ABSTRACT

This study investigates the Sierra Leonean Civil War that broke out in 1991 and lasted until 2002. The study traces the causes of the war, its effect on the country and the efforts that have been made so far to practice democracy in the post-war era. The methodology that was applied in this study comprised the use of qualitative research approaches to review secondary data on the subject matter as well as the analysis of primary data obtained through interviews. The findings show that the causes of the war can be directly and indirectly linked to pre-colonial factors including development disparities between the capital, Freetown, which the British treated as a Colony and the other regions which they treated as a Protectorate. This chasm deepened into the post-independence years and divided the country along ethnic lines. Coupled with the malaise that bedeviled the country’s economy, the war inevitably broke out soon after its neighbor, Liberia, went up in flames. The study established, as per the conclusions of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), that women, children and the youth were most affected by the war. The study also found that the country has made great strides in deepening democracy after the war period. And, finally, the study concludes with some recommendations including the need for the country to strengthen its pro-democracy institutions, starting with the National Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone (NECSL).