A lion may sleep in the heart of every brave man, but we can see the evidence of a life transformed by the power of Christ. The righteous are as bold as a lion, and Christ gives us the strength to defy tradition and throw off the shackles of everything that entangles us to our old lives. Sierra Leone is home to the descendants of freed slaves, but we know that true freedom is only found in Christ. As we pray for Sierra Leone this month, let us ask that the believers will be as bold as lions as they share with their countrymen the power of the risen Savior that resides within them.
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Sierra Leone
Basic Info: Sierra Leone is a country in Western Africa that borders the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia. It is slightly smaller than South Carolina and has a wide ranging climate. Dry, sand-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara creating sandstorms and dust storms. However, rainfall along the coast can be 195 inches a year, making it one of the wettest places along coastal, western Africa. Of the 5,612,685 population, only 38% is urban and only 35.1% are literate. Temne 35%, Mende 31%, Limba 8%, Kono 5%, Kriole 2% (descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area in the late-18th century; also known as Krio), Mandingo 2%, Loko 2%, other 15% (includes refugees from Liberia's recent civil war{8,046}, and small numbers of Europeans, Lebanese, Pakistanis, and Indians). English is the official language, but regular use of it is limited to the literate minority. Mende is the predominate language in the south and Temne is the predominate language of the north. Krio, which is English-based Creole, is spoken by the descendants of the freed Jamaican slaves. While it is a first language for 10% of the population, it is understood by 95%. There has been domestic fighting among disparate ethnic groups, rebel groups, warlords, and youth gangs in Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leon. As the fighting is abating, the amount of refugees along the border have dropped as well. Sierra Leone is also rich in diamonds and other minerals. The trade in illicit gems, known as "blood diamonds" for their role in funding conflicts, perpetuated the civil war. The government has attempted to crack down on cross-border diamond trafficking and to persuade foreign investors that blood diamonds are a thing of the past.
Government: The Bulom people were thought to have been the earliest inhabitants of Sierra Leone, followed by the Mende and Temne peoples in the 15th century. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to explore the land and give Sierra Leone its name, which means “lion mountains.” Freetown, on the coast, was ceded to English settlers in 1787 as a home for blacks discharged from the British armed forces and also for runaway slaves who had found asylum in London. In 1808 the coastal area became a British colony, and in 1896 a British protectorate was proclaimed over the hinterland. The United States established diplomatic relations with Sierra Leone in 1961, following its independence from the United Kingdom. U.S.-Sierra Leone relations are cordial. About two percent of Sierra Leone's population are Krio, the descendants of freed slaves who returned to Sierra Leone beginning in the late 1700s from Great Britain and North America and from slave ships captured on the high seas. Many thousands of Sierra Leoneans reside in the United States. The country is defined as a constitutional democracy, and it is slowly finding its way after the country's civil war which lasted from 1991-2002. During that time, there were tens of thousands of people who died and about a third of the population was displaced (about 2 million people). After UN peacekeepers left in 2005, the military took over full responsibility for keeping the country stable. The armed forces remained on the sideline during the 2007 and 2012 national elections, but they still look to the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL) - a civilian UN mission - to support efforts to consolidate peace. The country has made substantial progress since its civil war, and it is emerging as one of the most stable countries in a volatile region. Most notably, it now contributes significantly to United Nations peacekeeping operations, including the UN Mission to Darfur. It will deploy a U.S.-trained battalion to the AU Peace Support Mission to Somalia early in 2013. The government also has passed one of Africa’s toughest anti-corruption laws, made high-profile arrests, and secured convictions in a majority of its prosecutions. The new government's priorities include furthering development, creating jobs, and stamping out widespread corruption. The current President is Ernest Bai Koroma, who is on his second 5 year term. The legal system is a mixture of English common law and customary law.
Economy: Sierra Leone is an extremely poor nation with 70% of the population below the poverty line. The average life expectancy for males is 38 years old. There is also a wide discrepancy in income distribution. The country does have substantial mineral, agricultural, and fishery resources, but the damage from the civil war and serious social disorders hinder economic recovery. Nearly half of the working-age population engages in subsistence agriculture. Manufacturing consists mainly of the processing of raw materials and of light manufacturing for the domestic market. Alluvial diamond mining remains the major source of hard currency earnings, accounting for nearly half of Sierra Leone's exports. The fate of the economy depends upon continued peace and substantial aid from abroad, which is essential to offset the severe trade imbalance and supplement government revenues. Political stability has led to a revival of economic activity such as the rehabilitation of bauxite and rutile mining, which are set to benefit from planned tax incentives. A number of offshore oil discoveries were announced in 2009 and 2010. The development on these reserves, which could be significant, is still several years away, but it looks promising as excavation begins. There is one government owned TV station, one private TV station which started in 2005, and a pay TV service which started in 2007. There is minimal telephone service with poor infrastructure.
Religion: Muslim 60%, Christian 10%, indigenous beliefs 30% (The Temnes are the main tribe in the North and they are predominantly Muslim. There are about 175,000 Catholics in Sierra Leone, around 3% of the population.)
Sierra Leone is not on the hostile or restricted countries lists, but it is considered "monitored" because field workers have seen an increase in persecution. The constitution provides for freedom of religion, and persecution is currently not coming from the government. Certain places in the country have been declared as "Islamic zones" by militant Muslims. These Muslims believe that no Christian activities should be carried out in those areas. VOM field workers have noticed an increasing move from two Islamic groups to initiate attacks against Christians. For many years, several remote villages in northern Sierra Leone have been controlled by militant Muslims, and no churches have existed. But recent evangelistic efforts have resulted in the conversion of a number of Muslims to the Christian faith. Village leaders, angered by the growth of Christianity, have threatened to harm evangelists if they don't stay out of their villages. In one village, more than 300 people have converted to Christianity, including the village chieftain. Muslims in the village thought it was disgraceful that the chieftain had turned his back on the holy prophet Muhammad, so they elected their own leader. The village is now divided, and tensions are increasing. Some Muslims have begun to attack Christians as they walk to their farms. In another village, Muslims attacked a Christian gathering. The evangelist had to flee for his life, and the welfare of the remaining Christians is unknown. Another VOM worker this last December learned that militant Muslims had sent "witches" after him. By God's grace, one of the witches, who practices folk Islam, confessed his activity to the worker and later converted to Christianity. His wife, who was also a witch since she was 8 years old, also converted to Christianity and renounced Islam and all forms of witchcraft. When this happened, persecution intensified for the couple and their young daughter and they lost everything. VOM is now helping to relocate them to a community where they are not known. Other converts have gone into hiding because they are afraid of Muslim activists trying to kill or poison them. Most recently in March, a VOM had thieves storm his compound and attack and rob him. Police have promised to investigate.
US Department of State "Sierra Leone"; New World Encyclopedia "Sierra Leone; VOM Newsletter April 2013 "Extremest Groups Target Christians in Sierra Leone" CIA WorldFactBook "Sierra Leone"
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Sierra Leone-A True Picture
Kamajor Chaos- Sierra Leone (2007) (A glimpse of the civil war, tribal tradition mixed with religion, and magic talismans)
Five Years On- Sierra Leone (2007)
Blood Diamonds- Sierra Leone (2008) Witches in Sierra Leone (2009) | ||||
