Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone is a country that is located in West Africa and is bordered by Guinea, Liberia, and the Atlantic Ocean. The most popular religion in Sierra Leone is Muslim with a little bit of a Christian influence. There are also about sixteen ethnic groups who each have their own language and customs. Religious violence is rare in the country; Muslims and Christians get along peacefully. Sierra Leone is one of the world's most religiously accepting countries in the world. English is the language that is taught in schools and is the official language of the government, but the primary language spoken is a mix between English and many African languages. 

Mining is the primary base for economics in Sierra Leone. Diamonds is the biggest exportation, but there is also titanium, bauxite, gold, and rutile. Even though there is so much natural wealth in the country, 70% of the country lives in poverty. 

The Civil War of 1991-2002 in Sierra Leone was because the Revolutionary United Front wanted to overthrow the Joseph Momoh government. The resources and lack of government in Sierra Leone made it easy for corruption. Diamonds were mined by government officials for personal use. These diamonds that were later sold were to become known as "blood diamonds". The Liberian Civil War also had a part in the Sierra Leone Civil War. Men and boys were promised money and shelter if they joined the ranks in Sierra Leone and fight for the government.

The Sierra Leone war was so brutal that a common punishment for not obeying was to have arms chopped off. Many thousands of people were left mutilated, dead, or missing. The civil war in Sierra Leone is known as one of the most brutal wars in African history. Diamonds was the main cause of the civil war. Different groups of people wanted control and power over the diamonds. Rape and forced labor were also forms of torture that the civilians of Sierra Leone had to endure. Being held captive and being forced into repeated sexual acts were more forms of torture. Even children were subject to these cruel acts.

The end of the war was official declared in January 2002. There were at least 50,000 deaths and 200,000 people displaced during the war. During the full years of the war, many different people and groups came to power in the country. Peace began to slowly happen in 2001 when the UN intervened in the country’s war. There were many moments of peace during the eleven year war, but they were short lived because the government was so corrupt and people were just trying to get power so that they could mine the diamonds for themselves.