Ten years after the civil war in Sierra Leone

In January 18 2002, a peace ceremony marking the official end of the civil war in Sierra Leone commenced in Lungi. Shortly after that, 72,000 fighters from various factions were disarmed and demobilized. Before the burning of arms used by various fighting forces across the country, former President Dr. Ahmed Tejan Kabbah had this to say: “Today, we are happy that those flames of war have been extinguished, and that now we are about to watch the flames of peace destroy some of the implements of war.”

It is against this backdrop that the Embassy of Sierra Leone in the Federal Republic of Germany, accredited to Austria, Switzerland and Italy, hereby wishes to express its heartfelt sympathy to all victims and join its compatriots at home and abroad to commemorate the deaths of all Sierra Leoneans who were killed during the 11 years of civil war.

Looking back ten years after the war, significant progress has been made in Sierra Leone. Governance structures have been transformed, and the fight against corruption, which was one of the main causes of the war, has been robust. The establishments of a Special Court for Sierra Leone to try those who were responsible for the greatest atrocities committed during the war, and the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission are strong pillars to end impunity in the country. Successive and peaceful transition from the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) to the All People’s Congress (APC) took place in 2007.

President Koroma introduced his Agenda for Change which has immensely impacted on commercial agriculture, health, education and infrastructural development in the country. His vision to run the country like a business entity, reducing foreign aid and introducing new laws with regulations appropriate to attract private investment in the country has earn him laurels. These are indications that Sierra Leone is acclaimed as one of the most successful post conflict states in the Atlantic coast of West Africa.

Umaru S. Jah, Information Attaché, Sierra Leone Embassy Berlin

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