Sierra Leone's 45 th Independence Celebration in London

On Saturday 29th of April 2006, Emy’s Entertainment brought Sierra Leoneans and friends of Sierra Leone together at the Stratford Rex, to mark Sierra Leones 45th independence anniversary celebration

Sierra Leone became the latest West African state to win independence, after more than 150 years of British colonial rule.

Independence Day formally began as the Duke of Kent handed over royal instruments recognizing Sierra Leone as an independent nation.

The new nation was born at the stroke of midnight, when it’s green, white and blue flag was hoisted. A huge crowd, gathered at Brookfields Playground in Freetown to witness the historic moment.

Interestingly diamonds were first found in Sierra Leone in 1930. By 1937, one million carats of diamonds were mined and exported to Europe. According to a recent study by the Canadian government, between 1937 and 1996 Sierra Leone exported AND SOLD nearly $15 billion of diamonds. Unfortunately, most of the money earned by these exports left Sierra Leone few of the people benefited from the diamond wealth. One of the main reasons why the country remained poor ,In spite of these riches, is that the diamond mines were controlled by foreign companies.

The government is slowly re-establishing its authority after the 1991 to 2002 civil war that resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of more than 2 million people (about one-third of the population). Mounting tensions related to planned 2007 elections, deteriorating political and economic conditions in Guinea, and the tenuous security situation in neighboring Liberia may present challenges to continuing progress in Sierra Leone's stability.

On 25 May 1997, the government of President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah, who had been elected president in March 1996 in the first multi-party elections for nearly three decades in Sierra Leone, was overthrown by a group of soldiers from the Sierra Leone Army (SLA) who had formed the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC). The leader of the coup and head of the newly formed AFRC, Johnny Paul Koroma, had been among nine soldiers charged with attempting to overthrow the government in September 1996. Now there is peace in the independent country

Independence Day formally began as the Duke of Kent handed over royal instruments recognizing Sierra Leone as an independent nation

By Dolapo Olaribigbe, Hainault Forest High
Mica S Bailey and Erica Sessay
Clapton Girls Technology College