Sierra Leone's economy has, over the years, relied heavily on the mining sector in general and diamonds in particular. However, between 1991 and 2000 the country was comprehensively destroyed in a brutal civil war that engulfed the West African state. Seven years after the war was declared over, the country is still struggling to reactivate economic activities from yesteryear.
Bafana Bafana must find a cure for their "travel sickness" before they tackle Sierra Leone in Freetown in their 2010 African Nations Cup qualifier on Saturday.
Boboh village used to do a roaring trade in the Pa Gbana cocktail, a mix of fermented local grasses, coconut and lime favoured by tourists to wash down freshly-cooked lobster. Nowadays there is little demand for the drink, named after the village's oldest resident: the only foreigners on Boboh's pristine beaches, south of Sierra Leone's capital, Freetown, are development workers taking time out.
Africa will be well-placed to weather a global economic downturn if it uses high oil and commodities prices to diversify its economies, one of the continent's most successful businessmen said in an interview. Nigerian tycoon Aliko Dangote said the world's poorest continent could benefit while developed nations suffered an economic slowdown.
Prosecutors for Sierra Leone's war crimes court are trying to track down $375-million they say vanished from two United States bank accounts held by former Liberian President Charles Taylor when he was forced from power in 2003. But lawyers defending the former warlord challenged prosecutors to produce evidence that Taylor had salted away state funds for his personal use.
As Sierra Leoneans prepare to celebrate the 47th anniversary of their country's independence on Sunday, the mood is not festive, but bitter, as people find it more difficult to put food on the table. Rising food prices have swept the West African state, and have also raised expectations on the government to act to soften the blow for consumers.
Dozens of ex-combatants from Sierra Leone's 10-year civil war gathered on Saturday for "healing ceremonies" to make peace with victims of the brutal conflict that left thousands dead. "Small-scale ceremonies have already been held in other parts in the district," said Beatrice Allie, one of the coordinators of the project.
Sierra Leone's military chiefs are working on means to downsize from its current 10 000 soldiers to 8 500, Defence Minister Palo Conteh said on Friday, according to a state radio report. "We cannot allow a large army ...We have to downsize to a lean army that can react quickly to a given situation," he said.
A United Nations-backed court on Friday upheld the convictions of three former rebel leaders who were sentenced to half-century prison terms last year for rape, murder and other war crimes committed during Sierra Leone's decade-long conflict. The three were leaders of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council.
Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma promised "zero tolerance" on Thursday for corruption in his country after a leaked government report said rampant official graft had swallowed up donor funds. Speaking at his formal inauguration in Freetown, the 54-year-old former insurance executive called for a change of attitude in the West African state.
The United Nations has bailed out Sierra Leone's national amputees' football team with a cash boost that paves way for their participation in the World Cup tournament kicking off at the weekend in Turkey. Team secretary Kemoh Sheriff said the donation shows that "we are not forgotten".
Sierra Leone's recently elected leader on Saturday released a complete list of his 20-strong government ministers, consisting mainly of technocrats and his party's stalwarts. Three women -- heading the foreign affairs, energy and social welfare portfolios -- are on the list that is still subject to parliamentary approval.
Sierra Leone arrested eight Guineans, including military personnel and fisheries inspectors, whom it accused of carrying out a pirate attack on two locally licensed fishing vessels, officials said on Monday. But Guinean authorities rejected the piracy charge, saying the men were on a legitimate fisheries protection patrol.
Sierra Leone opposition leader Ernest Bai Koroma won the West African country's presidential election after a tense run-off vote marred by some cases of fraud, the National Electoral Commission said on Monday. Koroma, a 53-year-old candidate of the opposition All People's Congress, was declared the winner with 54,6% of valid votes.
Sierra Leone opposition leader Ernest Bai Koroma, who looks set to win the West African country's presidential election, says he will wage an implacable war on corruption and work to revive the war-scarred economy. With just over three-quarters of the votes counted from last week's run-off poll, Koroma, of the All People's Congress, has a commanding lead with 60%.
Opposition leader Ernest Bai Koroma said he had won Sierra Leone's presidential election but the ruling party accused him of trying to "steal" the poll as more results were due on Tuesday from the tense weekend vote. Partial official results from just over a fifth of polling stations showed Koroma, of the All People's Congress party, leading with 64%.
Voting began calmly in Sierra Leone on Saturday despite a turbulent campaign for a presidential runoff vote meant to consolidate peace after a civil war. Rival groups of former combatants have clashed with guns and machetes in the former British colony since the first round on August 11 in which opposition candidate Ernest Bai Koroma of the All People's Congress led with 44%.
Sierra Leone media authorities are trying to tone down party political broadcasts alleging executions and machete attacks to try to defuse tensions ahead of a presidential run-off vote on Saturday. The poll, the culmination of the first elections since United Nations peacekeepers left, pits opposition leader Ernest Bai Koroma against Vice-President Solomon Berewa.
Sierra Leone's rival presidential contenders will lead supporters in a joint peace march to cement a pact against violence following clashes ahead of a run-off vote, their parties said on Monday. Opposition frontrunner Ernest Bai Koroma and his ruling party rival, Vice-President Solomon Berewa, agreed the deal in talks on Sunday.
