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Sub Saharan Africa

Sierra Leone

 Flag of Sierra Leone

Map of Sierra Leone Last reviewed: 25 February 2009

Country information

Politics

Sierra Leone is a constitutional democratic republic with a directly elected president and a unicameral parliament of 124 seats. Both President and Parliament serve five year terms. In the parliament, 112 seats are elected by popular vote and paramount chiefs (elected separately) fill the other 12. The present APC government and President Koroma were elected in August/September 2007 for a five year term. The APC won 59 of the elected seats; the SLPP won 43 seats and the PMDC, a new party which broke away from the SLPP shortly before the elections, won 10 seats. The APC subsequently won three by-elections, brought about by the resignation of APC parliamentarians who were named ministers (parliamentary and government office are incompatible). President Koroma has publicly stated his priorities will be to improve energy supplies; strengthen the Anti-Corruption Commission; and increase employment. Local elections are due in July 2008.

BBC News Country Profile: Sierra Leone

Human rights

The 10-year RUF rebellion saw widespread killings, rape, looting and destruction of property, largely in the countryside but also in Freetown in 1999. Renegade soldiers also took part in atrocities against civilians. At least 50,000 people died. A third of the population was displaced. Some 30,000 civilians were deliberately maimed through the amputation of limbs and other physical atrocities. Thousands of children were forcibly recruited into the RUF ranks where they too committed gross human rights abuses, often against their own families. Although the human rights has greatly improved since the end of the conflict, a few issues such as the protracted detention of remand prisoners, and the widespread practice of female genital mutilation, remain of concern.

In January 2002 The UN and Government of Sierra Leone established the Special Court for Sierra Leone to bring to justice those who bear the greatest responsibility for war crimes and atrocities. The Court opened in March 2004. A total of 13 people have been indicted, from all sides of the conflict. Foday Sankoh and Sam Bockarie have since died and the whereabouts of Johnny Paul Koroma is unknown. Of the 10 remaining individuals, 3 from the APRC military junta have been convicted and sentenced to long prison terms. Their appeals against the length of these terms was rejected in March 2008. 3 individuals from the CDF, a pro-government militia force, have also been convicted and sentenced to long prison terms. Their appeal also failed, in May. The trial of the remaining 3 indictees, from the rebel RUF group, is on-going, as is the trial of the most high profile indictee, former Liberian President Charles TaylorTaylor is being tried in the Hague for security reasons. A Truth and Reconciliation Commission was also established in 2002. The Commission heard around 9,000 testimonies, and submitted its report in 2005. A Human Rights Commission ( a key recommendation of the TRC report) has now been set up.

Human Rights Report

The Special Court for Sierra Leone

Here is the Official Website of Sierra Leone's Truth & Reconciliation Commission Report.

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