Why sierra leone failed

Report Date: Pagination or Media Count: Woods and Colonel Timothy R. Reese analyzes the massive turmoil afflicting the nation of Sierra Leone, , and the efforts by a variety of outside forces to bring lasting stability to that small country. In every case, those who intervened encountered a common set of difficulties that had to be overcome.

Unsurprisingly, they also discovered challenges unique to their own organizations and political circumstances. Serving soldiers can often profit vicariously from the mistakes of others as recounted in detailed case studies of historical events. Taking the floor next, Ambassador McNee said Sierra Leone was entering a transitional phase, marked by the gradual shift in emphasis from later-stage peacebuilding towards longer-term economic development. He said that the Peacebuilding Commission would be involved in those processes in the coming months, and the body was pleased with advances that had been made regarding good governance and the rule of law, youth employment, and combating drug trafficking.

He said the Configuration would also seek innovative non-financial contributions to support the Agenda by facilitating South-South and North-South partnerships and would support UNIPSIL in its assistance to preparations for the elections and would increase its own focus on gaps. The Configuration was aware that the Sierra Leone police force had played a significant role in the successful by-elections in the Kono district last December but was concerned that they did not have the capacity to play such a role on a broader scale.

He said the Sierra Leone Configuration and the wider peacebuilding Commission would continue to have an important role to play in the next two years as the focus shifted from peacebuilding to development.

But risks would endure over the longer term. The international community, including the Peacebuilding Commission, should be prepared to promptly respond to any requests for technical assistance or other forms of support. The Sierra Leone Configuration aimed to build stronger partnerships with relevant international institutions and regional actors to address those issues.

Finally, Minister Dauda thanked the Security Council, the Peacebuilding Commission and other partners for their sustained engagement and interest in his country, and expressed the hope that the international community would continue to work in partnership with his Government to ensure sustainable peace and development.

He noted with satisfaction the references made today to some of the progress and achievements in Sierra Leone over the past year, as well as to the challenges with which the country still had to contend. He affirmed that youth unemployment, corruption and illegal drugs were the three risks to the achievement of the Agenda.

The Government was tackling those challenges, he said, with the support of its development partners and the United Nations. He reported steady progress in rooting out corruption and laying the foundations for local and regional structures to stem drug trafficking and organized crime. As for youth unemployment, he said that a new Ministry of Youth Employment and Sports had been established and a national Youth Commission had been appointed to develop and implement policies that would pave the way for meaningful participation of young people in national development.

Once funds begin entering the treasury transparently, it should be up to Liberians to decide how to use them. This prescription cannot be applied to Sierra Leone because its elected government is already in place and unlikely to give up so much control.

Stop-gap measures are in place in Sierra Leone that try to insert accounting mechanisms at the final stages of the revenue process. In Sierra Leone, steps should be taken to protect freedom of expression, to give the Anti-Corruption Commission prosecutorial powers and to establish a public complaints mechanism applicable to newly-elected district governments. International donors should: shift the focus of reintegration programs toward education and agriculture, including infrastructure; give greater support to civil society; provide long-term funds for law enforcement and justice sector reform.

The Liberian and Sierra Leone governments should enact legislation to guarantee all citizens equal access to land use and to prevent rights to such use acquired by working and improving land from being revoked by traditional authorities. The UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations DPKO should extend military observers tours to one year, the entire period to be spent at a single site, to increase their ability to gather useful information.

The Government of the United States should give a 15 to year security guarantee to Liberia; provide incentives for Liberians resident in the US to participate in rebuilding Liberia and target financial crimes committed by members of the U S based diaspora.