Sierra Leone
Republic of Sierra Leone
Population
8.6M
GDP
$4.3B
Capital
Freetown
Government
Unitary presidential constit...
At a Glance
Human Development
0.5
HDI (0-1)
Democracy
4.3
EIU (0-10)
Press Freedom
—
RSF score
Corruption
—
TI CPI (0-100)
Innovation
—
GII score
Happiness
—
WHR (0-10)
Sierra Leone is a small West African state recovering from a brutal civil war (1991-2002) that was fueled by blood diamonds and left over 50,000 dead. The Special Court for Sierra Leone, which convicted former Liberian President Charles Taylor, became a landmark in international criminal justice.
The country has rich mineral resources -- diamonds, iron ore, bauxite, and rutile -- but remains one of the poorest nations in the world. Sierra Leone was devastated by the 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic, which killed nearly 4,000 people and exposed the fragility of the health system. Democracy has taken root, though the contested 2023 elections strained political stability.
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As Sierra Leone, use your post-conflict experience to advocate for peacebuilding, transitional justice, and the protection of civilians. Your country's Special Court experience makes you a credible voice on international criminal justice and accountability.
Ally with the UK, Liberia, Guinea, and Ghana. In ECOWAS, support collective security and democratic governance. Advocate for conflict diamond regulations (the Kimberley Process originated partly from Sierra Leone's experience). On development, push for health system strengthening, education investment, and special measures for post-conflict and least developed countries. On climate, emphasize coastal vulnerability and deforestation.
Foreign Policy
Sierra Leone's foreign policy is shaped by its post-conflict recovery needs and dependence on international development assistance. It maintains strong ties with the United Kingdom (former colonial power), the United States, China, and the EU. Sierra Leone is active in ECOWAS and the Mano River Union.
Freetown supports multilateralism, peacekeeping, and international justice -- its experience with the Special Court gives it credibility on accountability issues. The country has contributed troops to UN peacekeeping missions in Sudan and Somalia.