SIERRA LEONE CIVIL WAR:
POWER OF SUCCESSFUL INTERVENTIONS

The history of Sierra Leone from 1991 to 2002 is written with continuous suffering of its people. Although many literatures argue that opportunities of economic profit in the diamond mining industry is the motivation of the conflict, long history of poor institutional building with a consequence of malnutrition in Sierra Leone’s capacity in face of political instability also led to the long-lasting of war. The absence and insufficient ability of the civil government prohibited the state’s normal provision of fundamental functions, namely rule of law, security, and economic development. Tensions between the authority and the anti-government armed forces grew at a fast pace, brutal violations of humanity was commonly seen everywhere. Series of military interventions with a goal to restore stability and provide humanitarian aid ended in vain, only brought more destructions to the nation.

The conflict in Sierra Leone consists of a complex mixture of key stakeholders, including domestic and neighboring countries’ politicians, local and cross-border militia, mercenary troops, diamond companies, regional and international organizations. The complex interactions between each player contributed to the decade-long civil war in this West African country. Unlike many countries …show more content…
This paper attempts to demonstrate that with appropriate interventional measures, for instance mediation efforts from national, regional and international players as well as effective military capabilities, Sierra Leone successfully jumped out of the civil war trap. More importantly, with the commitment to sustainable peace, the positive interactions between all parties involved formed a basis in providing long-term security and humanitarian relief in the