TWO DECADES OF CONFLICT AND DEMOCRACY IN SIERRA LEONE

Former President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah details Sierra Leone's transition from a failed state characterized by a brutal civil war (1991–2002) to a functioning democracy. He attributes the conflict to bad governance, corruption, and the influence of the Liberian conflict, while highlighting the role of international interventions (ECOMOG, UN, UK, US) and internal reforms in restoring peace. The report emphasizes the importance of constitutional adherence, security sector reform, and the fight against corruption in sustaining stability.

• The 11-year civil war in Sierra Leone was rooted in systemic failures including bad governance, endemic corruption, and the denial of basic human rights, which left the state unable to provide protection or services to its citizens.
• The conflict was exacerbated by the war in neighbouring Liberia, as the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) used Sierra Leonean territory for operations and traded 'blood diamonds' for weapons through Charles Taylor.
• International intervention was critical to ending the war and restoring democracy, specifically through the efforts of ECOMOG, the United Nations (UNAMSIL), the United Kingdom, and the United States.
• Post-conflict reconstruction focused on holistic security sector reform, including the appointment of foreign leadership for the army and police to ensure impartiality and competence.
• To combat systemic corruption and restore donor confidence, the government established the Independent Anti-corruption Commission and implemented nationwide awareness campaigns.
• The democratic transition was marked by multi-party elections in 1996 and 2002, culminating in the author's voluntary retirement from the presidency in 2007 in accordance with constitutional limits.

APA

Kabbah, A. T. (2012). TWO DECADES OF CONFLICT AND DEMOCRACY IN SIERRA LEONE. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/SitRep2012_12Apr.pdf

Chicago

Kabbah, Ahmad Tejan. TWO DECADES OF CONFLICT AND DEMOCRACY IN SIERRA LEONE. Institute for Security Studies, 2012. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/SitRep2012_12Apr.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kabbah |first1=Ahmad Tejan |title=TWO DECADES OF CONFLICT AND DEMOCRACY IN SIERRA LEONE |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=13 April 2012 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/SitRep2012_12Apr.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kabbah2012two, author = {Kabbah, Ahmad Tejan}, title = {{TWO DECADES OF CONFLICT AND DEMOCRACY IN SIERRA LEONE}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2012}, month = apr, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/SitRep2012_12Apr.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }