1. SIERRA LEONE

2. Freetown

3. The early years Former UK colony became independent in 1961
A military coup overthrew the government briefly in 1967, but it returned to civilian rule shortly after
Siaka Stevens was appointed Prime Minister in 1968 and became increasingly authoritarian
In 1971, Sierra Leone became a republic with Stevens as President
Stevens kept power using corruption and intimidation before retiring in 1985
The early years

4. Major General Momoh replaced Stevens in and continued one party rule until he was pressured into allowing a multiparty system
Many believed that Momoh would not go through with his promise and formed resistance.
Momoh Regime

5. The Revolutionary United Front backed by Liberian rebels headed by Charles Taylor formed the main resistance group. He has since been convicted by ICC (50 years)
They wanted to take over the government citing corruption and economic mismanagement.
They employed child soldiers and attempted to take over the diamond mines to fund their revolution
By 1991 the RUF, under the command of Fodoy Sankoh, had taken control of most of Eastern Sierra Leone
RUF emerges

6. The military was frustrated by the lack of success by Momoh in suppressing the rebels overthrew him in a military coup
A military junta under Valentine Strasser (25) ruled from and had little success at suppressing the rebellion.
Military efforts

7. In 1996, Sierra Leone was returned to civilian rule after an election which was won by Ahmad Tejan Kabbah
Kabbah attempted to do what the previous administration could not. Repel the RUF
Kabbah emerges

8. Kabbah was removed in 1997 for 10 months by a military coup led by Lieut. Col. Johnny Paul Koroma and the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC)
Koroma conducted a reign of terror and allied with the RUF
ECOWAS monitoring group known as ECOMOG helped the restore Kabbah in and helped Kabbah fight the RUF and AFRC driving them back from their invasion of Freetown
Chaos continues

9. Kabbah repelled attacks from RUF and AFRC who both attempted to take control of Sierra Leone
The UN intervened in 1998 with UNAMSIL in order to restore peace
UN Assistance

10. They helped orchestrate a power sharing agreement known as the Lome peace agreement in 1999.
Agreement made Sankoh the VP and legitimized the RUF.
The accord was ultimately not honored by RUF
Peace?

11. Sankoh’s RUF clashed with the UN attacking the peacekeepers while maintaining aggressive actions against the government
Sankoh and UN

12. Sankoh was finally captured in 2003 and died in custody while awaiting trial for war crimes
Sankoh Dies

13. The war displaced 1/3 of the population and killed about 50,000
Many high ranking RUF officials have been tried and punished for war crimes
The war results

15. Looking ahead In 2004 Kabbah was reelected
Last UN peacekeeper was withdrawn in 2005
In September 2007 elections, the governing party suffered a surprising defeat when opposition leader Ernest Koroma won by a narrow margin
Koroma has since won reelection in 2012.
Looking ahead

16. Why did all of this happen?
Diamond mining remains the major source of hard currency earnings accounting for nearly half of Sierra Leone's exports.
Why did all of this happen?

17. /cholera-epidemic-envelops-coastal-slums-in-west- africa.html?ref=sierraleone&_r=0
mael-beah-a-cri-du-coeur-for-an-arms-trade- treaty.html?ref=sierraleone
sierraleone-election-opposition- idUSBRE8AN0CQ
/charles-taylor-sentenced-to-50-years-for-war- crimes.html?ref=sierraleone&_r=0
NEWS

18. VIDEO http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn42yLAdz 7MOY
VIDEO