace in Sierra Leone with photos |publisher=Gbgm-umc.org |access-date=20 March 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130717070939/http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor/emergency/ircsl.stm |archive-date=17 July 2013}}</ref> The Islamic holidays of [[Eid al-Fitr]], [[Eid al-Adha]] and [[Mawlid|Maulid-un-Nabi]] (Birthday of the [[Prophets and messengers in Islam|Islamic prophet]] [[Muhammad]]) are observed as [[Public holidays in Sierra Leone|national holidays in Sierra Leone]]. The Christian holidays of [[Christmas]], [[Boxing Day]], [[Good Friday]] and [[Easter]] are also national holidays in Sierra Leone. In politics, the overwhelming majority of Sierra Leoneans vote for a candidate without regard of the candidate being a Muslim or a Christian.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}} All of Sierra Leone's Heads of State have been Christians except Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, who was a Muslim. The overwhelming majority of Sierra Leonean Muslims are adherent to the Sunni tradition of Islam in practice. Most of the Mosques and Islamic schools across Sierra Leone are based on Sunni Islam. [[Ahmadiyya Muslims]] make up about 10% of the country's Muslim population. Sierra Leone has a vibrant Ahmaddiya Muslim population, especially in the southern city of [[Bo, Sierra Leone|Bo]], which is home to a large Ahmadiyya Muslim population. There are five hundred Ahmadiyya Mosques across Sierra Leone.<ref>{{cite web |work=The Muslim Times |url=https://themuslimtimes.info/2014/01/12/progress-of-ahmadiyyat-in-sierra-leone/ |title=Progress of Ahmadiyyat in Sierra Leone |first=Abdul Shafi |last=Bharwana |date=12 January 2014 |access-date=28 August 2021 }}</ref> [[Shia Islam]] does not have a strong presence in Sierra Leone, and there are virtually no [[Shia Muslims]] in the country. Most Sierra Leonean Muslims of the Sunni and Ahmadiyya sect generally pray together in the same [[mosque]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sierraleone365.com/feature-stories/ahmadiyya-movement-goes-mainstream-in-sierra-leone|title=Ahmadiyya Movement Goes Mainstream in Sierra Leone|last=Bah|first=Hadi|website=sierraleone365.com|access-date=6 December 2016|archive-date=25 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170425100138/http://sierraleone365.com/feature-stories/ahmadiyya-movement-goes-mainstream-in-sierra-leone|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160101131640/http://ahmadiyyatimes.blogspot.com/2010/03/bo-ahmadiya-muslim-secondary-school.html Sierra Leone: Bo Ahmadiya Muslim Secondary School Golden Jubilee, Former Principal and Secretary-General Honoured]. ''Ahmadiyya Times'' (23 March 2010)</ref> The vast majority of Sierra Leonean Muslims are adherent to the [[Maliki school]] of Sunni Islam. The Maliki school is by far the largest and most dominant Islamic school of jurisprudence across Sierra Leone. Many Ahmadiyya Muslims in Sierra Leone also follow the Maliki Jurisprudence. The Sierra Leone Islamic Supreme Council is the highest Islamic religious organisation in Sierra Leone and is made up of the country's Imams, Islamic scholars, and other Islamic clerics across the country. Sheikh Muhammad Taha Jalloh is the president of the Sierra Leone Supreme Islamic Council.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sierraleoneislamicweb.com/2018/04/10/national-president-of-the-supreme-islamic-council-of-sierra-leone-congratulates-h-e-rtd-juilius-maada-bio-and-his-vice-dr-mohamed-juldeh-jalloh/|title=National President of the Supreme Islamic Council of Sierra Leone Congratulates H.E (Rtd) Juilius Maada Bio and his vice, Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh.|last=onedeentech|date=10 April 2018|website=Sierra Leone Islamic Web}}</ref> The United Council of Imams is an influential Islamic religious body in Sierra Leone that is made up of all [[imams]] of mosques throughout Sierra Leone. The president of the United Council of Imam is Sheikh [[Alhaji]] Muhammad Habib Sheriff.<ref>{{Cite web|title=*Sierra Leone Imams present new president to Hon. Minister responsible for Religious Affairs* β Cocorioko|url=https://cocorioko.net/sierra-leone-imams-present-new-president-to-hon-minister-responsible-for-religious-affairs/|access-date=2020-09-11|language=en-US}}</ref> The two largest mosques in Sierra Leone are the [[Freetown Central Mosque]] and the [[Ghadafi Central Mosque]] (built by former [[Libyan]] dictator [[Muammar Gaddafi]]), both located in the capital [[Freetown]]. The large majority of Sierra Leonean Christians are Protestant, of which the largest groups are the [[Wesleyan]] β [[Methodists]].<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|url=http://www.umc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=5794273&ct=6470237¬oc=1 |title=United Methodists elect bishop for Sierra Leone |publisher=UMC.org |date=22 December 2008 |access-date=23 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100506164251/http://www.umc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=5794273&ct=6470237¬oc=1 |archive-date=6 May 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/methodist-church-sierra-leone |title=Methodist Church Sierra Leone β World Council of Churches |publisher=Oikoumene.org |date=28 January 2013 |access-date=23 September 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.xpointumc.org/missions/report-of-sierra-leone/ |title=Crosspoint United Methodist Church β Welcome Β» Sierra Leone |publisher=Xpointumc.org |access-date=23 September 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927081948/http://www.xpointumc.org/missions/report-of-sierra-leone/ |archive-date=27 September 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.efsl.evang.org/about-efsl/our-history |title=The History of the Evangelical Fellowship of Sierra Leone |publisher=Efsl.evang.org |date=24 August 1959 |access-date=23 September 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928003048/http://www.efsl.evang.org/about-efsl/our-history |archive-date=28 September 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://tectsl.org/ |title=The Evangelical College of Theology Sierra Leone |publisher=Tectsl.org |access-date=23 September 2013}}</ref> Other Christian Protestant [[Christian denomination|denominations]] with significant presence in the country include [[Presbyterians]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.epc.org/sierra-leone-presbytery-organization-wo-486/ |title=Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Sierra Leone Presbytery Organization [WO-486] |publisher=Epc.org |access-date=23 September 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20130923202604/http://www.epc.org/sierra-leone-presbytery-organization-wo-486/ |archive-date=23 September 2013}}</ref> [[Baptists]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tmbcdetroit.org/ministries/evangelism/sierra-leone |title=Sierra Leone ::: A Place to Belong, Not Just Attend |publisher=Tmbcdetroit.org |date=23 July 2010 |access-date=23 September 2013}}</ref> [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Seventh-day Adventists]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sdachurchsierraleone.org/ |title=Seventh-day Adventist Church, Sierra Leone β HOME |publisher=Sdachurchsierraleone.org |access-date=23 September 2013 |archive-date=27 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927095712/http://www.sdachurchsierraleone.org/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Anglicans]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.anglicancommunion.org/tour/diocese.cfm?Idind=732 |title=West Africa-Freetown (Sierra Leone) |publisher=Anglican Communion |access-date=23 September 2013}}</ref> [[Lutherans]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://elcsl.weebly.com/ |title=elcsl.weebly.com |publisher=elcsl.weebly.com |access-date=20 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elca.org/Who-We-Are/Our-Three-Expressions/Churchwide-Organization/Global-Mission/Where-We-Work/Africa/Sierra-Leone.aspx |title=Sierra Leone β Evangelical Lutheran Church in America |publisher=Elca.org |date=16 June 2010 |access-date=23 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017051518/http://www.elca.org/Who-We-Are/Our-Three-Expressions/Churchwide-Organization/Global-Mission/Where-We-Work/Africa/Sierra-Leone.aspx |archive-date=17 October 2013}}</ref> and [[Pentecostals]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.sl/drwebsite/publish/article_200524820.shtml |title=Sierra Leone Christians Preparing for PilgrFile: Sierra Leone News |publisher=News.sl |access-date=17 June 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140304145132/http://news.sl/drwebsite/publish/article_200524820.shtml |archive-date=4 March 2014}}</ref> The Council of Churches is the Christian religious organisation that is made up of Protestant churches across Sierra Leone. Recently there has been an increase of Pentecostal churches, especially in Freetown. In September 2017, a Sierra Leone-based Nigerian Pentecostal Christian pastor name Victor Ajisafe was arrested by the [[Sierra Leone Police]] and held in [[jail]] after he made controversial remarks against Islam and Sierra Leonean Muslims in particular at his church [[sermon]] in the capital Freetown. Ajisafe was apparently angry after a [[Zimbabwean]] Muslim [[cleric]] [[Mufti Menk]] had visited Sierra Leone and preached to large crowds.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://ayvnews.com/AYVNews/index.php/news/item/4084-mufti-menk-s-visit-to-sierra-loenep |title=Archived copy |access-date=8 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401173250/http://ayvnews.com/AYVNews/index.php/news/item/4084-mufti-menk-s-visit-to-sierra-loenep |archive-date=1 April 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Many Christian organisations in Sierra Leone, including the Council of Churches, condemned Ajisafe's sermon against Islam and Muslims. Ajisafe's church was temporarily shut down by the Sierra Leone government and his church licence was temporarily suspended too. The incident brought religious tension in Sierra Leone, in a country known for its high level of religious tolerance, as many Sierra Leonean Muslims at home and abroad called for Ajisafe to be [[deported]] back to his home country of [[Nigeria]]. The pastor while in Sierra Leone [[Arrest|police custody]] apologised to Sierra Leonean Muslims and to the government of Sierra Leone. After several days in jail, Ajisafe was released, his church licence was given back to him, and his church was later reopened under strict government conditions during several months of [[probation]]. [[Nondenominational Christianity|Non-denominational Protestants]] form a significant minority of Sierra Leone's Christian population.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=11887 |title=Sierra Leone: in wake of brutal war, churches full: News Headlines |publisher=Catholic Culture |date=28 September 2011 |access-date=23 September 2013}}</ref> [[Catholics]] are the largest group of non-Protestant Christians in Sierra Leone, forming about 8% of Sierra Leone's population and 26% of the Christian population in Sierra Leone.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.catholicchurchsl.org/ |title=catholicchurchsl.org |publisher=catholicchurchsl.org |access-date=20 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170504130803/http://www.catholicchurchsl.org/ |archive-date=4 May 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[Jehovah's Witnesses]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/offices/sierra-leone/ |title=Visitors & Tours: Jehovahs Witnesses Office in Sierra Leone |publisher=Jw.org |access-date=23 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005142744/http://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/offices/sierra-leone/ |archive-date=5 October 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/facts-and-statistics/country/sierra-leone |title=Sierra Leone β LDS Statistics and Church Facts {{pipe}} Total Church Membership |publisher=churchofjesuschrist.org |date=24 July 2007 |access-date=23 September 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Gerry |last=Avant |url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765616902/Historic-milestone-Sierra-Leone-stake-marks-LDS-Churchs-3000th.html?pg=all |title=Historic milestone: Sierra Leone stake marks LDS Church's 3,000th |newspaper=Deseret News |date=2 December 2012 |access-date=23 September 2013 |archive-date=27 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927114817/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765616902/Historic-milestone-Sierra-Leone-stake-marks-LDS-Churchs-3000th.html?pg=all |url-status=dead }}</ref> are the two most prominent [[Nontrinitarianism|non-Trinitarian]] Christians in Sierra Leone, and they form a small but significant minority of the Christian population in Sierra Leone. A small community of [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox Christians]] resides in the capital Freetown.<ref>{{cite web |last=Tsolakidou |first=Stella |url=http://world.greekreporter.com/2013/01/30/troubled-orthodox-mission-in-sierra-leone/ |title=Troubled Orthodox Mission in Sierra Leone |website=GreekReporter.com |access-date=24 February 2017 |date=January 30, 2013}}</ref> === Ethnic groups === {{Further|Ethnic groups in Sierra Leone}} [[File: Sierra Leone ethnic groups.svg|thumb|upright=1.6|The distribution of [[Ethnic groups in Sierra Leone|major ethnic groups within Sierra Leone]]]] {|class="wikitable infobox" style="margin-right:0; margin-left:1em;" |- |'''Ethnic groups<br />of Sierra Leone'''<ref name =Census2015/> |- |[[Temne people|Temne]] | 35.5% |- |[[Mende people|Mende]] | 33.2% |- |[[Limba people (Sierra Leone)|Limba]] | 8.4% |- |[[Fula people of Sierra Leone|Fula]] | 3.8% |- |[[Kono people|kono]] | 3.4% |- |[[Susu people|Susu]] | 2.9% |- |[[Loko people|Loko]] | 2.9% |- |[[Koranko people|Koranko]] | 2.8% |- |[[Sherbro people|Sherbro]] | 2.6% |- |[[Mandingo people of Sierra Leone|Mandingo]] | 2.4% |- |[[Sierra Leone Creole people|Creole/Krio]] | 1.3% |- |} Sierra Leone is home to about sixteen [[ethnic groups]], each with its own language. The largest and most influential are the Temne at about 35.5% and the Mende at about 33.2%. The Temne predominate in the [[Northern Province, Sierra Leone|Northern Sierra Leone]] and [[Western Area, Sierra Leone|some areas around the capital of Sierra Leone]]. The Mende predominate in [[Southern Province, Sierra Leone|South]]-Eastern Sierra Leone (with the exception of [[Kono District]]). The vast majority of Temne are Muslims at over 85%, with a significant Christian minority at about 10%. The Mende are also Muslim majority at about 70%, though with a large Christian minority at about 30%. Sierra Leone's national politics centres on the competition between the north-west, dominated by the Temne, and the south-east dominated by the Mende. The vast majority of the Mende support the Sierra Leone People's Party; while the majority of the Temne support the All People's Congress.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thenewpeople.com/national-news/politics/item/1764-sierra-leone-the-temnes-and-the-politics-of-the-all-peoples%E2%80%99-congress-apc |title=Sierra Leone: The Temnes and the Politics of the All Peoples' Congress (APC) |publisher=The New People |date=29 April 2012 |author= Mohamed Idriss Kanu |access-date=17 June 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141017061941/http://www.thenewpeople.com/national-news/politics/item/1764-sierra-leone-the-temnes-and-the-politics-of-the-all-peoples%E2%80%99-congress-apc |archive-date=Oct 17, 2014}}</ref> The Mende, who are believed to be descendants of the [[Mane people|Mane]],{{citation needed|date=September 2022}} originally occupied the Liberian hinterland. They began moving into Sierra Leone slowly and peacefully in the eighteenth century. The Temne are said to have migrated from [[Futa Jallon]], which is in present-day [[Guinea]]. The third-largest ethnic group is the [[Limba people (Sierra Leone)|Limba]] at about 8.4% of the population. The Limba are [[indigenous peoples|native]] people of Sierra Leone. They have no tradition of origin, and it is believed that they have lived in Sierra Leone since before the European encounter. The Limba are primarily found in Northern Sierra Leone, particularly in [[Bombali District|Bombali]], [[Kambia District|Kambia]] and [[Koinadugu District]]. The Limba are about 60% Christian and 40% Muslim. The Limba are close political allies of the neighbouring Temne. Since independence, the Limba have traditionally been influential in Sierra Leone's politics, along with the Mende. The vast majority of Limba support the All People's Congress (APC) political party. Sierra Leone's first and second presidents, [[Siaka Stevens]] and [[Joseph Saidu Momoh]], respectively, were both ethnic Limba. Sierra Leone's former [[defense minister]] [[Paolo Conteh|Alfred Paolo Conteh]] is an ethnic Limba. One of the biggest minority ethnic groups are the [[Fula people of Sierra Leone|Fula]] at around 3.8% of the population. Descendants of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Fula migrant settlers from the [[Fouta Djalon]] region of Guinea, they live primarily in the northeast and the western area of Sierra Leone. The Fula are virtually all Muslims at over 99%. The Fula are primarily [[merchant|traders]], and many live in middle-class homes.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}} Because of their trading, the Fulas are found in nearly all parts of the country. The other ethnic groups are the [[Mandingo people of Sierra Leone|Mandingo]] (also known as [[Mandinka people|Mandinka]]). They are descendants of traders from Guinea who migrated to Sierra Leone during the late nineteenth to mid-twentieth centuries. The Mandinka are predominantly found in the east and the northern part of the country. They predominate in the large towns, most notably [[Karina, Sierra Leone|Karina]], in Bombali District in the north; [[Kabala, Sierra Leone|Kabala]] and [[Falaba]] in Koinadugu District in the north; and [[Yengema]], [[Kono District]] in the east of the country. Like the Fula, the Mandinka are virtually all Muslims at over 99%. Sierra Leone's third president, Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, and Sierra Leone's first Vice-President, [[Sorie Ibrahim Koroma]], were both ethnic Mandingo. Next in proportion are the [[Kono people|Kono]], who live primarily in Kono District in Eastern Sierra Leone. The Kono are descendants of migrants from Guinea; today their workers are known primarily as diamond miners. The majority of the Kono ethnic group are Christians, though with an influential Muslim minority. Sierra Leone's former Vice-President [[Samuel Sam-Sumana|Alhaji Samuel Sam-Sumana]] is an ethnic Kono. The small but significant Creole or [[Krio people]] (descendants of freed African American, [[West Indian]] and Liberated African slaves who settled in Freetown between 1787 and about 1885) make up about 3% of the population. They primarily occupy the capital city of [[Freetown]] and its surrounding [[Western Area]]. Creole or Krio culture reflects the Western culture and ideals within which many of their ancestors originated β they also had close ties with British officials and colonial administration during years of development. The Creoles or Krio have traditionally dominated Sierra Leone's judiciary and Freetown's elected city council. One of the first ethnic groups to become educated according to Western traditions, they have traditionally been appointed to positions in the civil service, beginning during the colonial years. They continue to be influential in the civil service. The Creoles or Krios are virtually all Christians at about 99%. The [[Oku people]] are the descendants of liberated Muslim [[Yoruba people|Yoruba]]s from Southwest [[Nigeria]], who were released from slave ships and resettled in Sierra Leone as [[Liberated Africans in Sierra Leone|Liberated Africans]] or came as [[settlers]] in the mid-19th century. The Oku people primarily reside in the communities of Fourah Bay, Fula Town, and Aberdeen in Freetown. The Oku are virtually all Muslims at about 99%. Other minority ethnic groups are the [[Kuranko people|Kuranko]], who are related to the Mandingo and are largely Muslims. The Kuranko are believed to have begun arriving in Sierra Leone from Guinea in about 1600 and settled in the north, particularly in [[Koinadugu District]]. The Kuranko are primarily farmers; leaders among them have traditionally held several senior positions in the Military. The current Governor of the [[Bank of Sierra Leone]] [[Kaifala Marah]] is an ethnic Kuranko. The Kuranko are largely Muslim majority. The [[Loko people|Loko]] in the north are native people of Sierra Leone, believed to have lived in Sierra Leone since the time of European encounter. Like the neighbouring Temne, the Loko are Muslim majority. The [[Susu people|Susu]] and their related [[Yalunka people|Yalunka]] are traders; both groups are primarily found in the far north in Kambia and Koinadugu District close to the border with Guinea. The Susu and Yalunka kingdom was established in the early fifth seventh century{{clarify|fifth or seventh, or the entire range?|date=February 2022}} before the Mali empire, which was extended from Mali, Senegal, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry to the northern part of Sierra Leone. They are the original owners of the Futa Djallon region covered by a vars land area both the Susu and Yalunka people are descendants of the Mande people. They are virtually all Muslims. The Yalunka also spelled Jallonke, Yalonga, DjallonkΓ©, Djallonka or DialonkΓ©, are Mande people who have lived in the Djallon, a mountainous region in Sierra Leone, Mali, Senegal, Guinea Bissau, and Guinea Conakry West Africa over 520 years ago. The name Yalunka literally means "inhabitants of the Jallon (mountains)". Manga Sewa was born in Falaba, Solima chiefdom, in the Northern Province of British Sierra Leone to Yalunka parents. His father was a Yalunka paramount chief of Solima, a prosperous chieftaincy. Its capital, Falaba, was on the rich trading routes leading to the coast. Manga Sewa's father had several wives and dozens of children. are traders; both groups are primarily found in the far north in [[Kambia District|Kambia]] and Koinadugu District close to the border with Guinea. The Susu and Yalunka are both descendants of migrants from Guinea; they both are virtually all Muslims at over 99%. The [[Kissi people|Kissi]] live further inland in South-Eastern Sierra Leone. They predominate in the large town of [[Koindu]] and its surrounding areas in Kailahun District. The vast majority of Kissi are Christians. The much smaller [[Vai people|Vai]] and [[Kru people|Kru]] peoples are primarily found in [[Kailahun District|Kailahun]] and Pujehun Districts near the border with Liberia. The Kru predominate in the Kroubay neighbourhood in the capital of Freetown. The Vai are largely Muslim majority at about 90%, while the Kru are virtually all Christians at over 99%. On the coast in [[Bonthe District]] in the south are the [[Sherbro people|Sherbro]]. Native to Sierra Leone, they have occupied [[Sherbro Island]] since it was founded. The Sherbro are primarily [[fisherman]] and [[farmers]], and they are predominantly found in Bonthe District. The Sherbro are virtually all Christians, and their paramount chiefs had a history of intermarriage with British colonists and traders. A small number of Sierra Leoneans are of partial or full [[Lebanese people|Lebanese]] ancestry, descendants of traders who first came to the nation in the 19th century. They are locally known as Sierra Leonean-Lebanese. The Sierra Leonean-Lebanese community are primarily traders and they mostly live in middle-class households in the urban areas, primarily in Freetown, [[Bo, Sierra Leone|Bo]], [[Kenema]], [[Koidu|Koidu Town]] and [[Makeni]]. ===Gender equality=== ==== Household ==== Although women account for about 50 percent of the population in Sierra Leone, only 28 percent are household heads.<ref name=":03">{{Cite web|url=https://www.statistics.sl/images/StatisticsSL/Documents/Census/2015/sl_2015_phc_thematic_report_on_gender.pdf|title=Sierra Leone 2015 Population and Housing Census Thematic Report on Gender |author1=Fatou Taqi |author2=Marian Vinnie-Wilson |author3=Alimatu Vandi |date=2015}}</ref> As in the rest of the countries, education is a key factor in succeeding in aspects such as a well-paid job and covering the needs of a house. Rural areas are the most common to lack access to education having only male-headed four percent ahead of females with basic education and 1.2 percent more at the post-graduate level.<ref name=":03" /> In Sierra Leone, normally, men are automatically positioned as household heads; and their status does not change if their marital status changes over time.<ref name=":03" /> However, a female household does change depending on their marital status. A woman can be the head of the house only if she remains single for the rest of her life. But if a woman gets married, she will not be entitled to be the head of the house anymore.<ref name=":03" /> Females can take over the household head if they become widowed or divorced.<ref name=":03" /> In the labour field, it is expected that the household will financially provide for the needs of the family. However, females face gender discrimination making them the target of lower incomes and financial struggles.<ref name=":03" /> In numbers, females present a lower percentage (6.3) versus males (15.2) when it comes to being paid employees.<ref name=":03" /> ==== War ==== Children who have been forced to be part of a war have experienced severe mental and emotional damage in Sierra Leone. However, the damage and way to deal with the effects of war depends on the gender of the kids. Both genders experienced and were involved in high levels of violence. Females, experiencing higher levels of rapes, presented greater signs of depression and anxiety.<ref name=":12">{{Cite journal|date=2011-07-01|title=Sierra Leone's Child Soldiers: War Exposures and Mental Health Problems by Gender|journal=Journal of Adolescent Health|volume=49|issue=1|pages=21β28|doi=10.1016/j.jadohealth.2010.09.021|pmid=21700152|pmc=3124662|issn=1054-139X|last1=Betancourt|first1=Theresa S.|last2=Borisova|first2=Ivelina I.|last3=de la SoudiΓ¨re|first3=Marie|last4=Williamson|first4=John}}</ref> Males, on the other hand, presented higher levels of anxiety and hostility.<ref name=":12" /> Males also showed to be more vulnerable to depression after losing a caregiver.<ref name=":12" /> ==== Female economy ==== Women face discrimination when it comes to obtaining financial, social, and cultural help to start a business.<ref name=":4"/> It is difficult to avoid the economic paralysis in Sierra Leone given that more than half of the population in the country is women.<ref name=":4" /> Due to the lack of access to basic education, women are the least prepared when it comes to processing business licences, registering names or contracting.<ref name=":4" /> Not having the capital to start a new business is the biggest barrier for women.<ref name=":4" /> With the lack of technology, mostly in all Sierra Leone<!--What does this bit mean exactly?-->, it is hard to help a business to function.<ref name=":4" /> === Education === {{Main|Education in Sierra Leone}} [[File:Classroom at a seconday school in Pendembu Sierra Leone.jpg|thumb|left|A secondary school class in [[Pendembu]], [[Kailahun District]]]] Education in Sierra Leone is legally required for all children for six years at [[primary education|primary level]] (Class P1-P6) and three years in junior secondary education,<ref>{{Cite book |last =Wang |first =Lianqin |year = 2007 |title =Education in Sierra Leone: Present Challenges, Future Opportunities |publisher=World Bank Publications |page =2|isbn = 978-0-8213-6868-8}}</ref> but a shortage of schools and teachers has made implementation impossible.<ref name="ilab">{{cite web |url=http://www.dol.gov/ilab/media/reports/iclp/tda2001/Sierra-leone.htm |title=Sierra Leone |work=2001 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor |publisher=[[Bureau of International Labor Affairs]], [[U.S. Department of Labor]] |year=2002 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102020941/http://www.dol.gov/ilab/media/reports/iclp/tda2001/Sierra-leone.htm |archive-date=2 November 2013}} ''This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the [[public domain]].''</ref> Two thirds of the adult population of the country are illiterate.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/indicators/20.html |title=Human Development Report 2009 β Proportion of international migrant stocks residing in countries with high levels of human development (%) |publisher=Hdrstats.undp.org |access-date=22 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090606071107/http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/indicators/20.html |archive-date=6 June 2009}}</ref> The [[Sierra Leone Civil War]] resulted in the destruction of 1,270 primary schools, and in 2001, 67% of all school-age children were out of school.<ref name="ilab"/> The situation has improved considerably since then with primary school enrolment doubling between 2001 and 2005 and the reconstruction of many schools since the end of the war.<ref>{{Cite book |last =Wang |first =Lianqin |year = 2007 |title =Education in Sierra Leone: Present Challenges, Future Opportunities |publisher=World Bank Publications |page =1 and 3 |isbn = 978-0-8213-6868-8 }}</ref> Students at primary schools are usually 6 to 12 years old, and in secondary schools 13 to 18. Primary education is free and [[Compulsory education|compulsory]] in government-sponsored [[Public school (government funded)|public schools]]. The country has three universities: [[Fourah Bay College]], founded in 1827 (the oldest university in West Africa),<ref>{{Cite book |editor=Jones-Parry, Rupert |title = Commonwealth Education Partnerships 2007 |publisher=Nexus Strategic Partnerships Ltd |year = 2006 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=ID5XqeV4q10C&pg=PT326 |isbn = 978-0-9549629-1-3 |access-date = 17 June 2014}}</ref> University of Makeni (established initially in September 2005 as The Fatima Institute, the college was granted university status in August 2009, and assumed the name University of Makeni, or UNIMAK), and [[Njala University]], primarily located in [[Bo District]]. Njala University was established as the Njala Agricultural Experimental Station in 1910 and became a university in 2005.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |date =July 2007 |title =Njala University College (Nuc) |location =Sierra Leone |encyclopedia =Sierra Leone Encyclopedia |url =http://www.daco-sl.org/encyclopedia/1_gov/1_7njala.htm |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20070311011418/http://www.daco-sl.org/encyclopedia/1_gov/1_7njala.htm |archive-date =11 March 2007 |access-date =25 June 2008 |url-status =dead |df =dmy-all }}</ref> Teacher training colleges and religious seminaries are found in many parts of the country. == Health == {{main|Health in Sierra Leone}}The [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] estimated that the average life expectancy in Sierra Leone was 57.39 years.<ref name=iuonoa>{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2102rank.html |title=CIA β The World Factbook Life Expectancy |publisher=Cia.gov |access-date=25 June 2014 |work=[[The World Factbook]] |archive-date=29 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181229134543/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2102rank.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The prevalence of [[HIV/AIDS]] in the population is 1.6%, higher than the world average of 1% but lower than the average of 6.1% across [[Sub-Saharan Africa]].<ref>{{cite web |title = 2006 Report on the global AIDS epidemic |publisher = UNAIDS |year = 2006 |url = http://www.unaids.org/en/KnowledgeCentre/HIVData/GlobalReport/Default.asp |format = PDF |access-date = 24 January 2008 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080117113818/http://www.unaids.org/en/KnowledgeCentre/HIVData/GlobalReport/default.asp |archive-date = 17 January 2008 |df = dmy-all }}</ref> Medical care is not readily accessible, with doctors and hospitals out of reach for many villagers. While free health care may be provided in some villages, the medical staff is poorly paid and sometimes charge for their services, taking advantage of the fact that the villagers are not aware of their right to free medical care.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wealth, but no health |author=Anne Jung |publisher=D+C Development and Cooperation/ dandc.eu |date=December 2012 |url=http://www.dandc.eu/en/article/sierra-leones-health-services-do-not-deliver-official-promises |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131015195910/http://www.dandc.eu/en/article/sierra-leones-health-services-do-not-deliver-official-promises |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 October 2013 |access-date=17 June 2014 }}</ref> A dialysis machine, the first of its kind in the country, was donated by Israel.<ref name=Cashman2015>{{cite news |last1=Cashman |first1=Greer Fay |title=Envoys from five countries present credentials to president |url=https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Envoys-from-five-countries-present-credentials-to-president-431856 |work=The Jerusalem Post |date=3 November 2015 }}</ref> According to an [[Overseas Development Institute]] report, private health expenditure accounts for 85.7% of total spending on health.<ref>DuBois, Marc, and Caitlin Wake, with Scarlett Sturridge and Christina Bennett (2015) [http://www.odi.org/publications/9956-ebola-response-west-africa-exposing-politics-culture-international-aid "The Ebola response in West Africa: Exposing the politics and culture of international aid"]. London: Overseas Development Institute</ref> === Emergency medical response === Having had no formal [[emergency medical services]] previously, the [[First Responder Coalition of Sierra Leone]] (FRCSL) was formed in June 2019 in [[Makeni]] to facilitate the development of [[Emergency medical responder|emergency first responder]] programs nationwide.<ref name=":10">{{Cite web|url=http://www.thepatrioticvanguard.com/in-makeni-five-national-and-international|title=Makeni: Coalition of First Responders formed|date=2019-07-04|website=The Patriotic Vanguard|language=en|access-date=2019-07-05}}</ref> The founding members of the Coalition included the [[Sierra Leone Red Cross Society]] (the first chairing organisation), [[LFR International]] (proposed the formation), the [[University of Makeni]], [[Agency for Rural Community Transformation]], and the [[Holy Spirit Hospital (Makeni)|Holy Spirit Hospital]].<ref name=":10" /> The establishment of the Coalition was concurrent with the declaration by the 72nd World Health Assembly that emergency care systems are essential to universal health coverage.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/25-05-2019-world-health-assembly-update|title=World Health Assembly Update, 25 May 2019|website=www.who.int|language=en|access-date=2019-07-05}}</ref> Between June and July 2019, the FRCSL trained 1,000 community members from Makeni to be first responders and equipped each trainee with a first aid kit.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thesierraleonetelegraph.com/sierra-leones-road-accident-first-responder-coalition-to-save-thousands-of-lives/|title=Sierra Leone's road accident First Responder Coalition to save thousands of lives|last=Thomas|first=Abdul Rashid|date=2019-07-05|language=en-US|access-date=2019-07-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190705101916/https://www.thesierraleonetelegraph.com/sierra-leones-road-accident-first-responder-coalition-to-save-thousands-of-lives/|archive-date=5 July 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> ===Endemic and infectious diseases=== Sierra Leone suffers from [[epidemic]] outbreaks of diseases, including [[yellow fever]], [[cholera]], [[Ebola]], [[lassa fever]] and [[meningitis]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Donaldson, Ross|title=The Lassa Ward: One Man's Fight Against One Of The World's Deadliest Diseases|publisher=Macmillan|isbn=9781429987073|year=2009|pages=34β35}}</ref><ref name=PHChand>{{cite web |title = The Primary Health Care Hand Book Policing |publisher = Ministry of Health & Sanitation |date = 25 May 2007 |url = http://www.health.sl/drwebsite/publish/healthcare.shtml |format = doc |access-date = 24 January 2008 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080217052144/http://www.health.sl/drwebsite/publish/healthcare.shtml |archive-date = 17 February 2008 |df = dmy-all }}</ref> [[Yellow fever]] and [[malaria]] are endemic to Sierra Leone.<ref name=PHChand/> === Maternal and child health === According to 2017 estimates, Sierra Leone has the third highest [[maternal mortality]] rate in the world.<ref name="cia.gov">[https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/maternal-mortality-rate/country-comparison/ Country Comparison: Maternal Mortality Rate] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210812194652/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/maternal-mortality-rate/country-comparison/ |date=12 August 2021 }}. ''The World Factbook'' [[Central Intelligence Agency]].</ref> For every 100 liveborn children, one mother dies due to complications of giving birth.<ref name="cia.gov"/> In the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) conducted by UNICEF in 2012, the prevalence of [[female genital mutilation in Sierra Leone]] was 94%.<ref>Sipsma, Heather L., et al. "Female Genital Cutting: Current Practices and Beliefs in Western Africa." Bulletin of the World Health Organization 90.2 (2012): 120β127F. Print.</ref> {{As of|2014}}, Sierra Leone was estimated as having the 11th highest [[infant mortality]] rate in the world.<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2091rank.html Country Comparison :: Infant Mortality Rate] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180207062332/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2091rank.html |date=7 February 2018 }}. ''The World Factbook'' [[Central Intelligence Agency]].</ref> One of the consequences women in Sierra Leone face after a prolonged and obstructed labour that would have required a c-section is [[obstetric fistula]]. This condition often drives women into poverty and isolation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kidspot.com.au/parenting/real-life/in-the-news/a-woman-covered-in-urine-taught-this-sydney-mum-a-lesson-about-dignity/news-story/67c2a8b93c9eca1485f663d11eaf69f6|title=A woman covered in urine taught this Sydney mum a lesson about dignity|first=Alys|last=Gagnon|website=www.kidspot.com.au}}{{Dead link|date=June 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The AWC- Aberdeen Women's Centre in [[Freetown]], the second busiest hospital in Sierra Leone, delivering up to 3000 babies each year.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://freedomfromfistula.org/projects/sierra-leone|title=FFF|website=freedomfromfistula.org|access-date=4 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191104033208/https://freedomfromfistula.org/projects/sierra-leone|archive-date=4 November 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> The centre provides free surgery for women suffering from this condition. The centre provides a variety of maternal and child health services and is supported by not-for-profit organisations such as Freedom from Fistula,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.freedomfromfistula.org/|title=Freedom From Fistula {{pipe}} obstetric fistula caused by obstructed childbirth|website=www.freedomfromfistula.org|access-date=1 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191103103324/https://www.freedomfromfistula.org/|archive-date=3 November 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Aminata Maternal Foundation,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://aminatamaternalfoundation.org/|title=Aminata Maternal Foundation|website=The Aminata Maternal Foundation|access-date=3 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191103103307/https://aminatamaternalfoundation.org/|archive-date=3 November 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref>{{Better source needed|date=October 2022}} and UNFPA.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.unfpa.org/news/fistula-camp-helps-women-and-girls-sierra-leone-regain-their-dignity|title=Fistula camp helps women and girls in Sierra Leone regain their dignity|website=www.unfpa.org}}</ref> === Mental health === [[Mental health]]care in Sierra Leone is almost non-existent. Many sufferers try to cure themselves with the help of traditional healers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.channel4.com/programmes/unreported-world/episode-guide/series-2009/episode-4 |title=''Unreported World 2009'' series, ep.4: ''Sierra Leone: Insanity of War'' |publisher=Channel4.com |date=3 April 2009 |access-date=20 May 2012}}</ref> During the [[Sierra Leone Civil War|Civil War (1991β2002)]], many soldiers took part in atrocities and many children were forced to fight. This left them traumatised, with an estimated 400,000 people (by 2009) being mentally ill. Thousands of former child soldiers have fallen into substance abuse as they try to blunt their memories.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Lisk|first=Radcliffe|title=Sierra Leone|journal=Practical Neurology|year=2007|volume=7|issue=3|pages=198β201|doi=10.1136/jnnp.2007.120089|pmid=17515600|s2cid=219201682}}</ref> === Potable water supply === {{Main|Water supply in Sierra Leone}} The water supply in Sierra Leone is characterised by limited access to safe drinking water. Despite efforts by the government and numerous non-governmental organisations, access has not much improved since the end of the Sierra Leone Civil War in 2002, stagnating at about 50% and even declining in rural areas.<ref name="JMP water">WHO/UNICEF [[Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation]] (updated March 2010) {{cite web |url=http://www.wssinfo.org/fileadmin/user_upload/resources/SLE_wat.pdf |title=Estimates for the use of Improved Drinking-Water Sources, Sierra Leone |access-date=6 August 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111226083443/http://www.wssinfo.org/fileadmin/user_upload/resources/SLE_wat.pdf |archive-date=26 December 2011}}</ref> It is hoped that a new dam in Orugu, for which China committed financing in 2009, will alleviate [[water scarcity]].<ref name="Orugu">{{cite web |url=http://www.ooskanews.com/middle-east-africa/china-lends-288-million-usd-sierra-leone-orugu-dam |title=China Lends $28.8 Million USD to Sierra Leone for Orugu Dam |publisher=OOSKAnews |date=15 June 2009 |access-date=20 May 2012 }}{{Dead link|date=October 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> According to a national survey carried out in 2006, 84% of the urban population and 32% of the rural population had access to an [[improved water source]]. Those with access in rural areas were served almost exclusively by protected wells. The 68% of the rural population without access to an improved water source relied on surface water (50%), unprotected wells (9%) and unprotected springs (9%). Only 20% of the urban population and 1% of the rural population had access to piped drinking water in their home. Compared to the 2000 survey access has increased in urban areas, but has declined in rural areas, possibly because facilities have broken down because of a lack of maintenance.<ref name="JMP water"/><ref name="Pushak">{{cite web|title=Sierra Leone's Infrastructure. A Continental Perspective |url=http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2011/06/29/000158349_20110629104032/Rendered/PDF/WPS5713.pdf |work=Policy Research Working Paper 571|publisher=World Bank|access-date=6 August 2011|author=Nataliya Pushak|author2=Vivien Foster |pages=31β35|date=June 2011}}</ref> With a new decentralisation policy, embodied in the Local Government Act of 2004, responsibility for water supply in areas outside the capital was passed from the central government to local councils. In Freetown, the Guma Valley Water Company remains in charge of the water supply. [[File: Guinea Liberia Sierra Leone Ebola Map August 8 2014.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|A situation map of the [[2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak|Ebola outbreak]] as of 8 August 2014]] === 2014 Ebola outbreak === {{Further|Ebola virus epidemic in Sierra Leone}} Ebola is prevalent in Africa where social and economic inequalities are common. The central African countries are the most prevalent of EVD, like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Uganda, and Gabon.<ref>Agyepong I. "A Systems View and Lesson from the Ongoing Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak in West Africa". ''Ghana Medical Journal'' [serial online]. September 2014;48(3):168β172. Available from: Academic Search Complete, Ipswich, MA. Retrieved 28 October 2014.</ref> In 2014 there was an outbreak of the Ebola virus in West Africa. As of 19 October 2014, there had been 3,706 cases of Ebola in Sierra Leone, and 1,259 deaths, including that of the leading physician trying to control the outbreak, [[Sheik Umar Khan]].<ref>"[http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/137091/1/roadmapsitrep22Oct2014_eng.pdf Ebola Response Roadmap Situation Report]". WHO (22 October 2014)</ref><ref>[[Ebola virus epidemic in Sierra Leone#cite note-Ebola WHO 22 oct-1]]</ref> In early August 2014 [[Guinea]] closed its borders to Sierra Leone to help contain the spreading of the virus, which originated in Guinea, as more new cases of the disease were being reported in Sierra Leone than in Guinea. Aside from the human cost, the outbreak was severely eroding the economy. By September 2014, with the closure of borders, the cancellation of airline flights, the evacuation of foreign workers and a collapse of cross-border trade, the national deficit of Sierra Leone and other affected countries was widening to the point where the IMF was considering expanding its financial support.<ref name="IMFebola">{{cite news|url=http://www.bignewsnetwork.com/index.php/sid/225466201|title=The economic impact of Ebola may kill more people than the virus itself|date=6 September 2014|access-date=8 September 2014|publisher=Big News Network.com}}.</ref> == Culture == === Polygamy === {{Further|Polygamy in Sierra Leone}} As of 2019, 30% of women and 14% of men were in a polygamous unions in Sierra Leone. "The percentage of women with one or more co-wives has decreased gradually over time, from 37% in 2008 and 35% in 2013 to 30% in 2019."<ref>{{Cite journal |date=October 2020 |title=Sierra Leone Demographic and Health Survey 2019 |url=https://dhsprogram.com/publications/publication-FR365-DHS-Final-Reports.cfm |journal=The DHS Program|last1=Statssl |first1=Statistics Sierra Leone- }}</ref> === Food and customs === {{Further|Sierra Leonean cuisine}} [[File: Sierra Leone rice farming.jpg|thumb|Rice farming in Rolako]] Rice is the [[staple food]] of Sierra Leone and is consumed at virtually every meal daily. The rice is prepared in numerous ways, and topped with a variety of sauces made from some of Sierra Leone's favourite toppings, including [[potato]] leaves, [[cassava]] leaves, [[Corchorus|crain crain]], [[okra]] soup, [[fried fish]] and [[peanut|groundnut]] stew.<ref>{{cite book|last=Massaquoi|first=Rachel C. J.|title=Foods of Sierra Leone and Other West African Countries: A Cookbook|year=2011|publisher=AuthorHouse|isbn=9781449081546|page=5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bKwN7Absx6AC|access-date=17 June 2014}}</ref> Along the streets of towns and cities across Sierra Leone, one can find foods consisting of fruit, vegetables and snacks such as fresh [[mangoes]], oranges, pineapple, fried [[Plantain (cooking)|plantains]], [[ginger beer]], fried potato, fried cassava with pepper sauce; small bags of popcorn or peanuts, bread, roasted corn, or skewers of grilled meat or shrimp. Poyo is a popular Sierra Leonean drink. It is a sweet, lightly fermented [[palm wine]],<ref>{{cite book|last=Albala|first=Ken|title=Food Cultures of the World Encyclopedia|year=2011|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=9780313376276|page=165|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zG1H75z0EYYC&pg=PA165|access-date=17 June 2014}}</ref> and is found in bars in towns and villages across the country. Poyo bars are areas of lively informal debate about politics, [[Association football|football]], basketball, entertainment and other issues. === Media === {{Main|Media of Sierra Leone}} [[File:Radio listener in Sierra Leone.jpg|thumb|A radio listener in [[Kailahun]]]] Media in Sierra Leone began with the introduction of the first [[printing press]] in Africa at the start of the 19th century. A strong free journalistic tradition developed with the creation of several newspapers. In the 1860s, the country became a journalist hub for Africa, with professionals travelling to the country from across the continent. At the end of the 19th century, the industry went into decline, and when radio was introduced in the 1930s, it became the primary communication media in the country. The [[Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service]] (SLBS) was created by the colonial government in 1934 making it the earliest English language radio broadcaster service in West Africa. The service began broadcasting television in 1963, with coverage extended to all the districts in the country in 1978. In April 2010, the SLBS merged with the [[United Nations]] peacekeeping radio station in Sierra Leone to form the [[Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.icfj.org/node/37444 |title=At Long Last, Recruitment Begins at Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation {{pipe}} ICFJ β International Center for Journalists |publisher=ICFJ |date=17 March 2011 |access-date=20 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029194354/http://www.icfj.org/node/37444 |archive-date=29 October 2013 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.slbc.sl/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/SLBC-REPORT-Final-Copy.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130811043953/http://www.slbc.sl/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/SLBC-REPORT-Final-Copy.pdf |archive-date=11 August 2013 |title=Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) Maiden Report 2010-2011}}</ref> the government-owned current national broadcaster in Sierra Leone. The Sierra Leone constitution guarantees [[freedom of speech]], and [[freedom of the press]]; however, the government maintains strong control of media, and at times restricts these rights in practice.<ref>{{cite web |author=Reporters Without Borders |url=http://www.trust.org/item/20131024140514-sg47u/ |title=Sierra Leone β Editorial criticizing president prompts multiple proceedings |publisher=Trust.org |date=24 October 2013 |access-date=20 March 2014 |archive-date=2 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140402160721/http://www.trust.org/item/20131024140514-sg47u/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/sierra-leone-editors-arrested-after-publishing-article-comparing-president-to-a-rat/2013/10/21/168d8172-3a53-11e3-b0e7-716179a2c2c7_story.html | archive-url=https://archive.today/20131025175049/http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/sierra-leone-editors-arrested-after-publishing-article-comparing-president-to-a-rat/2013/10/21/168d8172-3a53-11e3-b0e7-716179a2c2c7_story.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=25 October 2013 | title=Sierra Leone editors arrested after publishing article comparing pres... | newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] | date=25 October 2013 | access-date=27 January 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Greenslade |first=Roy|author-link=Roy Greenslade |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2013/oct/25/press-freedom-sierraleone |title=Editor arrested for comparing Sierra Leone president to a rat {{pipe}} Media |journal=The Guardian |date=25 October 2013 |access-date=20 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/10/21/sierra-leone-editors-arrested-after-publishing-article-comparing-president-to/ |title=Sierra Leone editors arrested after publishing article comparing president to a rat |publisher=Fox News |date=23 October 2013 |access-date=20 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.africareview.com/News/Sierra-Leone-intensifies-media-crackdown/-/979180/2043834/-/u0oloaz/-/index.html |title=Sierra Leone intensifies media crackdown β News|first=Kemo|last=Cham |publisher=africareview.com |date=21 October 2013|access-date=20 March 2014 |archive-date=18 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140718035744/http://www.africareview.com/News/Sierra-Leone-intensifies-media-crackdown/-/979180/2043834/-/u0oloaz/-/index.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201310250762.html |title=Sierra Leone: In Sierra Leone, Journalists Held On Libel, Sedition Charges |publisher=allAfrica.com |date=24 October 2013 |access-date=20 March 2014}}</ref> Some subjects are seen as taboo by society and members of the political elite; imprisonment and violence have been used by the political establishment against journalists.<ref>{{cite web |last =Wilson |first =Harry |year =2005 |title =Press Freedoms and Human Rights:2005 Year End Press Freedom Brief |publisher =Commonwealth Press Union |url =http://www.cpu.org.uk/pf_2005_review.html |access-date =20 April 2008 |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20071124131843/http://www.cpu.org.uk/pf_2005_review.html |archive-date =24 November 2007 |url-status =dead |df =dmy-all }}</ref><ref name="Annual06"/> Under legislation enacted in 1980, all newspapers must register with the Ministry of Information and pay sizeable registration fees. The Criminal [[Libel]] Law, including Seditious Libel Law of 1965, is used to control what is published in the media.<ref name="Annual06">{{cite web |year =2006 |title =Sierra Leone β Annual report 2006 |publisher =Reporters without Borders:For Press Freedom |url =http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=17400 |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20090614032911/http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=17400 |archive-date =14 June 2009 |access-date =20 April 2008 |url-status =dead |df =dmy-all }}</ref> In 2006, President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah committed to reforming the laws governing the press and media to create a freer system for journalists to work in.<ref name="Annual06"/> {{As of|2013}} Sierra Leone is ranked 61st (up two slots from 63rd in 2012) out of 179 countries on Reporters Without Borders' [[Press Freedom Index]].<ref>{{cite web |year=2013 |title=Press Freedom Index 2013 |publisher=Reporters without Borders |url=http://en.rsf.org/press-freedom-index-2013,1054.html |access-date=2 July 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130215183842/http://en.rsf.org/press-freedom-index-2013%2C1054.html |archive-date=15 February 2013}}</ref> [[Print media]] is not widely read in Sierra Leone, especially outside Freetown and other major cities, partially due to the low levels of [[literacy]] in the country.<ref name="BBC"/> In 2007 there were 15 daily newspapers in the country, as well as those published weekly.<ref name="Jalloh">{{cite web |last =Jalloh |first =Tanu |date =28 December 2007 |title =Sierra Leone: Newspaper Development |location =Freetown, Sierra Leone |publisher=Concord Times |url =http://allafrica.com/stories/200712310637.html |access-date =19 April 2008}}</ref> Among newspaper readership, young people are likely to read newspapers weekly and older people daily. The majority of newspapers are privately run and are often critical of the government. The standard of print journalism tends to be low owing to lack of training, and people trust the information published in newspapers less than that found on the radio.<ref name="BBC">{{cite web |date =June 2007 |title =Media use, and attitudes towards media in Sierra Leone:A comprehensive baseline study |work=[[BBC World Service]] |url =http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/trust/pdf/media_report_2007.pdf |access-date =19 April 2007}}</ref> [[File: Isata Mahoi radio editor and actress.jpg|thumb|[[Isata Mahoi]] shown editing radio programmes in Talking Drum studio [[Freetown]]; she is also an actress in the Sierra Leone radio soap opera ''[[Atunda Ayenda]]'']] Radio is the most popular and most-trusted media in Sierra Leone, with 85% of people having access to a radio and 72% of people in the country listening to the radio daily.<ref name="BBC"/> These levels do vary between areas of the country, with the [[Western Area]] having the highest levels and [[Kailahun]] the lowest. Stations mainly consist of local commercial stations with a limited broadcast range, combined with a few stations with national coverage β [[Capital Radio Sierra Leone]] being the largest of the commercial stations. The United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL) ran one of the most popular stations in the country, broadcasting programs in a range of languages. The UN mission was restructured in 2008 and it was decided that the [[United Nations Radio|UN Radio]] would be merged with SLBS to form the new Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC). This merger eventually happened in 2011 after the necessary legislation was enacted. SLBC transmits radio on [[FM broadcasting|FM]] and has two television services, one of which is uplinked by satellite for international consumption. FM relays of the [[BBC World Service]] (in Freetown, Bo, Kenema and Makeni), [[Radio France Internationale]] (Freetown only) and [[Voice of America]] (Freetown only) are also broadcast. Outside the capital Freetown and other major cities, television is not watched by a great many people, although Bo, Kenema and Makeni are served by their own relays of the main SLBC service. There are three free terrestrial television stations in Sierra Leone, one run by the government SLBC and the other two are private stations in Freetown, Star TV which is run by the owner of the ''Standard-Times'' newspaper and AYV β Africa Young Voices. Several religious funded TV stations operate intermittently. Two other commercial TV operators (ABC and AIT) closed after they were not profitable. In 2007, a pay-per-view service was also introduced by GTV as part of a pan-African television service in addition to the nine-year-old sub-Saharan Digital satellite television service (DStv) originating from Multichoice Africa in South Africa. GTV subsequently went out of business, leaving DStv as the only provider of subscription satellite television in the country. Several organisations planned to operate digital terrestrial subscription TV services, with Multichoice's Go TV having built infrastructure ahead of getting a licence and ultimately failing to get a licence. ITV and SATCON are currently operational. Internet access in Sierra Leone has been sparse but is on the increase, especially since the introduction of 3G/4G cellular phone services across the country. There are several main [[internet service providers]] (ISPs) operating in the country. Freetown has [[internet cafΓ©s]] and other businesses offering internet access. Problems experienced with access to the Internet include an intermittent electricity supply and a slow connection speed in the country outside Freetown. === Arts === {{Further|Art in Sierra Leone|Music of Sierra Leone}} The arts in Sierra Leone are a mixture of tradition and hybrid African and western styles.<ref>{{Cite book|last = Banham|first = Martin|title = A history of theatre in Africa|publisher = Cambridge University Press|year = 2004|page = 171|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=RZXtk9bCZ-8C&pg=PA171|isbn = 978-0-521-80813-2|access-date = 17 June 2014}}{{Dead link|date=February 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last =Conteh |first = Prince Sorie |title = Traditionalists, Muslims, and Christians in Africa: interreligious encounters and dialogue|publisher =Cambria Press |year =2009|pages = 23β24|url =https://books.google.com/books?id=HpAuyiMRTDcC&pg=PA23|isbn=978-1-60497-596-3|access-date=17 June 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1 =Manson |first1 =Katrina |first2=James |last2=Knight |title = Sierra Leone|publisher = Bradt Travel Guides|year =2009|pages = 42β45|url =https://books.google.com/books?id=VxRcEzkFs-wC&pg=PA43|isbn=978-1-84162-222-4|access-date=17 June 2014}}</ref> <gallery> File: Temne. Ode-Lay Mask Brooklyn Museum.jpg|Odelay mask by [[Temne people]]. [[Brooklyn Museum]]. File: Sierra Leone Koindu dance.jpg|The [[Koindu]] dance </gallery> === Sports === {{Main|Sport in Sierra Leone}} [[File:Sierra Leone National Stadium.jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|[[National Stadium (Sierra Leone)|National Stadium]] in [[Freetown]]]] [[Association football]] is by far the most popular sport in Sierra Leone. Children, youth and adult are frequently seen playing [[street football]] across Sierra Leone. There are organised youth and adult football tournaments across the country, and there are various primary and secondary schools with football teams across Sierra Leone. The Sierra Leone national football team, popularly known as the [[Leone Stars]], represents the country in international competitions. It has never qualified for the [[FIFA World Cup]] but participated in the [[1994 African Cup of Nations|1994]] and [[1996 African Cup of Nations]]. When the national football team, the Leone Stars, have a match, Sierra Leoneans across the country come together united in support of the national team and people rush to their local radio and television stations to follow the live match. The country's national television network, The Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) broadcasts the national football team live match, along with many local radio stations across the country. When the Leone Stars win an important match, many youth across the county rush to the street to celebrate. Many of the Sierra Leone national team footballers play for teams based in Europe although virtually all of them started professional football in the [[Sierra Leone National Premier League]]. Many of the national team footballers are celebrities across Sierra Leone and they are often well known by the general population. Some of Sierra Leonean international footballers include [[Mohamed Kallon]], [[Mohamed Bangura (footballer)|Mohamed Bangura]], [[Rodney Strasser]], [[Kei Kamara]], [[Ibrahim Teteh Bangura]], [[Mustapha Dumbuya]], [[Christian Caulker]], [[Al Bangura|Alhassan Bangura]], [[Sheriff Suma]], [[Osman Kakay]], [[Mohamed Kamara]], [[Umaru Bangura]] and [[Julius Wobay|Julius Gibrilla Woobay]]. The [[Sierra Leone National Premier League]] is the top professional football league in Sierra Leone and is controlled by the [[Sierra Leone Football Association]]. Fourteen clubs from across the country compete in the Sierra Leone Premier League. The two biggest and most successful football clubs are [[East End Lions]] and [[Mighty Blackpool]]. East End Lions and Mighty Blackpool have an intense rivalry and when they play each other the national stadium in Freetown is often sold out and supporters of both clubs often clash with each other before and after the game. There is a huge police presence inside and outside the national stadium during a match between the two great rivals to prevent a clash. Many Sierra Leonean youth follow the local football league. Many Sierra Leonean youth, children and adults follow the major football leagues in Europe, particularly the English [[Premier League]], Italian [[Serie A]], Spanish [[La Liga]], German [[Bundesliga]] and French [[Ligue 1]]. The [[Sierra Leone cricket team]] represents Sierra Leone in international cricket competitions and is among the best in West Africa. It became an affiliate member of the [[International Cricket Council]] in 2002. It made its international debut at the 2004 African Affiliates Championship, where it finished last of eight teams. But at the equivalent tournament in 2006, Division Three of the African region of the World Cricket League, it finished as runner-up to [[Mozambique]], and just missed promotion to Division Two. In 2009, the Sierra Leone Under-19 team finished second in the African Under-19 Championship in Zambia, thus qualifying for the Under-19 World Cup qualifying tournament with nine other teams.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cricinfo.com/other/content/story/403002.html |title=Cricinfo article Uganda and Sierra Leone Win Through |publisher=Cricinfo.com |date=5 May 2009 |access-date=20 May 2012}}</ref> However, the team was unable to obtain Canadian visas to play in the tournament, which was held in Toronto.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cricinfo.com/other/content/story/423890.html |title=Visa Issues End Sierra Leone's World Cup Dream |publisher=Cricinfo article |date=7 September 2009 |access-date=20 May 2012}}</ref> Sierra Leone is the first African country to join the [[International Floorball Federation]]. ==Tourism== {{main|Tourism in Sierra Leone}} Sierra Leone's Freetown is a favourite destination for tourists. Although the sector was seriously affected during the Civil War, there has been a steady improvement in recent years.<ref>Sylvester Gasopan Goba (August 2014) [https://www.theigc.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Sylvester-Gasopan-Goba-Sierra-Leone-GW2012.pdf Sierra Leone Tourism: sector overview]. [[International Growth Centre]]. [https://www.theigc.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Sylvester-Gasopan-Goba-Sierra-Leone-GW2012.pdf Archived]. Retrieved 18 November 2021.</ref> The city has a lot to offer to tourists. There is a vast expanse of beaches stretching along the Freetown Peninsula. The Lumley-Aberdeen beach stretches all the way from Cape Sierra Leone down to Lumley. There are also other popular beaches like the world renowned River Number 2 Beach, Laka Beach, Tokeh Beach, Bureh Beach, and Mama Beach. The Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, which is located within the peninsula's vast rainforest reserve, just a few kilometres from the centre of Freetown, has a collection of rare and endangered chimpanzees. Other popular destinations for tourists include the Freetown Cotton Tree, located in Central Freetown, a significant national monument and integral to the founding of the city; Bunce Island, which is a boat ride from the city, is home to the ruins of the slave fortress that was being used during the Transatlantic slave trade; the Sierra Leone Museum, which has a collection of both precolonial as well as colonial artifacts and other items of historical significance; the National Railway Museum; or take a journey around the city's coastline with the popular Sea Coach Express. The Aberdenn-Lumley area is a favourite destination for those venturing into the city's nightlife. {{multiple image |align = center |total_width = 1000 |image1 = |caption1 = Lumley Beach, Freetown - is popular for its white sandy beach as well as its nightlife |image2 = |caption2 = The Place - Tokeh Beach, Freetown, - offers a variety of services to tourists spending hours or days around the beach area |image3 = |caption3 = Tokeh Beach, Freetown - is a popular tourist destination |image4 = |caption4 = Chimpanzees at the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary in the Western Area National Park, few kilometres away from Freetown }} == See also == {{Portal|Sierra Leone|Africa}} * [[Outline of Sierra Leone]] == Notes == {{notelist}} {{NoteFoot}} == References == {{Reflist}} == Further reading == * {{cite journal |last1=Acemoglu |first1=Daron |last2=Reed |first2=Tristan |last3=Robinson |first3=James A. |title=Chiefs: Economic Development and Elite Control of Civil Society in Sierra Leone |journal=Journal of Political Economy |date=April 2014 |volume=122 |issue=2 |pages=319β368 |doi=10.1086/674988 |s2cid=15212378 |citeseerx=10.1.1.650.1005 }} * Harris, David (2012). [https://books.google.com/books?id=B5RxmwC6aNwC ''Civil War and Democracy in West Africa: Conflict Resolution, Elections and Justice in Sierra Leone and Liberia''], I.B. Tauris. * Imodale Caulker-Burnett, [https://books.google.com/books?id=5j61GUfpX5YC&pg=PA19 ''The Caulkers of Sierra Leone: The Story of a Ruling Family and Their Times''] (Xlibris, 2010){{Self-published inline|certain=yes|date=December 2017}} * {{Cite book |last=Keen |first=David |year=2005 |title=Conflict and Collusion in Sierra Leone |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SEz1PCvILHUC |location=Oxford |publisher=James Currey |isbn=978-0-85255-883-6 |access-date=17 June 2014}} * {{Cite book |last=Kup |first=Alexander Peter |year=1961 |title= A History of Sierra Leone, 1400β1787 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location= Cambridge|isbn= 978-0-7864-1814-5}} * {{cite book |author=Sierra Leone Truth and Reconciliation Commission |year=2004 |title=TRC Report |url=http://www.sierraleonetrc.org/index.php/view-the-final-report/download-table-of-contents |location=Accra, Ghana |publisher=Graphic Packaging Ltd./GPL Press |isbn=9988-8097-6-X |access-date=14 May 2016}} * {{Cite book |last=Sillinger |first=Brett |title= Sierra Leone: Current Issues and Background|year= 2003|publisher=Nova Science Publishers |location= New York|isbn= 978-1-59033-662-5}} * {{Cite book |ref=Utting |last=Utting |first=Francis A. |year=1971 |orig-year=1931 |title=The Story of Sierra Leone |url=https://archive.org/details/storyofsierraleo0000utti |url-access=registration |location=Hallendale, Florida |publisher=New World Book Manufacturing |isbn= 978-0-8369-6704-3}} === Fiction and memoir === * Massucco W. [http://bluindaco.org/en/documentary/life-does-not-lose-its-value-documentary-film/ ''Life does not lose its value/La Vita non perde valore''], documentary, Bluindaco Productions, 2012. [[La vita non perde valore|Link: ''La vita non perde valore'']]. * Bonnet, Laurent. [http://www.franceinter.fr/player/reecouter?play=296145 ''Salone, a novel en Terre Krio''], Vents d'Ailleurs, 2012 * [[Ishmael Beah|Beah, Ishmael]]. ''A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier'' (2007). Sarah Crichton Books: New York. [[A Long Way Gone|Link: ''A Long Way Gone'']]. * [[Delia Jarrett-Macauley|Jarrett-Macauley, Delia]], ''Moses, Citizen & Me'' β novel, [[Granta Books]] (2005), {{ISBN|186207741X}}. Winner of the [[Orwell Prize]] 2006. * [https://web.archive.org/web/20180915192616/http://tylertopics.com/writing/books/historic-preservation-book-2-4-2/ ''The Peace Corps, Sierra Leone, and Me''] ==== Secondary sources ==== * {{Cite book|author= Levinson, Robby|title= Ethnic Groups Worldwide: A Ready Reference Handbook|year= 1998|publisher= Oryx Press|location= Phoenix|isbn= 978-1-57356-019-1|url= https://archive.org/details/ethnicgroupsworl00levi}} == External links == {{Sister project links|Sierra Leone|voy=Sierra Leone}} ; Government * [https://statehouse.gov.sl/ The Republic of Sierra Leone] official government site * [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/world-leaders-1/SL.html Chief of State and Cabinet Members] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905110758/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/world-leaders-1/SL.html |date=5 September 2015 }} * [http://www.slminerals.org/ Ministry of Mineral Resources] official government minerals site * [http://www.thepatrioticvanguard.com/ ''The Patriotic Vanguard''] β official government newspaper ;General information * [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/country_profiles/1061561.stm Country Profile], [[BBC News]] * [https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/sierra-leone/ Sierra Leone]. ''[[The World Factbook]]''. [[Central Intelligence Agency]]. * [https://web.archive.org/web/20080607085717/http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/govpubs/for/sierraleone.htm Sierra Leone], ''UCB Libraries GovPubs'' * {{Curlie|Regional/Africa/Sierra_Leone}} * {{wikiatlas|Sierra Leone}} * {{osmrelation-inline|192777}} * [http://www.ifs.du.edu/ifs/frm_CountryProfile.aspx?Country=SL Key Development Forecasts for Sierra Leone], [[International Futures]] ;News media * [https://web.archive.org/web/20080905131237/http://www.news.sl/ ''Awareness Times''], Newspaper * [http://allafrica.com/sierraleone/ News headline links], [[AllAfrica.com]] * [http://www.my-sierra-leone-life.com/ Sierra Leone News & Blog] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150919131013/http://www.my-sierra-leone-life.com/ |date=19 September 2015 }}, Current Sierra Leone News & Blog ;Trade * [https://wits.worldbank.org/CountryProfile/en/Country/SLE/Year/2002/Summary Sierra Leone 2002 Summary Trade Statistics] ; Tourism * [https://web.archive.org/web/20191020073756/https://sierraleonenationaltouristboard.com/ Sierra Leone National Tourist Board], Official Government site ; Telecommunication * [https://web.archive.org/web/20100313072928/http://www.alosmart.com/Sierra-Leone-calling-card-191.asp Sierra Leone], telecom ; Other * [http://fosalone.org/ Friends of Sierra Leone] * [https://schoolsforsalone.org/ Schools for Salone], non-profit dedicated to rebuilding schools * [http://www.enciss-sl.org/ ENCISS] civil society and governance * [https://web.archive.org/web/20110510101125/http://auradicals.com/ The Auradicals Club], Student Club in Fourah Bay College * [http://www.sierra-leone.org/ Sierra Leone Web] * [http://sweetsalonefilm.blogspot.nl/ ''Sweet Salone''], 2008 film on new music in Sierra Leone * [https://web.archive.org/web/20080501184018/http://www.sc-sl.org/ War Crimes Trials in Sierra Leone] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20140714041603/http://www.hurrarc.org/ Hurrarc β Human Rights Respect Awareness Raising Campaigners], Sierra Leone NGO * [https://web.archive.org/web/20081010165129/http://www.ejfoundation.org/page370.html Environmental Justice Foundation's report on pirate fishing in Sierra Leone] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20140629064622/http://www.storiesfromlakkabeach.com/ ''Stories from Lakka Beach''], 2011 documentary about life in a post-conflict beach town {{Sierra Leone topics}} {{Navboxes |title = Articles relating to Sierra Leone |list = {{Countries of Africa|state=expanded}} {{Navboxes |title = [[File:Gnome-globe.svg|25px]]{{nbsp}}Geographic locale |list = '''[[Geographic coordinate system|Lat. <small>and</small> Long.]] {{Coord|8|29|4|N|13|14|4|W|display=inline}} <span style="colour:darkblue;">(Freetown)</span>''' }} {{Navboxes |title = International membership |list = {{African Union}} {{Commonwealth of Nations}} }} {{Navboxes |title = Languages |list = {{English dialects by continent}} {{English official language clickable map}} }} }} {{World Constitutional Convention call signatories}} {{Authority control}} [[Category:Sierra Leone| ]]<!--please leave the empty space as standard--> [[Category:1961 establishments in Sierra Leone]] [[Category:Countries in Africa]] [[Category:Economic Community of West African States]] [[Category:English-speaking countries and territories]] [[Category:Least developed countries]] [[Category:Member states of the African Union]] [[Category:Member states of the Commonwealth of Nations]] [[Category:Member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation]] [[Category:Member states of the United Nations]] [[Category:Republics in the Commonwealth of Nations]] [[Category:States and territories established in 1961]] [[Category:West African countries]] [[Category:World Constitutional Convention call signatories]] Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. 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