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Sierra Leone flag Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Quick Facts
Region:
Africa
Full Name:
Republic of Sierra Leone
Capital City:
Freetown
Language Spoken:
English (official,
regular use limited to literate minority),
Mende (principal vernacular in the south),
Temne (principal vernacular in the north),
Krio (English-based Creole,
spoken by the descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area,
a lingua franca and a first language for 10% of the population but understood by 95%)
Personnel risk: HIGH
Evacuation risk: MODERATE
The government is slowly reestablishing 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). The last UN peacekeepers withdrew in December 2005, leaving full responsibility for security with domestic forces, but a new civilian UN office remains to support the government. 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.