Sierra Leone

By cs3903
  • Jan 18, 1462

    Portugues Explorers

    The written history of Sierra Leone begins when Portugues explorers landed.

  • Europena Traders stopping in Sierra Leone.

    European traders stop regularly on the Sierra Leone Penisula, exchanging cloth, goods, and a small number of slaves.

  • Province of Freedom

    British abolitionists helped four hundred freed slaves from the U.S, Nova Scotia, and Britian return to Africa to settle in what they call the "Province of Freedom.

  • West Africa

    Freetown becomes one of Britians first colonies in West Africa.

  • Freed Slaves

    Freed slaves from Jamaica arrive in Freetown.

  • British crown colony

    Sierra Leone becomes a British crown colony. The British government uses Freetown as its naval base for antislavery patrols

  • Freetown

    Freetown serves as the residence of thd British governor, who also rules the Gold Coast (now Ghana) and Gambia settlement.

  • The Amistad revolt.

    Slaves aboard a ship called the Amistad revolt to secure their freedom. Their leader, Sengbe Piech- or Joseph Cinque, as becomes known in the United States- is a young Mende from Sierra Leone.

  • Hut Tax in Sierra Leone

    Britian imposes a hut tax in Sierra Leone, decreasing that the inhabitants of the new protectorate be taxed on the size of their huts as payment for the privilege of British administration. This sparks rebellions in the hinterland: one by the Temne tribe and the other by the Mende tribe.

  • A Constitution

    A constitution is enacted by the British to give some power to the inhabitants, providing a framework for decolonization.

  • Independent

    Sierra Leone becomes independent, with Sir Milton Margai as its first prime minister. The country opts for a parliamentary system within the Commonwealth of Nations. The following year, Sir Milton Margai's Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP), which led the country to independence, wins the first general election under universal adult franchise

  • Sir Milton

    Sir Milton Margai dies, and his half brother Sir Albert Margai succeds him as prime minister.

  • State of Emergency

    With a return to civilian rule, Siaka Stevens at last assumes office as prime minister. However, tranquility is not completrly restore. In November, a state of emergency is declared after provincial disturbance.

  • First President of the republic

    The government survivves an unsuccessful militar coup. Also, a republican constitution is adopted, and Siaka Stevens becomes the first president of the republic.

  • Failed Military Coup

    Another failed military coup is launched against the government.

  • Students

    Students demonstrate against government corruption and embezzlement of funds.

  • The consttitution is amended

    The constitution is amended, and all political parties, other than the ruling (APC), All Peoples Congress, are banned. Sierra Leone becomes a one party state, with the APC as its sole legal party.

  • Siaka Stevens retires

    Siaka Stevens retirres and appoints Major General Joseph Saidu Momoh the next president of Sierra Leone. Momoh's APC rule is marked by increasing abuses of power.

  • Attack

    A small band of men who called themselves the Revoluntionary United Front (RUF), under the leadership of a former corporal, Foday Sankoh, begins toattack villages in eastern Sierra Leone, on the Liberain border. Their goal was to get rid of the country of the corrupt APC government. Fighting continues in the ensuing months, with RUF gaining control of the diamond mines in the Kono distric and psuhing Sierra Leone army back towards Freetown

  • Sierra Leones's Borders

    The FUF holds much of the countryside and are on the doostep of Freetown. To control the situtation, the National Provision Ruling Council (NPRC), hires several hundred mercenaries from private firms. Within a monthe, they have driven the RUF fighters back to enclaves along Sierra Leone's borders.

  • Another Attemps from the RUF

    The RUF launches another attempt to overthrow the government. Fighting reaches parts of Freetown again, leaving thousands dead and wounded. ECOMOG forces drive back the RUF attack several weeks later.

  • Peaces Accord is signed

    The Lome Peace Accord is signed betweeen President Kabbah and Foday Sankoh of the RUF. The agreement grants the rebels seats in a new governament and all forces a general amnesty from prosecution.

  • Violence

    Violence and rebel activities return, most notably when RUF forces hold hundreds of United Nstions Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) personal hostages, taking posessions of their arms and ammunition. As a resolt of these events, which violated the peace agrrement, Sankoh and other senior members of the RUF are arrested, and the group is stripped of its position in the government.

  • Second Agrrement

    A second Abuja Peace Agrrement is signed to set the stage for a resumption of Disarmamen, Demobilization, and reintegratin (DDR) on a wide scale. This brings about a significant reduction in hostilities. As disarmament progresses, the government begins to reassert its authority in formerly rebel- held areas.

  • War is officially over

    President Kabbah declares the civil war officially over

  • Reelected

    President Kabbah was reelected for a five-year term.

  • British Withdraw

    The British withdraw a 200 man military contingent that had been in the country since the summer of 2000, leaving behind a 105- man strong team to train the Sierra Leone Army.

  • The Truth and Reconcilization Commission

    The Truth and Reconciliation Commission releases its final report to the governmentm, although widespread public distribution is delayed until August 2005 because of editing and printing problems. The government releases a white paper in June 2005, accepting some and rejecting or ignoring number of other recommendations . Civil society groups dismiss the response as too cague and continue to criticize the government for its failure to follow up on the report's recommendations.

  • Peacekeeping mission formally ends

    The UNAMSIL peacekeeping mission formally ends, and the UN Integrated Office in Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL) is established, assuming a peace-building mandate

  • Liberia is free to take Charles Taylor

    After discussions with the newly elected Liberian president, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria says that Liberia is free to take Charles Taylor, who has been living in exile in Nigeria, into custody. Two days later, Taylor attempts to flee Nigeria, but is apprehended and transferred to Freetown under UN gaurd by nightfall on March 29. He is currently incarcerated in a UN jail, awaiting trial at the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) on eleven counts of war crimes.