Historiography of Sierra Leone Conflict and How It Was Resolved

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume III, Issue VII, July 2019 | ISSN 2454–6186

Historiography of Sierra Leone Conflict and How It Was Resolved

Robert Gichangi Kabage

Department of Peace and Conflict Studies, Masinde Muliro University, P.O Box 190-50100, Kenya

Abstract:- Developing countries are awash with protracted conflicts, intriguing narratives of belligerent groups fighting incumbent government. The quest for stability and sustainable governance strikes at the root of inquiry whether Sierra Leone has moved on since the war ended. This paper is retrospective and prescriptive in nature. Retrospective in the sense that, it attempts to analyze the historiography of Sierra Leone conflict, methods and tools as well as the actors who were involved in one of the prolonged conflicts in Africa. It is also prescriptive in the sense that it looks beyond the Sierra Leone crisis and appreciates the efforts put in place to end the Sierra Leone stalemate. This paper, therefore, seeks to examine the causes of the Sierra Leone conflict and the various interventions employed by the international community to secure a peaceful and durable solution to the conflict. The paper starts with a background account of the conflict, discusses the key factors that contributed to the conflict and concludes with the various measures employed by the international community to resolve the conflict.

Key Words: Historiography, Sierra Leone Conflict, Revolutionary United Front (RUF), National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL)

I. INTRODUCTION

Globally, multiple conflicts have been witnessed, devastating as they have occurred. Continentally, and In Africa specifically, conflict has been witnessed and experienced in alarming scales. According to Cilliers and Schunemann (2013) intractable conflicts have been the order of the day in most African countries. Cillierset al (2016), further contend that power and influence in Africa tend to dictate the nature of conflict.The Sierra Leone conflict began in 1991 and ended in 2002.According to Gberie, (2005) ,the Sierra Leone conflict started when the Sierra Leone Revolutionary United Front (RUF),a small band of well-armed, organized and funded guerrilla rebels launched an attack from Liberia with the support of Special Forces of Liberia’s, National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) of Charles Taylor). They quickly crossed into Sierra Leone from the Eastern and South Eastern side of the country on 23 March 1991.

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