Sierra Leone: War and Peace in Sierra Leone: Diamonds, Corruption and the Lebanese Connection

Sierra Leone's war was neither 'rebellion', in the sense of it being an internal uprising, nor 'civil', in the sense of it being about clearly understandable and achievable political goals. Rather, it was part of a continuous narrative of escalating regional violence and terror driven largely by criminal economic interests. Now its recovery from decades of economic meltdown and political and social turmoil will depend, to a very large extent, on how it manages its vitally important extractive sector, especially the diamond industry. This is part of a new report released by Partnership Africa Canada. Related Links:
* http://www.actionaid.org/resources/pdfs/endconflict.doc
* http://www.actionaid.org/resources/pdfs/gatefold.pdf