A Long Way Gone: Sierra Leone Background

Sierra Leone Profile  Full Name: Republic of Sierra Leone  Population: 5.7 million (2009)  Capital: Freetown  Major Languages: English, Krio, and various African languages.  Major Religions: Islam and Christianity  Monetary Unit: Leone  Major Exports: Diamonds, Rutile, Cocoa, Coffee, and Fish

History of Sierra Leone  Sierra Leone: Name means “Lion Mountains”  1462: Portuguese explorers arrive in Sierra Leone, which was also already occupied by several African tribes that had migrated to the area.  1500s-1700s: Traders stopped in Sierra Leone to exchange cloth and metal goods for ivory, timber, and slaves. *Abolitionists later help slaves return to Africa in what is now the “Province of Freedom” or Freetown in Sierra Leone. They came to be called Krio.

History of Sierra Leone  1808: Sierra Leone became a British crown colony  1839: Slaves aboard the Amistad revolt to secure their freedom. Their leader is Sengbe Pieh (Joseph Cinque), a young Mende from Sierra Leone.  1951: A constitution is enacted by the British to begin the process of decolonization (or when a colony becomes self-governing)  April 27, 1961: Sierra Leone becomes independent with Sir Milton Margai as its first prime minister. Sengbe Pieh (Joseph Cinque) Sir Milton Margai

History of Sierra Leone  1971: Sierra Leone was declared a republic, and Siaka Stevens became executive president.  1978: Sierra Leone became a one- party state with the All People’s Congress as the sole legal party.  1985: Stevens retired and appointed Major General Joseph Saidu Momoh the next president. Momoh’s APC rule was marked by increased abuse of power. Siaka Stevens

Civil War in Sierra Leone  March 1991: The Revolutionary United Front (RUF) began attacking villages in eastern Sierra Leone. *Goal: To rid the country of the APC government * Rebel leader: Foday Sankoh  April 1992: The National Provisional Ruling Council (NPRC) was established, but it proved to be as ineffective as the APC at repelling the RUF.  1995: The RUF held much of the countryside in their control.

Civil War in Sierra Leone  : Sierra Leone tries various campaigns to stop the RUF, including signing a peace deal in 1996 that unraveled in  1999: The United Nations finally became involved in the effort to disarm the rebels  2001: A second peace agreement was signed that allowed disarmament to begin as the government regained authority in rebel-held areas.  January 2002: President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah (elected in 1996) declared the civil war officially over.

Recovery in Sierra Leone  2002: British troops left Sierra Leone and President Kabbah is reelected.  Summer 2002: A Sierra Leone Special Court begins holding a series of war crimes trials that lasted until  2003: Rebel leader Foday Sankoh died.  Many child soldiers, like Ishmael Beah, also had to begin a personal healing process to restore their sense of humanity and to forgive themselves.

Ishmael Beah  At 15, UNICEF removed Beah from fighting and helped him begin rehabilitating.  In 1998 he moved to the U.S. and finished high school. He graduated from Oberlin College in  He is a member of the Human Rights Watch Children’s Rights Division Advisory Committee and speaks on behalf of children affected by war.  He began the Ishmael Beah Foundation to help former child soldiers.

The Diamond Trade in Sierra Leone  During the civil war in Sierra Leone, people who purchased diamonds in the West unknowingly funded the mission of Foday Sankoh and the RUF  These diamonds came to be known as “blood diamonds” or “conflict diamonds”  These diamonds were specifically mined in war zones of Africa to fund the invading army’s efforts.  Liberia would trade weapons and training to Sierra Leone in exchange of their diamonds.

Kimberley Process Certification Scheme  Created in 2002 to control the flow blood diamonds.  A Kimberley Certification must be presented by a gems owner before it can leave the country.  This forces the government to keep track of the diamonds they are importing and exporting and their value.

Blood Diamonds in the U.S.  Executive Order ( Jan 2001) and (May 2001) specifically ban the importation of rough diamonds from Sierra Leone and Liberia.  Clean Diamond Trade Act (2003): U.S. recognizes that as a major consumer of diamonds, it has a responsibility to severe its ties to any diamond trade that funds war and conflict.  This was crucial to the success of the KPCS.

Child Soldiers Issues in Global Literature—

1846 Mexican American War 1861 US Civil War 1967 Cambodia 1964 Vietnam War 1943 Hitler Youth in Nuremburg 1914 WWI Historical Tradition 1918 Russian Civil War

Contemporary Crisis recent United Nations estimation: 250,000 child soldiers worldwide current Amnesty International count: over 300,000 child soldiers in more than 85 countries both boys & girls ages 8 to 18

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

“The Perfect Weapon” adults can resist warlords; children can’t available in great numbers easily manipulated intensely loyal fearless expendable

Exploitation Recruited – propaganda – poverty Abducted – kidnapped from families – taken from orphanages Forced to serve – Uganda: Lord’s Resistance Army teaches child soldiers to burn huts and beat infants to death – Iran: child soldiers used to clear mine fields in 1980s – Palestine: children from the West Bank & Gaza used as suicide bombers "No one is born violent. No child in Africa, Latin America, or Asia wants to be part of war.” — Ishmael Beah at a Paris conference, author of A Long Way Gone

Some Volunteer promise of safety sense of community motivated by poverty & hunger

Trained to Kill Iraq Uganda Thailand Palestine Liberia

Child soldiers being trained in Thailand

Fighting Adult Causes (Sometimes not knowing why) End of colonial rule Freedom challenged Lawlessness Criminal drives by warlords – resources – greed – power "There might have been a little rhetoric at the beginning, but very quickly the ideology gets lost, and then it just becomes a bloodbath... a war of madness.” — Ishmael Beah

Bound by Belief commanders conjure spirits magic & superstition oils & amulets In the Congo, leaders told boys that if they ate their victims they would grow stronger. "The commanders would wear certain pearls and said that guns wouldn't hurt us, and we believed it.'' — Beah

Intimidated by Fear extreme punishments death for desertion rejection upon return orphaned, homeless no where else to go "These are brutally thuggy people who don't want to rule politically and have no strategy for winning a war.'' — Professor Neil Boothby Columbia University

Weakened by Deprivation separated from families denied educational opportunities denied health care denied a childhood

Fueled by Drug Use amphetamines marijuana “brown brown” (cocaine and gunpowder) Drawing by former child soldier Ishamel A. Kamara, age 18. “I shot at everything that moved.” — Beah

Trapped in Abuse mental & emotional physical sexual chemical 15-year-old soldier with her infant in Liberia

Amputation There are more than 6,000 amputees in Sierra Leone as a result of civil war. Former Liberian leader, Charles Taylor, is accused of backing a rebel group that cut off limbs, mutilated and raped thousands of civilians in Sierra Leone. Rebels called the amputation of just four fingers “one love” after the rastafarian phrase “thumbs up.”

Human Rights Groups’ Efforts restore children to their families when possible return to former communities enroll in schools place in homes “It's ridiculous to appeal to human rights with these groups because they are so far on the criminal end of the spectrum.” — Victoria Forbes Adam Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers Children at a mission school in Africa

United Nations Involvement UN passed protocols: no combatants under age 18 US, UK, and other countries have not signed UN agreement – US allows 17 (parental consent) – UK allows 16 UN military personnel: peace keeping

Rescue, Rehabilitation & Hope Above: Maxwell Fornah and Victor Musa, members of the Single Leg Amputee Sports Club of Sierra Leone, Freetown April 2006.