PRINT PAGE 

HOME > BACKGROUND > SIERRA LEONE

Sierra Leone

Introduction

Sierra Leone is an independent republic which lies on the bulge of Africa and forms part of the West African region. Sierra Leone became an independent republic in 1961, having previously been a British protectorate since 1896 and under British administration since 1787. Freetown, the capital of this small West African state, derives its name from the freed slaves who were resettled there in the late 18th century. Their descendants have since played an important part in Sierra Leone's culture and economy.

For almost ten years the country was revaged by civil war that destroyed much of the ecomony and infrastructure. The war ended in January 2002 and since then the Government of Sierra Leone has been putting in place the foundations to rebuild the country's economy. With the help of ECOWAS, the UN and the EU, and after three peace agreements, Sierra Leone has managed to steer itself onto a path of peace, security and economic growth.

Sierra Leone has made strong and evident progress to recover from the previous decade of civil strife. Ex-President Kabbah's goverment has identified the mining sector as a prime vehicle to boost the much needed, post-conflict economic growth, and a concerted effort was made to enhance the country's attractiveness to investors and increase direct foreign direct investment. His administration embraced the Kimberley Process on the orderly marketing of diamonds with evident success leading to increased inward investment in the diamond mining sector. Official diamond exports have risen from $10m in 2000 to $140m in 2005. President Kabbah was succeeded as Head of State by President Koroma in September 2007.

Sierra Leone Diamonds

Sierra Leone is renowned for the quality of its diamonds and for the recovery of some of the most spectacularly large stones of very high value. The largest diamond, discovered in February 1972, was the 969.8 carats "Star of Sierra Leone". In 1996, two diamonds weighing 188 carats and 283 carats were recovered and sold. Annual output reached a peak of around 2 million crats in the late 1960s, with output declining thereafter. By 1997, output was seriously disrupted by rebel activity, with most of the diamondiferous areas becoming off limits.

Sierra Leone's established diamond fields cover an area of almost 20,00km2 (over one-quarter of the country) in the southeastern and eastern parts of Sierra Leone. They are concentrated in the Kono, Kenema and Bo Districts and are mainly situated in the drainage areas of the Sewa, Bafi, Woa, Mano and Moa Rivers. Kimberlites were first discovered in 1948 in the Koidu area and subsequently at Tongo. Alluvial diamond concentrations occur in river-channel gravels, flood-plain gravels, terrace gravels and in gravel residues in soils and swamps.