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First PBC Focus Countries: The Sierra Leone Civil War

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First PBC Focus Countries: The Sierra Leone Civil War
As one of the first PBC focus countries, Sierra Leone is an excellent example of a case study for an overall strategy. It was affirmed that at independence in 1961, Sierra Leone was not a particularly likely candidate for civil war. Today however, after a decade of disastrous conflict, Sierra Leone ranks at the very bottom of the United Nations Human Development.
Lessons from Sierra LeoneThe civil war in Sierra Leone lasted eleven years from March 1991 until January 2002. Though statistics vary, it is assumed that during the years of conflict about 200,000 people were killed and about two million people were displaced (Peacebuilding Commission, 2006: 2). 70,000 combatants including 7000 child soldiers were fighting during the years of conflict

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