The Lomé Peace Agreement of July 1999 sought to end one of the world’s most brutal civil wars of recent times. Sierra Leone, its West African neighbours and the international community continue to face the daunting task of moving from war and political crisis to establishing a lasting peace.
Accord 9 explores this and earlier attempts to end the conflict. It draws lessons from those peace processes including:
- the risk during negotiations of focusing on an individual leader in the belief that others will follow suit and accept a settlement
- a need for new approaches to deal with elusive and unpredictable armed groups
Authors from within Sierra Leone and abroad focus on implementing the peace agreement and power-sharing, and also examine civil society’s role in the peace process.
The publication includes a timeline and the full peace accord texts, plus profiles of the main people involved in the conflict and peace process.
This issue of Accord was edited by David Lord.
I found this issue on Sierra Leone particularly absorbing having had some interactions with Sierra Leonean women. Their role in the peace initiatives and in establishing of democratic processes is of special significance to our situation in North East India.
North East Network, India
*New* Published in 2012 and building on analysis and recommendations from previous Accord publications on Liberia (Issue 1: 1996) and Sierra Leone (Issue 9: 2000), Accord 23 – Consolidating Peace – draws on experiences and perspectives from across societies in both Liberia and Sierra Leone to explore comparative lessons and examine progress.
