RouteFreetown

Sierra Leone's Diamonds, Traditional Medicine & Post-War Recovery

Sierra Leone's diamonds funded a decade of brutal civil war — visiting Freetown today means engaging with the complex story of conflict resources, post-war recovery, and traditional Temne healing

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1
Diamond Industry Exhibition
The National Mineral Agency exhibit documents Sierra Leone's diamond history — from the first discovery in 1930 through the conflict era to Kimberley Process certification today
2
Temne Traditional Healer Market
Traditional Temne healers operate in the market near Circular Road - their remedies of bark, roots and leaves represent thousands of years of West African pharmacological knowledge
3
Kroo Bay Community after the war
Kroo Bay - a waterfront slum community - has rebuilt itself after the war; visiting a community guide reveals the extraordinary resilience of Sierra Leoneans who lived through the conflict
4
Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Sierra Leone's post-war TRC process was one of Africa's most thorough – its documentation center in Freetown holds testimonies that shaped how the world thinks about transitional justice
5
Kono Diamond Mining Fields
A 4-hour drive to the Kono district reaches the open-pit diamond mines – the landscape of conflict-era Sierra Leone still worked by artisanal miners looking for the stones that fueled a war
6
Freetown Rebuilding Story
Walking through Freetown's rebuilt neighborhoods reveals a city that has changed fundamentally since peace — new buildings, young entrepreneurs and a generation that has only known peace