• Sierra Leone

The Context

Sierra Leone is a success case in a country regaining lost ground after prolonged conflict. And that is primarily because its conflict, much like the one in the DRC, was imposed on the society due to its vast natural resources. Like most African countries, the presence of natural resources always makes it impossible for the countries to escape the interests of external actors.

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IN what is known as booty futures – “the right to exploit mineral resources that the seller has not yet captured” – foreign actors acquired vast resources and signed multiple skewed contracts that the Sierra Leone Government is forced to honour until tody. And like most countries, these actors use local or neighboring countries’ armies in bid to show that the conflict is local.

The Response

While the world is trailed on getting the internal conflict to end, Africa Platform has been working on getting the country to secure control of its vast mineral resources that are still out of reach of the country due to  contract signed, mainly during the conflict period when rebels were in charge of the country. Its natural resource extraction partners- China, Belgium-Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Romania,and the United States, are also, sadly, its greatest cause of pain.

The Outcome

  • Government

    We inform the government of its rights and power over contracts that were signed during conflict years.

  • Citizens

    We strengthen democratic and accountability principles in the country – both with Government and Businesses.