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Sierra Leone
Overview
Travel Warning
Unless on essential business we advise against all travel to Sierra Leone and suggest you visit one of the following government websites for the latest risk assessment:
British Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Website: www.fco.gov.uk/travel/countryadvice.asp
Tel: +44 (0)20 7238 4503/4
US Department of State
Website: http://travel.state.gov/travel_warnings.html
Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Website: http://voyage.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/destinations/menu
General Information
Area: 71,740 sq km (27,699 sq miles).
Population: 4,717,000 (1999).
Population Density: 65.8 per sq km.
Capital: Freetown. Population: 1,300,000 (1994).
GEOGRAPHY: Sierra Leone is bordered to the northwest, north and northeast by Guinea Republic, and to the southeast by Liberia. To the south and southwest lies the Atlantic Ocean. A flat plain up to 110km (70 miles) wide stretches the length of the coast except for the Freetown peninsula, where the Sierra Lyoa Mountains rise to 1000m (3280ft). In some coastal areas, sand bars have formed that stretch out as far as 112km (70 miles). Behind the coastal plain is the central forested area, drained by eight principal rivers, which has been cleared for agriculture. The land rises in altitude eastwards to the Guinea Highlands, a high plateau with peaks rising to over 1830m (6000ft) in the Loma Mountains and Tingi Hills area. The Mende tribe is prominent in the southeast and the Temne in the western and northern areas.
Government: Republic. Gained independence from the UK in 1961. Head of State and Government: President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah since 1996.
Language: The official language is English. Krio is also widely spoken. Local dialects are Mende, Limba and Temne.
Religion: Animist (40 per cent), Islam (40 per cent) and Christian (20 per cent).
Time: GMT.
Electricity: 220/240 volts AC, 50Hz. Supply subject to fluctuations.
Telephone
IDD is available. Country code: 232. Outgoing international code: 00.
Mobile telephone
GSM 900 networks available. Operators include Celtel (SL) Limited (website: www.msi-cellular.com/index), Lintel (Sierra Leone) Limited and Millicom Sierra Leone. Coverage limited to Freetown and environs.
Fax
Facilities are available at Sierra Tel offices.
Internet
ISPs include Sierra Tel Internet (website: www.sti.net). Public access outlets are increasingly popping up, especially in Freetown where access is also available through the British Council.
Telegram
Facilities at Slecom House, 7 Wallace Johnson Street, Freetown.
Post
Airmail to Western Europe takes about five days.
Press
Sierra Leone’s English-language daily is The Daily Mail. Other newspapers are The Daily Observer, For Di People and The Vision.
BBC World Service and Voice of America frequencies: From time to time these change.
BBC (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice):
Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov):
Passport/Visa
| | Passport Required? | Visa Required? | Return Ticket Required? | | British | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Australian | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Canadian | Yes | Yes | Yes | | USA | Yes | Yes | Yes | | OtherEU | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Japanese | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Restricted entry: Nationals of Liberia need authorisation from the Government of Sierra Leone or they will be refused admission.
PASSPORTS: Passport valid for a minimum of one year required by all.
VISAS: Required by all except the following:
(a) nationals of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Republic, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo for visits up to 90 days;
(b) transit passengers continuing their journey by the same or first connecting aircraft within 24 hours provided holding onward or return documentation and not leaving the airport transit area.
Types of visa and cost: Tourist: £35 (single-entry); £70 (multiple-entry). Express Tourist: £55. Business: £45 (single-entry); £90 (multiple-entry). Express Business: £65.
Validity: Entry Permits and visas generally are valid for three months and allow a stay of one month in Sierra Leone for single-entry only. An extension is possible by application to the Department of Immigration in Freetown.
Application to: Consulate (or Consular section at Embassy or High Commission); see Contact Addresses section.
Application requirements: (a) Completed application form. (b) One passport-size photo. (c) Passport valid for one year. (d) Confirmation of hotel reservation for Tourist visa. (e) Letter of invitation and company letter for Business visa. (f) Vaccination against yellow fever, malaria and cholera are required in order to obtain a visa (see Health section). (g) Fee in cash or postal order for mail applications.
Working days required: Three. Several weeks are required where referral to authorities in Sierra Leone is necessary. One day for Express visa.
Money
Currency: Leone (Le) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of Le5000, 2000, 1000, 500, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1. Coins are in denominations of Le100 and 50. In June 1986, a system of ‘floating’ exchange rates was introduced to correct persistent over-valuation of the Leone.
Credit & debit cards: American Express is widely accepted and MasterCard, Diners Club and Visa have limited acceptance. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other facilities that might be available.
Travellers cheques: These are generally not recommended.
Currency restrictions: The import and export of local currency is limited to Le50,000. The import of foreign currency is unlimited subject to declaration; export of foreign currency is limited to the amount declared on arrival (amounts exceeding US$5000 must be authorised by the National Bank of Sierra Leone).
Exchange rate indicators
The following figures are included as a guide to the movements of the Leone against Sterling and the US Dollar:
| Date | May ’02 | Aug ’02 | Nov ’02 | Feb ’03 | | £1.00= | 2965.60 | 3095.03 | 2688.38 | 3614.41 | | $1.00= | 2035.00 | 2035.00 | 1700.00 | 2270.00 |
Banking hours: Mon-Thurs 0800-1330, Fri 0800-1400.
Duty Free
The following may be imported into Sierra Leone without incurring customs duty: 200 cigarettes or 225g tobacco; 1.136l of wine or spirits.
Prohibited imports: Narcotics. Firearms without a licence from the Commissioner of Police in Freetown.
Public Holidays
Dec 6-8 2002 Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan). Dec 25 Christmas Day. Dec 26 Boxing Day. Jan 1 2003 New Year’s Day. Feb 12 Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice). Apr 18 Good Friday. Apr 21 Easter Monday. Apr 27 Independence Day. May 14 Maulid-un-Nabi (Birth of the Prophet). Nov 26-28 Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan). Dec 25 Christmas Day. Dec 26 Boxing Day. Jan 1 2004 New Year’s Day. Feb 2 Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice). Apr 9 Good Friday. Apr 12 Easter Monday. Apr 27 Independence Day. May 2 Maulid-un-Nabi (Birth of the Prophet). Nov 14-16 Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan). Dec 25 Christmas Day. Dec 26 Boxing Day.
Note: Muslim festivals are timed according to local sightings of various phases of the moon and the dates given above are approximations. During the lunar month of Ramadan that precedes Eid al-Fitr, Muslims fast during the day and feast at night and normal business patterns may be interrupted. Many restaurants are closed during the day and there may be restrictions on smoking and drinking. Some disruption may continue into Eid al-Fitr itself. Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha may last anything from two to ten days, depending on the region. For more information, see the World of Islam appendix.
Health
| | Special Precautions | Certificate Required | | Yellow Fever | Yes | 1 | | Cholera | 2 | No | | Typhoid and Polio | 3 | N/A | | Malaria | 4 | N/A |
1: A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required of travellers arriving from infected areas. Travellers arriving from non-endemic zones should note that vaccination is strongly recommended for travel outside the urban areas, even if an outbreak of the disease has not been reported and they would normally not require a vaccination certificate to enter the country.
2: Following WHO guidelines issued in 1973, a cholera vaccination certificate is not a condition of entry to Sierra Leone. However, cholera is a serious risk in this country and precautions are essential. Up-to-date advice should be sought before deciding whether these precautions should include vaccination, as medical opinion is divided over its effectiveness. See the Health appendix for further details.
3: Polio and typhoid both occur.
4: Malaria risk exists, predominantly in the malignant falciparum form, all year throughout the country. Resistance to chloroquine has been reported.
Food & drink: All water should be regarded as being potentially contaminated. Water used for drinking, brushing teeth or making ice should have first been boiled or otherwise sterilised. Milk is unpasteurised and should be boiled. Powdered or tinned milk is available and is advised, but make sure that it is reconstituted with pure water. Avoid dairy products which are likely to have been made from unboiled milk. Only eat well-cooked meat and fish, preferably served hot. Pork, salad and mayonnaise may carry increased risk. Vegetables should be cooked and fruit peeled.
Other risks: Bilharzia (schistosomiasis) is present. Avoid swimming and paddling in fresh water. Swimming pools which are well chlorinated and maintained are safe. Filariasis and dengue fever are present. Trachoma, hepatitis A and E, tungiasis and dysentery are widespread. Trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) may be present and there is a significant risk of infection for travellers visiting or working in rural areas. Meningococcal meningitis and TB may occur. Hepatitis B is hyperendemic. Rabies is present. For those at high risk, vaccination before arrival should be considered. If you are bitten, seek medical advice without delay. For more information, consult the Health appendix.
Health care: Medical facilities are extremely limited and continuing to decline. According to UN estimates, Sierra Leone has the highest death rate and the second-highest infant mortality rate (200 out of every 1000 infants die within a year of birth). Missions and foreign aid organisations provide some medical facilities. Health insurance is essential. It is advisable to take personal medical supplies.
Travel - International
Note: Foreign travellers should not visit Sierra Leone unless on essential business, owing to the current political climate. For further advice visitors should contact their local government travel advice department.
AIR: Sierra Leone’s national airline is Sierra National Airlines (LJ). Other airlines serving Sierra Leone include Air Gambia and Ghana Airways who fly once a week via Accra. Owing to political instability some flights from Europe and the USA are still suspended or disrupted. The situation is likely to continue to improve in the future. Check with the relevant airlines, the Embassy or High Commission for up-to-date information.
Approximate flight times: From Freetown to London is 10 hours 30 minutes (including transit in Accra).
International airports: Freetown (FNA) (Lungi) is 13km (8 miles) north of the city (travel time – 45 minutes). There is a catamaran/ferry link as well as taxi and bus services to the city. A helicopter service is also available (travel time – 6 minutes). Airport facilities include a post office, bar, shops and currency exchange (open 24 hours).
Departure tax: US$20 (payable in hard currency by all except nationals of Sierra Leone). Transit passengers and children under two years of age are exempt.
SEA: The principal port is Freetown which has services to Liberia and Guinea Republic.
RAIL: There are no passenger services at present.
ROAD: There are routes from Guinea Republic and Liberia, but access depends on the prevailing political situation. Contact the Embassy or High Commission for up-to-date information.
Travel - Internal
AIR: Sierra National Airlines (LJ) does not operate internal flights. Private airlines can be chartered.
SEA: Ferries connect all coastal ports. For details, contact local authorities or the National Tourist Board of Sierra Leone (see Contact Addresses section).
ROAD: Traffic drives on the right. Sierra Leone has over 10,000km (6214 miles) of roads. Although the principal highways have a tarred surface, the secondary roads are poorly maintained and often impassable during the rainy season. There are some roadblocks at night on major roads near centres of population. Bus: Local and long-distance bus services are operated by the Sierra Leone Road Transport Corporation. Buses are fast and cheap and connect all the major centres. Documentation: An International Driving Permit is required.
URBAN: Limited bus services in Freetown are operated by the Road Transport Corporation, although a substantial part of the city’s public transport is provided by minibuses and share-taxis.
Accommodation
There are several hotels in Freetown of international standard with air conditioning and swimming pools. It is always advisable to make reservations in advance. Additionally, there are three luxury hotels located on the peninsula at Lakka and Tokay. The YMCA in Freetown offers clean, cheap accommodation with shared bathroom and kitchen facilities at a reasonable rate. Hotels in the interior are rare, although in Bo there is now a hotel which is of international standard. There are also government rest-houses, for which application must be made to the Ministry of the Interior; guests must bring their own linen. For more information, contact the Ministry of Tourism and Culture (see Contact Addresses section).
Introduction
FREETOWN: The most accessible part of Sierra Leone is the Freetown Peninsula. From Leicester Peak, superb views of the city between the sea and the mountains unfold below, and a narrow, steep road through the mountains leads to the old Creole villages (dating from 1800) of Leicester, Gloucester and Regent. The area was chosen as a resettlement area for liberated slaves who built the villages of Sussex, York, Kent, Waterloo, Hastings and Wellington. Freetown itself, surrounded by thickly vegetated hills, is both a colourful and historic port. Attractions include a 500-year-old cotton tree; the museum; the De Ruyter Stone; Government Wharf and ‘King’s Yard’ (where freed slaves waited to be given land); Fourah Bay College, the oldest university in West Africa; Marcon’s Church, built in 1820; and the City Hotel, immortalised in Graham Greene’s novel The Heart of the Matter. The King Jimmy Market and the bazaars offer a colourful spectacle and interesting shopping. A boat trip up the Rokel River to Bunce Island, one of the first slave trading stations of West Africa, makes an interesting excursion.
GAME PARKS: Permits, obtainable from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in Freetown, are necessary for visits to Reserves, and a guide is provided. For more information, contact the Ministry of Tourism and Culture (see Contact Addresses section).
The Outamba-Kilimi National Park in northern Sierra Leone, which can be reached from Freetown by road or air, offers varied and spectacular scenery; at this and other reserves there are game animals such as elephants, chimpanzees and pigmy hippos. The Sakanbiarwa plant reserve has an extensive collection of orchids, which are at their best early in the year.
Social Profile
Food & Drink: Restaurants in the capital serve English, French, Armenian and Lebanese food. African food is served in hotels; local dishes include excellent fish, lobster and prawns, exotic fruit and vegetables.
Nightlife: Freetown has nightclubs and two casinos and there is music, dancing and local entertainment arranged by the hotels along Lumley Beach in the Cape Sierra district. Some beachside clubs organise concerts by local pop bands.
SHOPPING: Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0800-1200 and 1400-1700.
Social Conventions: The majority of people in Sierra Leone still live a traditional, agricultural way of life, with ruling chiefs, and religions which preserve social stability, as well as local music, dance, customs and traditions. Handshaking is the normal form of greeting. It is usual to be entertained in a hotel or restaurant, particularly for business visitors. Small tokens of appreciation are always welcome. Casual wear is suitable everywhere. Men are rarely expected to wear suits and ties. Tipping: Most hotels and restaurants include a service charge of ten to 15 per cent. Taxi drivers do not expect tips.
Business Profile
Economy: The long-running civil war further depressed Sierra Leone’s low economy levels. Sierra Leone is now one of the world’s poorest countries with an annual per capita income of just Le$150. The country also recorded the lowest figure in the 2001 UN Human Development Index: in other words, it is the worst place in the world to live. The agricultural and mining sectors were particularly badly hit. Agriculture employs over two thirds of the workforce growing coffee, cocoa, palm kernels, nuts and ginger as cash crops; rice, bananas and cassava are produced as staples. The fishing industry is also important. Sierra Leone also possesses the world’s third-largest natural harbour. The principal industrial activity is mining: the country has some of the world’s most valuable diamond mines, as well as deposits of gold, bauxite and titanium ore. Diamonds have proved as much a curse as a blessing: much of the fighting during the ruinous civil war was geared towards control of the lucrative mines. Both the Government and the rebel forces relied on the revenues to sustain their war efforts. The remainder of the industrial sector is devoted to mineral and ore processing, as well as some light manufacturing, mostly of consumer goods such as textiles and furniture. The country also depends on large injections of foreign aid to support the economy. Since the end of the war, the economy has grown healthily at around seven per cent annually. Inevitably the IMF and World Bank will be intimately involved in the government’s reconstruction plans, although the two institutions are apparently unhappy about proposals to bring the diamond industry under firm government control. Sierra Leone is a member of the African Development Bank and the West African trading bloc ECOWAS. The UK is the country’s largest trading partner, followed by the USA, Germany and The Netherlands.
Business: English is the most common language in business circles. Appointments and punctuality are expected. Visiting cards are essential. September to June are the best months for business visits. Office hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1200 and 1400-1700.
Commercial Information: The following organisation can offer advice: Sierra Leone Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, Guma Building, Lamina Sankoh Street, Freetown (tel: (22) 226 305; fax: (22) 228 005; e-mail: cocsl@sierratel.sl; website: http://cocsl.bizhosting.com).
Climate
Tropical and humid all year. Between November and April, it is very hot and dry, although the coastal areas are cooled by sea breezes. In December and January, the dry dusty Harmattan wind blows from the Sahara. During the rainy season between May and November, rainfall can be torrential.
History and Government
History: In the late 18th century, British philanthropists decided that freed slaves should have a homeland in Africa and after much discussion amongst themselves (but not with the indigenous people of West Africa), they chose a recently acquired territory which became known as Sierra Leone. In 1821, Sierra Leone was merged with Gambia and the Gold Coast (now Ghana) to create the British West African Territories. Over the next 50 years, the British navy landed 70,000 slaves in Sierra Leone; the population of Freetown, the capital, was further boosted by the migration of indigenous tribes from the interior.
A century later, Sierra Leone made a quiet transition to independence in 1961, under the Sierra Leone People’s Party led by the Margais (Sir Milton Margai and his half-brother Sir Albert). A disputed election in 1967, won by the rival All Peoples’ Congress (APC) under the leadership of Dr Siaka Stevens. The APC established an effective stranglehold over the political system: a new constitution introduced in 1978 made it the sole legal party. In 1985, General Joseph Momoh took over after an election at which he was the sole candidate. After some initial success in stabilising the country, the Momoh government was increasingly dogged by corruption and mismanagement. In April 1992, the Momoh government was overthrown by a group of junior army officers led by Captain Valentine Strasser.
Unfortunately, the new government’s priorities were almost immediately overtaken by the escalating civil war in neighbouring Liberia, which was now starting to consume Sierra Leone itself. The key factor was the alliance formed between one of the main Liberian rebel factions, the NPFL (see Liberia section) and the Revolutionary United Front, a home-grown Sierra Leonean movement, opposed to both Momoh and Strasser. The RUF, led by Foday Sankoh, made considerable headway in the east of the country in the mid-1990s, overrunning a number of key mineral installations vital to the Sierra Leone economy. Sierra Leone called upon troops from its African neighbours as well as military assistance from South Africa and the UK, but the country had begun an inexorable slide into chaos.
At the beginning of 1996, Strasser was deposed by army chief Brigadier-General Julius Maada Bio. Surprisingly, Maada Bio almost immediately set into motion a return to civilian rule. The leader of the reconstituted Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), Ahmed Tejan Kabbah, assumed the presidency while the SLPP became the largest bloc in the new national assembly. Meanwhile, the rebels of RUF joined up with elements in the army opposed to the new Government: in May 1997, dissident troops led by Major Johnny Koroma (and backed by the RUF) toppled Kabbah and seized power under the banner of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council.
The Nigerians, with important but discreet diplomatic and logistical backing from the British (leading to what has become known in the UK as the ‘Sandline Affair’), intervened to restore Kabbah, a task eventually completed in March 1998. But the RUF retained sufficient personnel and resources to sustain a vicious guerrilla campaign in parts of the countryside. The Front became notorious for its practice of systematically mutilating any supposed opponents which its troops encountered; women were subjected to gang rapes. The British government decided to intervene directly and British forces proved decisive in tipping the balance against the RUF. A political settlement, brokered by the United Nations, was concluded in July 1999 between the Sierra Leone government and the RUF. The RUF was given a minority role of a new national government while Foday Sankoh was granted a ministerial post.
However, the RUF refused to disarm and cede the areas which they occupied and which contained most of the country’s lucrative diamond fields. Not surprisingly, fighting between the two sides broke out once again in May 2000. The UN peacekeeping forces in place were unable to control the situation. Once again, the British intervened with their own troops, not least to train and re-equip the Sierra Leonean army. Duly revitalised, the army pushed back the RUF and in January 2002 finally brought the conflict to an end. A more substantial UN force – at over 17,000 the UN’s single largest peacekeeping commitment to date – had managed to prevent any further serious outbreaks of violence.
The force’s mettle was most severely tested in May 2002 when national elections were held. Ex-president Kabbah was decisively re-elected while the SLPP once again took control of the national assembly. The new Government may now be able to begin addressing Sierra Leone’s desperate economic and social problems. By the turn of the millennium, the country’s catastrophic decline was such that Sierra Leone was at the bottom of almost every international table measuring levels of development and prosperity. As ever, the civilian population suffered the most.
Government: Under the terms of the Constitution of 1991, executive power is vested in the President, who is directly elected by universal adult suffrage. The President appoints the Cabinet (subject to approval by the legislature.) Legislative power is vested in a unicameral 80-member Parliament, which is elected for a five-year term. In March 1998, the elected Government (which had been deposed in a military coup in May 1997) was reinstalled.
Copyright © 2003 Columbus Publishing Ltd.
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