The civil war in Sierra Leone has thrown its people and economy into crisis. Persistent attempts at social revolution failed to bring about a social order and culminated with a military coup in May 1997. But could it have been averted? What factors contributed to the social unrest and do the international organisations hold some responsibility?
This report analyses Sierra Leone’s political and economic history since independence to find out what lessons can be learnt. Violence and corruption became institutional under the All People’s Congress (APC), which governed for 23 years. This led to a breakdown of civil society and democratic accountability.
The report argues that pressure to elect a civilian government in 1996 under these conditions was futile and perhaps a significant contribution to the coup. The establishment of a shadow state based on patron-client relationships forced those excluded from it into exile. This group later formed the rebel group Revolutionary United Front (RUF). Early warning signs of its formation, in terms of a failing economy and disaffected intelligentsia, were ignored by the state.
Other highlights include:
- The APC’s need to control the diamond mines took priority over rural development policy. However the economic benefits of the mines were not equally distributed. This created significant unrest in the southern region.
- Structural adjustment programmes, which imposed conditions on aid, overburdened the state. The result was workers’ strikes. This, combined with the privatisation of education and health services created a strong sense of disassociation from the government.
- Use of the international security force, Executive Outcomes from South Africa, to control the RUF became a huge economic burden to Sierra Leone. However, the removal of this organisation, which was encouraged by the International Monetary Fund, prompted the rise of other fighting forces, including the Mendes and the Kamajors. This placed the burden of maintaining security onto the corrupt yet heavily subsidised army.
- One devastating impact of the economic decline was the rise in numbers of uneducated street children. As the civil war raged the use of these children, as young as nine, by both the government army and RUF forces became rampant. They were kidnapped and conditioned to violence. They were then used as spies, slaves and soldiers.
- Women, particularly rural women, became the brunt of rebel atrocities. They were, raped, beaten, kidnapped and often had limbs amputated. The war has created many disabled and mentally disturbed women.
The Sierra Leone government must now rehabilitate the thousands of fighters, children and abused women back into civilian life. Non-governmental organisations will have a strong role to play in this process until the country’s economy is restored.
- Infrastructure will need to be rebuilt, including, roads, schools, bridges and government buildings.
- The diamond mine business should be restored, beginning with the replacement of equipment that was destroyed during the civil war.
- Civilians traumatised by the war should be given psychological and psychiatric help.
- Prostheses should be supplied to those who have lost their limbs through amputation or injury.
