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Sierra Leone
General Resources, Education, History, Politics, and Human Rights

• The Advocates for Human Rights on Sierra Leone Special project (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
  Reports since 2004 and current news on Sierra Leone human rights situation. "The Advocates provides investigative fact finding, direct legal representation, collaboration for education and training, and a broad distribution of publications."
  
  
• Amnesty International on Sierra Leone--Profile & Updates (New York and Washington, DC)
  
  
• Anti Corruption Commission of Sierra Leone (Freetown)
  "[Established in 2000 by the government]...to investigate instances of alleged or suspected corruption whether referred to it or not and to take such steps as may be necessary for the eradication or suppression of corrupt practices..." The site includes recent press releases and reports.
  -- See especially: Justice Sector Survey 2008 -- Freetown, Sierra Leone: Government of Sierra Leone, Justice Sector Coordination Office, 2008. 86 pages in PDF format.
  
  
• Columbia University: What the fighters say: a survey of ex-combatants in Sierra Leone. (August 2004) by Macartan Humphreys and Jeremy Weinstein. CGSD working paper; no. 20. -- New York: Columbia University, The Earth Institute, Center on Globalization and Sustainable Development, 2004. (PDF format)
  
  
• Coming back from the bush: gender, youth and reintegration in northern Sierra Leone. by Janneke van Gog (2008) -- Leiden, The Netherlands: African Studies Centre, Leiden University, 2008. via DSpace at Leiden University. (140 pages in PDF format)
  
  
• Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative on Sierra Leone, 1998-2005 (New Delhi, India; London, UK; Accra, Ghana)
  "The CHRI is a non-partisan independent international non-governmental organisation. Human rights education and advocacy are at the core of all CHRI's activities, and the aims and ends of its reports and investigations." This web site includes:
  -- In pursuit of justice: a report on the judiciary in Sierra Leone (2002) CHRI newsletter; vol. 9, no. 2 (Summer 2002). 51 p. PDF format.
  
  
• Conciliation Resources (London)
  • Conciliation Resources Home Page
  • "Paying the price: the Sierra Leone peace process." Accord: an international review of peace initiatives. (Online). No. 9, September 2000.
    Note: after clicking on the image of the Sierra Leone issue, you must scroll down to the bottom of the web page to view the table of contents and links to chapters.
  
  
• Constitution of Sierra Leone (1999) PDF format. (via Sierra Leone Web, Peter C. Anderson et al., USA)
  See also: Constitution of Sierra Leone (Amendment) Act of 2001 (2002). Supplement to the Sierra Leone Gazette, February 2002. In PDF format....and other Laws of Sierra Leone.
  
  
• Sierra Leone Court Monitoring Programme (Freetown)
  "[Since 2005]...an independent monitoring programme comprising human rights and civil society activists committed to promoting judicial accountability in Sierra Leone. We do so by monitoring the Special Court for Sierra Leone and our national institutions, starting with the National courts in Freetown. We hope soon to expand further to monitor the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC)."
  
  
• "Cry Freetown" Web Site (Insight News Television, London, UK)
  The web site features background information on the documentary film about the civil war in Sierra Leone, including footage of graphic violence, produced in 1999 in association with Insight News Television, UK. There is also a section on the 'history of Sierra Leone', information about the principal filmmaker, Sorious Samura, and a "Buy the video" section.
  
  
• "Daily Life in Sierra Leone" Exhibition at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (Philadelphia)
  "In 1936-37, Henry Usher Hall, Curator of General Ethnology, led the first Museum-sponsored expedition to sub-Saharan Africa. He spent seven months conducting ethnographic research among the Sherbro peoples of Sierra Leone." The web site features highlights from the photographs and other materials collected by Hall, accompanying texts, and links to related information on the history of Sierra Leone, to the Africa Gallery at the University of Pennsylvania Museum, and to the University of Pennsylvania Museum Archives.
  
  
• Elections 2007 in Sierra Leone
  • Government of Sierra Leone, Development Assistance Coordination Office:
    Sierra Leone Encyclopedia 2007 on Elections
    
    
  • BBC News on Sierra Leone Elections 2007 (British Broadcasting Corporation, London, UK)
  
  
• Friends of Sierra Leone (Washington, DC)
  General information about the organization, its activities, and a newsletter from Sierra Leone. "Friends of Sierra Leone [founded in 1991 by former Peace Corps Volunteers and Sierra Leoneans] is a U.S.-based voluntary, not-for-profit organization dedicated to serving Sierra Leone. The Friends of Sierra Leone (FoSL) is non-political and supports all of Sierra Leone, regardless of ethnicity or region."
  
  
• Global Policy Forum on the UN Security Council: Sierra Leone, 2004 (New York)
  • A frequently-updated archive of UN documents and discussion papers. "A group of citizens from several countries founded the Global Policy Forum in December 1993 to monitor global policy making at the United Nations."
  • Special Court for Sierra Leone
  
  
• Government of Sierra Leone (See Republic of Sierra Leone -- State House Online below)
  
  
• Human Rights Watch on Sierra Leone (New York & Washington, DC)
  • HRW on Sierra Leone: latest news and links
    
    
  • "Justice in motion: the trial phase of the Special Court for Sierra Leone" (November 2005) Human Rights Watch report. (Online) ; vol. 17, no 14(A)
  • "'We'll kill you if you cry' -- Sexual violence in the Sierra Leone conflict." (January 2003) Human Rights Watch report. (Online) ; vol. 15, no 1(A)
  • Sierra Leone, 2002. In Human Rights Watch World Report 2003. (Online).
  • Sierra Leone, 2001. In Human Rights Watch World Report 2002. (Online).
  • Sierra Leone: a call for justice, 2000
    HRW reports, recent press releases, a regional map of Sierra Leone & West Africa, and links to previous HRW reports and press releases.
  • Sierra Leone, 2000. In Human Rights Watch World Report 2001. (Online).
  • Sierra Leone, 1999. In Human Rights Watch World Report 2000. (Online).
  • "Civil war in Sierra Leone, October 27, 1999" Focus on Human Rights
  • "Forgotten children of war: Sierra Leonean refugee children in Guinea, 1999
  • "Shocking war crimes in Sierra Leone: new testimonies...", Press Release, June 24, 1999
  • HRW Campaign: "Civil war in Sierra Leone," June 24, 1999. Focus on Human Rights.
    Campaign document, with links to photos, special reports, and press releases from past year on Sierra Leone and neighboring countries.
  • "Sierra Leone: getting away with murder, mutilation, rape: new testimony from Sierra Leone." Human Rights Watch (Online), January 1999. 60 page report
  • Sierra Leone, 1998-99 In Human Rights Watch World Report 1999. (Online).
  • "Sierra Leone: sowing terror, atrocities against civilians in Sierra Leone."
    Human Rights Watch (Online) ; v. 10, no. 3 (A) (July 1998)..
  
  
• Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre: Sierra Leone Profile (2004) Norwegian Refugee Council (Geneva, Switzerland)
  For each country monitored, the document include an overall summary, population figures, social indicators, and some analyses. See also, the IDMC Homepage.
  
  
• International Center for Transitional Justice: Negotiating peace in Sierra Leone: confronting the justice challenge. (December 2007) By Priscilla Hayner. -- Geneva, Switzerland: Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue and ICTJ, 2007. 40 pages in PDF format
  See also: ICTJ Home Page -and- All ICTJ Publications
  
  
• International Crisis Group on Sierra Leone, 2001-- (Washington, DC ; Brussels, Belgium)
  • "The ICG is a private, multinational organisation committed to strengthening the capacity of the international community to understand and respond to impending crises. ICG's approach is grounded in field research ... and advocacy."
  • Liberia and Sierra Leone: rebuilding failed states, 8 December 2004. Africa report; no. 87.
  • ICG Home Page
  
  
• IRIN: Integrated Regional Information Network on Sierra Leone
  See below.
  
  
• International Bureau of Education on Sierra Leone (UNESCO, Geneva, Switzerland)
  • Documents & resources (Reports and statistics)
  
  
• International League for Human Rights: "'Killer' bills and decrees: the Sierra Leone media's struggle for survival" (2001) (Kakuna Kerina, Matthew Leone, and David Tam-Baryoh)
  • ILHR Home Page
  
  
• The Laws of Sierra Leone (1926 to present) (via Sierra Leone Web, Peter C. Andersen, USA)
  
  
• The Lawyers Centre for Legal Assistance -- Sierra Leone (Freetown, Sierra Leone)
  "LAWCLA was established in March 2001 ... an independent, non-political, non-profit making, public interest Human Rights Law centre which among other things, provides free legal assistance to indigent members of the public, undertakes research in Human Rights issues and facilitate the training of law enforcement and other public officials in human rights."
  
  
• MANSA: Mande Studies Association (via Southwest Texas State University, Department of Anthropology, San Marcos, Texas)
  The website includes information about the association's publications and activities, its by-laws, a selection of photographs on Mande culture and daily life, a cultural map; plus related links. "[Founded in 1986] MANSA was organized to increase and encourage communication between scholars interested in all topics of study involving the Mande peoples of West Africa, and the neighbors with whom they interact on a regular basis."
  
  
• Network Movement for Justice & Development (Freetown, Sierra Leone)
  "...a Sierra Leonean civil society organization that engages in advocacy and strengthens/enhances the capacity of civil society organizations to effectively engage women, men, children, communities, government and other actors for the transformation of society."
  See also: Archive
  
  
• Njala University (Bo and Njala, Sierra Leone)
  "...established as a Public Institution in Sierra Leone, by the Universities Act of 2005 with responsibility to undertake training in Agriculture, Education, Environmental Sciences, Social Sciences, Community Health Sciences and Technology at both Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels...The campus at Njala is however still displaced as a result of the recently concluded rebel war and is thus temporarily operated in Freetown at the SLBS Compound, New England."
  
  
• Partnership Africa Canada on Sierra Leone (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada)
  • "PAC [founded in 1986] is a coalition of Canadian and African NGOs working together on issues of human rights, human security and sustainable development."
  • War and peace in Sierra Leone: diamonds, corruption, and the Lebanese connection. (November 2002) By Lansana Gberie. -- Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: PAC, 2002. (PDF format)
  • See also: Diamonds and Human Security Project--Publications
    -- Other facets. (Online). -- Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Partnership Africa Canada, Diamonds and Human Security Project, 2001-- (PDF format)
    "...a periodic newsletter about the international effort to end diamond-related conflict."
  • "The Heart of the Matter: Sierra Leone, Diamonds and Human Security" (January 2000) by Ian Smillie, Lansana Gberie, Ralph Hazelton. PAC occasional papers. 88 pages. (Word format) See also: 15-page summary (PDF format)
  
  
• Physicians for Human Rights on Sierra Leone (Boston, Massachusetts and Washington, DC)
  • General information about the PHR campaign for human rights, with background reports on the issues surrounding landmines and diamonds in Sierra Leone; plus related links.
  • PHR Research & Investigations
    This page includes the full-text report: "War-related sexual violence in Sierra Leone" (January 2002).
  • Campaign for Peace and Justice in Sierra Leone, 2000--
  
  
• Republic of Sierra Leone -- State House Online Office of the President -- News & Information. (Freetown, Sierra Leone)
  
  
• Sierra Leone Truth & Reconciliation Report (2007) (Freetown, Sierra Leone)
  
  
• Sierra Leone Web (Peter C. Andersen)
  • The site includes an archive of news reports for 1994-2003, links to current news, Krio texts, photographs, a list of historical newspapers, an e-mail directory of Sierra Leoneans at home and abroad, and related Web links.
  
  
• Special Court for Sierra Leone -- Official Website (New York ; Freetown, Sierra Leone)
  "The Special Court for Sierra Leone was set up jointly by the Government of Sierra Leone and the United Nations. It is mandated to try those who bear the greatest responsibility for serious violations of international humanitarian law and Sierra Leonean law committed in the territory of Sierra Leone since 30 November 1996."
  -- See also: Sierra Leone Court Monitoring Programme (above)
  
  
• United Nations on Sierra Leone
  • UN Security Council & Secretary-General Report on UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone (June 2009) and related reports
    
    
  • UN Development Programme in Sierra Leone -- Home Page
    
    
  • UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on Sierra Leone (Geneva, Switzerland)
    
    
  • See also: Special Court for Sierra Leone
    
    
  • UNAMSIL: UN Mission in Sierra Leone, 2000-2005 (Current Peacekeeping Operations)
  • UNOMSIL: UN Observer Mission in Sierra Leone, July 1998-October 1999
  • UN Panel of Experts Appointed Pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 1306 (2000), Paragraph 19 in Relation to Sierra Leone -- "Unofficial Text" of the Report on Diamonds and Arms in Sierra Leone (December 2000) (via Sierra-Leone.Org)
    Another source for this "unofficial" text is provided by Martin Rapaport's Diamonds.Net in downloadable PDF format.
  • UN High Commissioner for Refugees (Geneva, Switzerland)
    See Country and Legal Information Search.
  • UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA): IRIN and ReliefWeb.
    -- Integrated Regional Information Network for West Africa (IRIN-WA)

    Daily and regional news bulletins; plus links to individual country news reports.
    - Sierra Leone features in IRIN-WA
  • ReliefWeb on Sierra Leone
    Links to current or breaking news stories. The reports are compiled and archived by IRIN-WA and other news services.
  
  
• United States. Central Intelligence Agency. World Factbook: Sierra Leone (2009)
  
  
• United States Department of State: Sierra Leone Country Report on Human Rights Practices: 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008
  
  
• United States Institute of Peace Library: Peace Agreements Digital Collection (Washington, DC)
  • Peace Agreement, Lomé, Togo, July 7, 1999
  • Truth & Reconciliation Commission (2000-2003): documents and a few news articles.
  
  
• United States Embassy in Freetown, Sierra Leone
  Press releases and other statements by the US Ambassador and others.