Sierra Leone borders Guinea and Liberia

Diamonds are found in Sierra Leone and they are coveted by Americans

Sierra Leone has a Republic for a government

RUF:Revolutionary United Front

The RUF is a loosely organized force that fought a ten-year civil war to seize control of the lucrative diamond-producing regions of the country. The group funds itself largely through the extraction and sale of diamonds obtained in areas of Sierra Leone under its control. Often after the RUF attacks a village they abduct the surviving children. The children, many of whom have seen their parents slaughtered, are then removed to special camps. Those children who escape often join the Kamajors who give them shelter and food.

The war initially began in Sierra Leone because the people wanted to overthrow the Joesph Momph government. They formed RUF's, or Revolutionary United Fronts, to try to stop it.

Children are used in wars taking place in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Congo, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Burma. In the civil war in Sierra Leone children fight for both the rebels - the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) and the pro-government local militia, the Kamajors. The Kamajors do much of the front-line fighting for the government and the West African peace-keeping force, ECOMOG. Often after the RUF attacks a village they abduct the surviving children. The children, many of whom have seen their parents slaughtered, are then removed to special camps. Those children who escape often join the Kamajors who give them shelter and food.

Children were also being taken and exploited in Liberia, Congo, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Burma for military purposes.

Sierra Leone relies on significant amounts of foreign assistance from both bilateral and multilateral donors. The United States is among the largest bilateral donors. U.S. emergency assistance spiked dramatically due to the Ebola crisis and has totaled $300 million for the emergency response with an additional $100 million (approximate) allocated for post-Ebola recovery programs. Longstanding U.S. Government support for the Lassa Fever program and laboratory at Kenema Government Hospital facilitated testing of Ebola samples in the region. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) provided in-country Ebola response support beginning August 2014. Since that time, CDC has deployed over 650 personnel to Sierra Leone to provide expertise, laboratory support, data collection, and assistance to the National and District Ebola Response Centers. CDC’s laboratory tested over 22,000 samples or one-third of the total number of samples tested for Ebola. In conjunction with CDC, OFDA provided over $100 million in support for five Ebola Treatment Units, which treated over 1,500 patients. OFDA also provided medical and non-medical supplies including chlorine and personal protective equipment, support for quarantined homes and the reopening of schools, and training for health care workers on infection prevention and control procedures. Other U.S. Government agencies contributed emergency vehicles, laboratory support, public diplomacy messaging, and food assistance for affected areas.

He was 12 yrs old

He is in New York

Autobiography

He went to Oberlin College

Music had a huge influence because it reminded him of his childhood. It kept him sane and it kept him in touch with reality.

It is an interview with Ishmael Beah and he talks about his life