Sierra Leone
Summary
The British set up a trading post near present-day Freetown in the 17th century. Originally, the trade involved timber and ivory, but later it expanded to slaves. Following the American Revolution, a colony was established in 1787 and Sierra Leone became a destination for resettling black loyalists who had originally been resettled in Nova Scotia. After the abolition of the slave trade in 1807, British crews delivered thousands of Africans liberated from illegal slave ships to Sierra Leone, particularly Freetown. The colony gradually expanded inland during the course of the 19th century; independence was attained in 1961. Democracy is slowly being reestablished after the civil war (1991-2002) that resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of more than 2 million people (about one-third of the population). The military, which took over full responsibility for security following the departure of UN peacekeepers at the end of 2005, has developed as a guarantor of the country’s stability; the armed forces remained on the sideline during the 2007, 2012, and 2018 national elections. In March 2014, the closure of the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone marked the end of more than 15 years of peacekeeping and political operations in Sierra Leone. The government’s stated priorities include free primary and secondary education, economic growth, accountable governance, health, and infrastructure. [1]
📷: Wikipedia
Statistics
From the The Joshua Project [2]
In the News
📷: Wikipedia
Prayer Guide
The fallout from the conflict remains – the human suffering of survivors. Pray for the following groups:
a) Those with emotional and psychological trauma from their experiences. This could include the majority of the population, but especially those who suffered rape. Proper trauma counselling and Christian love can see these wounds healed, but much remains to be done in ministry and especially in training people to minister to these needs.
b) Victims of mutilation and maiming. Sierra Leone’s conflict was particularly noted for amputation of hands, arms and feet – for no reason other than pure cruelty and evil. Those who survived such treatment need loving acceptance and integration into normal society as well as vocational training for future employment.
c) Former child soldiers. Over 10,000 fought in the conflict, enduring as well as inflicting much suffering. The stigma associated with this role makes their reintegration very difficult. As they grow into men, they remain troubled and troublesome, knowing no life other than one of crime and violence. Pray for ministries that will reach out to these and provide opportunities for them to live whole and wholesome lives.
The challenge of the unfinished task. The pride and attitude of superiority shown by the Krio “Christian” population, and the continued growth of Islam, have limited church growth in the tribal hinterland. Most outreach is to animists, even though Muslims have shown responsiveness to the good news. Pray for:
a) The Muslim peoples. During the 20th Century, Islam grew from 10% to over 60% of the population. Islam’s recent increase in influence is in part thanks to UN peacekeeping forces. Troops from Bangladesh, Pakistan and India erected mosques wherever they were stationed. Other Muslim countries sent missionaries to further Islamize the nation. Islam and Christianity enjoyed peaceful relations until now. Pray that Christian witness to Muslims might be clear and bold, but be done with sensitivity and humility. The Fula Jalon, Krio Fulani, Mandingo, Susu, Temne-Banta, Vai and Yalunka are the least reached, but this is being addressed by a number of agencies working with these groups in neighbouring countries.
b) The more animistic groups are more easily won to Christ, but are rapidly being Islamized as well. Christians must show more urgency in reaching them. The Bom, Kuranko, Loko, Northern Kissi and Sherbro are all 5% Christian or less.
[3]