Sierra Leone

The Republic of Sierra Leone is located along the African west coast. The country contains a variety of ethnic groups and ethnic, kin, and religious affiliations are [Page 775]important social distinctions that carry political and economic importance. The communally based Sierra Leonean culture contains important economic, social, and cultural networks that provide for the social welfare of its people. A major social problem has been the illicit diamond smuggling industry and the civil conflict with the rebel Revolutionary United Front that it has helped to fund.

Sierra Leone contains a variety of geographic regions with close to 20 different ethnic groups, many of whom speak multiple languages. There is also a sizable non-African population, such as the descendants of Lebanese settlers. There is a sense of national identity and there are few ethnic conflicts, although they may arise during elections. Most Sierra Leoneans live in patrilineal extended-family units, with lineage and kinship ties key determinants of land access, the settlement of legal disputes, social support networks, and the communal education of children. Maintenance of such ties brings political and economic advantages. In urban areas, such ties are crucial for obtaining the few available salaried positions.

Islam is the majority faith, with Christianity and indigenous religions also popular. Many Sierra Leoneans blend the practices of more than one faith. Religious leaders provide social as well as spiritual leadership. Hierarchical secret societies such as the Poro for men and Sande for women are important social organizations among many west African ethnic groups, including Sierra Leone. They cross kinship networks and initiate men and women into their adult social roles through the passage of secret knowledge shared only by initiated members. Members then oversee the social and political norms of the wider society, enforce proper behavior, and punish nonconformists.

Most of the society is rural, although close to 40 percent of the population live in urban areas. Communal villages feature open social spaces such as public courtyards and open-air markets. Traditional Senegalese society is also hierarchical, with a social stratification based on an elite family's connection to ancestors who were the first to settle in a particular area. This family then controlled the land, a key rural resource whose allocation reinforced their status. A recent urban elite has developed based upon their access to education, employment, political office, and Western material goods.

Local and international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) play a key role in the provision of social services due to government corruption, a poor economy, and a large international debt. Social problems include human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) and other disease outbreaks, poor healthcare and sanitation, declining infrastructure, refugees and violence related to civil conflict, and lack of educational and economic opportunities. Existing economic opportunities are largely informal and based on networks such as marketing and trading.

The illicit diamond trade forms a large part of Sierra Leone's informal economy and has helped fund a lengthy civil conflict that erupted in 1991. Young men often leave their families to work in mines but return due to poor working conditions and exploitation. The rebel Revolutionary United Front (RUF) uses forced labor to mine diamonds and barters the diamonds for weapons, which they then use to conquer territory and seize political power. Their actions have caused social disruptions as young boys and men leave their families to mine or fight and refugees flee the violence. Government corruption and the ease of smuggling the diamonds across borders and obscuring their country of origin has offset international reluctance to market

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