According to ezinereligion, in 2007, Sierra Leone had a population of approximately 5 million people and its economy was largely driven by mining, agriculture and fishing. The country had strong diplomatic relations with other countries in the region and beyond, particularly United Kingdom, United States and China. In terms of politics, Sierra Leone has a presidential democracy in place with a President as head of government. Legislative power is vested in both the legislature and the President. The country also maintained good relations with its African neighbors, especially Guinea, Liberia and Ivory Coast.
Yearbook 2007
Sierra Leone. According to CountryAAH, Freetown is the capital city of Sierra Leone. The UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone handed down its first judgments in July. Three members of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), the military junta that ruled the country illegally in 1997-98, were sentenced to long prison terms for a variety of war crimes, including murder, rape and mutilation. Alex Tamba Brima and Santigie Borbor Kanu were each sentenced to 50 years and Brima Bazzy Kamara to 45 years.
In September, two members of the Civil Defense Forces (CDF), a government-friendly militia also known as Kamajor, were sentenced to eight years and six years in prison, for example. murder and cruel treatment of prisoners. CDF’s leader, former Interior Minister Sam Hinga Norman, died in his cell in February.
A lawsuit is also underway against three leaders of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), the most notorious militia and the one who started the civil war in 1991. RUF’s two highest leaders died shortly after charges were brought against them.
- According to abbreviationfinder: SL is the 2-letter acronym for the country of Sierra Leone.
In The Hague, the Netherlands, the Special Court of Sierra Leone conducted preliminary negotiations in leased premises with Liberia’s former President Charles Taylor, who is charged with extensive support to the RUF.
General elections were held in August and September and led to a change of power. A widespread dissatisfaction that five years of peace did not bring about significantly better living conditions gave the opposition party the General People’s Congress (APC) 59 of Parliament’s 112 directly elected mandates. So far, the ruling party of the Sierra Leone (SLPP) got 43 seats. In the presidential election, APC leader Ernest Bai Koroma defeated former Vice President Solomon Berewa (SLPP). The elections were preceded by some clashes between rival party supporters and conducted in a rather tense atmosphere. However, no more serious disturbances occurred and the change of power was carried out without problems.
Sierra Leone Story
The internal pacification and stabilization process started in 2002 with the end of the civil war was consolidated in the following years under the presidency of Ernest Bai Koroma, of the All people’s congress (APC) elected in 2007. With the financial help of the international community , which in 2006 had canceled the country’s foreign debt, Koroma launched a reform plan to improve health, education and infrastructure, and to attract foreign investment, continued the policy of privatization in the energy, construction and mining sectors. He also launched a tough campaign against corruption. As evidence of the progress made, in September 2010 the UN Security Council completely abolished sanctions against SL recognizing that the government had regained full control of the entire territory and that the rebels had been disarmed and absorbed into the national army. Driven above all by the mining sector, but also by the progress achieved in the agriculture and services sectors, GDP resumed growth from 6% in 2011 to over 20% in 2013. In the general consultations held in November 2012, with a ‘very high turnout (87.3%), Koroma was re-elected in the first round for a second term (58.7%), and the APC obtained an absolute majority by winning 69 seats out of 112, against the 43 seats that went to the deployment opponent of the Sierra Leone people’s party (SLPP). During 2014, the country had to deal with the spread of the Ebola epidemic. Due to the inadequacy of health facilities and the late intervention of the international community, it was difficult to contain the infection and the victims were thousands. The decrease in the active population and the isolation to which the country was subjected had serious consequences on the economic level, causing a sharp decrease in GDP (for 2015 the International Monetary Fund estimated a contraction of 12.8%). On the international level, Koroma maintained solid ties with donor countries and international institutes over the years and strengthened diplomatic relations with all neighboring states. The decrease in the active population and the isolation to which the country was subjected had serious consequences on the economic level, causing a sharp decrease in GDP (for 2015 the International Monetary Fund estimated a contraction of 12.8%). On the international level, Koroma maintained solid ties with donor countries and international institutes over the years and strengthened diplomatic relations with all neighboring states. The decrease in the active population and the isolation to which the country was subjected had serious consequences on the economic level, causing a sharp decrease in GDP (for 2015 the International Monetary Fund estimated a contraction of 12.8%). On the international level, Koroma maintained solid ties with donor countries and international institutes over the years and strengthened diplomatic relations with all neighboring states.
Freetown
Freetown, capital of Sierra Leone; 1 million residents (2015). Freetown, located on the Sierra Leone Peninsula at the mouth of the river of the same name, has one of the world’s foremost natural ports. The city is the center of the country’s economic activities. wood, shoe and fish canning industry. Among Freetown’s export products are palm products, cocoa, coffee and spices. Freetown also has an international airport and a university (founded in 1967).
Freetown was founded in 1787 by the British abolitionist Granville Sharp as a sanctuary for freed British slaves. The city was the seat of government for the British possessions in West Africa in 1821–74 and became the capital of Sierra Leone in 1961.