Sierra Leone : : Diamonds and the Struggle for Democracy / / John L. Hirsch.

• Superior document: Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter Lynne Rienner Press Complete eBook-Package 2013-2000
• VerfasserIn: Hirsch, John L.,
• MitwirkendeR: Malone, David,
• Place / Publishing House: Boulder : : Lynne Rienner Publishers, , [2022]; ©2001
• Year of Publication: 2022
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (175 p.)

Sierra Leone's bitter experience with civil war garnered international attention only after the May 1997 coup, though the conflict between the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) and successive governments had raged for at least a decade against the backdrop of more than three decades of progressive state collapse. John Hirsch traces Sierra Leone's downward spiral, drawing on his first-hand experience as US ambassador in Freetown in 1995-1998. Hirsch analyzes the historical, social, and economic contexts of the struggle, as well as the impacts of regional and international powers. Topics covered include the exploitation of mineral resources in the country, the involvement of private security forces, and the flawed efforts at peace negotiations.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Illustrations -- Foreword -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- 1. Origins of the Crisis -- 2. From Military Rule to the 1996 Elections -- 3. The Kabbah Presidency and the Army/RUF Coup -- 4. Negotiating Peace -- 5. Assessment and Prospects -- Postscript, September 1, 2000 -- Appendix 1. Chronology: Selected Events in Sierra Leone -- Appendix 2. The Lomé Peace Agreement -- Selected Bibliography -- Index -- About the Publication -- Other International Peace Academy Publications -- The International Peace Academy