Sierra Leone: From Colonialism to Neocolonialism

Colonialism is a feature of European expansion that took control of territory and people across the world starting in the 16th century. The last wave of colonialism was in Africa during the late nineteenth century, and these African colonies did not gain independence until the end of World War II. Decolonization was followed by years of economic, political, and social instability that made living conditions worse for the individuals in society. In this era of globalization, the economic strength of Western powers has created a new type of imperialism over the developing nations. A growing inequality gap between rich and poor countries has resulted in lower living standards in areas such as Sub-Saharan Africa, where a majority of the population suffers from a lack of basic human needs. Sierra Leone is a nation on the West Coast of Africa that was unable to develop in the past as a result of British occupation, bad governance, corruption, and civil war. Today, it faces new challenges as it tries to develop in a highly integrated market economy that is dominated by the Western powers. In the 1980’s, development efforts made by Bretton Woods institutions within Sierra Leone focused on short-term stability of the economy based on neoliberal economic policies. The country has seen some economic stability, but this has not resulted in higher living standards. Today, it is still one of the poorest countries in the world, and efforts are now being shifted to focus on poverty reduction.

Sierra Leone was one of the first African nations to be affected by the slave trades of America starting in the seventeenth century. In 1787, the British helped return about 400 freed slaves from different parts of Africa back to Sierra Leone. The Briti...

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