The 1991 to 2002 war resulted in many deaths and the displacement of more than 2 million people, many of whom are now refugees in neighbouring countries. The support of the UN peacekeeping force and contributions from the World Bank and international community enabled national elections to be held in 2002, and the constitutionally-elected democratic government has continued to slowly re-establish its authority. However, the gradual withdrawal of most UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) peacekeepers in 2004 and 2005 represents a challenge to the continuation of Sierra Leone’s stability. Sierra Leone is an extremely poor African nation with tremendous inequality in income distribution. It does have substantial mineral, agricultural and fishery resources, yet the social infrastructure is not well developed, and serious social disorders continue to hamper economic development following the 11-year civil war. The fate of the economy depends upon the maintenance of domestic peace and the continued receipt of substantial aid from abroad, which is essential to offset the severe trade imbalance and to balance government revenues.³³ The success or failure of Sierra Leone remains a test case for international engagement in Africa more broadly.³⁴ External agencies have played a critical role in the quest for peace - strong political leadership and substantial support by the international community are essential to manage the crisis and attain peace.³⁵

GDP per capita is Intl $606. This falls within the range of $8,272 ( Libya) and $346 ( Democratic Republic of the Congo) in the countries of Africa (Table 5).

Table 5 GDP per capita (Intl $): countries of Africa, 2001

Source WHO