SIERRA LEONE

[Guest]

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[Natasha]

SIERRA LEONE

Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea in the north and east, Liberia in the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean in the southwest and west. Sierra Leone covers a total area of 71,740 sq km (27,699 sq mi) and has a tropical climate, with a diverse environment ranging from savannah to rainforests. Freetown is the capital, seat of government, and largest city.

Sierra Leone was first inhabited by the Sherbro, Temne and Limba peoples, and later the Mende, who knew the country as Romarong. In 1462, it was visited by the Portuguese explorer Pedro da Cintra, who gave it its current designation, meaning 'Lion Mountains'. Sierra Leone became an important centre of the transatlantic slave trade, until 1787 when Freetown was founded by the Sierra Leone Company as a home for formerly enslaved African Americans and West Indians. In 1808, Freetown became a British Crown Colony, and in 1896, the interior of the country became a British Protectorate; in 1961, the two combined and gained independence. Political instability over the following decades eventually led to the Sierra Leone Civil War,which began in 1991 and was resolved with the assistance of the United Nations in 2002. Since then, almost 72,500 former combatants have disarmed and the country has reestablished a functioning democracy. The Special Court for Sierra Leone was set up in 2002 to deal with war crimes and crimes against humanity committed since 1996.

Sierra Leone is the lowest ranked country on the Human Development Index and seventh lowest on the Human Poverty Index, suffering from endemic corruption, suppression of the press and the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Rich in minerals, Sierra Leone has relied on mining, especially diamonds, for its economic base.Mineral exports remain the main foreign currency earner. Sierra Leone is a major producer of gem-quality diamonds. Though rich in diamonds, it has historically struggled to manage their exploitation and export. Annual production estimates range between $250-300 million. Some of that is smuggled, where it is possibly used for money laundering or financing illicit activities. But formal exports have dramatically improved since the civil war. Efforts to improve the management of exports have had some success. In October 2000, a UN-approved certification system for exporting diamonds from the country was put in place and led to a dramatic increase in legal exports. In 2001, the government created a mining community development fund, which returns a portion of diamond export taxes to diamond mining communities. The fund was created to raise local communities' stake in the legal diamond trade.

Sierra Leone has one of the world's largest deposits of rutile, a titanium ore used as paint pigment and welding rod coatings. Sierra Rutile Limited, owned by a consortium of United States and European investors, began commercial mining operations near the city of Bonthe, in the Southern Province, in early 1979. It was then the largest non-petroleum US investment in West Africa. The export of 88,000 tons realized $75 million in export earnings in 1990. In 1990, the company and the government made a new agreement on the terms of the company's concession in Sierra Leone. Rutile and bauxite mining operations were suspended when rebels invaded the mining sites in 1995, but exports resumed in 2005.

The population of Sierra Leone is comprised of 15 ethnic groups, each with its own language and costume. The two largest are the Mende and Temne, each making up 30% of the population. The Mende predominate in the Southern Province and in Kailahun District in the Eastern Province; the Temne in the Northern Province. The Limba represent about 9.6% and live mostly in the Northern Province like their allies the Temne. The Kono make up about 8.5%, and live mostly in the Eastern Province, particularly in the diamond-rich Kono District. The Krio make up 3.9% and live mostly in the capital city of Freetown and its surrounding suburbs. The Krio are descendants of freed slaves from the West Indies, The United States, and Britain which landed in Freetown between 1787 and about 1885. Other minority ethnic groups are the Mandingo, Sherbro, Kissi, Kuranko, Loko, Fula, Susu, Yalunka, Vai and the Sierra Leonean-Lebanese (descendants of Lebanese who settled here in the late 19th century).

Although English is the official language spoken at schools and government administration, Krio (language derived from English and several African languages and is native to the Sierra Leone Krio people) is the lingua franca. It unites all the different ethnic groups, especially in their trade and interaction with each other.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sierra_Leone

[Natasha]

Amnesty International Report 2007: Sierra Leone

Attachment (Word Document 3 pages): Amnesty International Report 2007: Sierra Leone
http://www.amnesty.org/

[Natasha]

Mt Bintumani

Loma Mansa, as Sierra Leone's highest peak is also known, rises 1945m (6380ft). In clear weather, views from the summit are excellent. The Loma Mountains Forest Reserve protects the highland rainforest covering the lower slopes. There are several species of monkey here and you have a fair chance of seeing elephants and bongos as you approach the mountain.

In the rivers, you may be lucky enough to see pygmy hippopotamuses, dwarf crocodiles and rufous fishing-owls; all endangered species. Above 1500m (4920ft) the forest gives way to grassland where you can spot baboons, wart hogs, duikers, porcupines and even buffaloes.

The most scenic and wildlife-rich approach to the summit is from the west, either from Kabala via Koinadugu and Firawa or more commonly from Yifin village (from where it's at least a four-day walk), east of the dirt road between Kabala and Bumbuna. The western route from Kurubonla, north of Kono, can be done in two days if you move fast.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/sierra-leone/sights/106002?list=true

[Natasha]

West African Lemony Chicken and Okra Soup

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

1 large broiler chicken, cut into pieces   
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Juice from 2 large lemons   
2 teaspoons salt
6 cups chicken broth or water   
½ cup uncooked long-grain rice
3 tomatoes, peeled and chopped   
¼ teaspoon pepper and 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 can tomato paste   
2 cups sliced okra, fresh or frozen*
1 large onion, peeled, chopped and browned in a little oil


•Rub pieces of chicken with juice from lemons. You can remove skin from the pieces if you prefer less fat. Put the pieces in a covered container in the refrigerator to marinate for no more than 30 minutes.

•While chicken is marinating, saute the onion in a little oil to make the flavor milder. Set aside.

•Remove the chicken from the refrigerator. Place the chicken in a large kettle with the chicken broth or water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and cook slowly, covered, for 12 minutes.

•Add onions, tomatoes, tomato paste, rice, spices and salt and pepper. Cook for 30 minutes, until the chicken and rice are tender.

(*An okra note - if you have never cooked with okra, you are in for a new experience. Most recipes, especially West African ones, would call for the okra to be added at this point, as it serves as an excellent thickener for the stew. Some people would prefer to add it at the next step because okra can have a somewhat slimy texture after it stews, although it is usually not too apparent in a dish like this. So add either add it with everything else, or add it in the next step when you return the chicken to the pot. On a linguistic/historical note, the word gumbo, which in the U.S. is a wonderful African inspired creole dish often associated with Louisiana and containing okra, comes from the Angolan word ngombo, meaning okra. The Twi people of Ghana call okra nkuruman)


•Remove chicken pieces and debone as soon as they are cool enough to handle. Return the chicken to the kettle (along with the sliced okra if you waited) and stir until everything is well mixed (and the okra is tender). Serve over additional rice, with some fresh fruit for dessert.

http://www.elca.org/countrypackets/sierra-leone/recipe.html

[Natasha]

Banana Pancakes

Ingredients

3 ripe bananas, mashed
220g rice flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp groundnut oil
1 medium egg, beaten water


Mix the banana with all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Finally add enough water to make a thick batter.

Add a little butter to a hot frying pan and add a ladle of the batter. Tip the pan to cover with the pancake mix and fry until the pancake sets on one side. Turn over and cook on the other side. Set aside in a warm oven and continue until all the batter has been cooked.


http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/miscellaneous/fetch-recipe.php?rid=misc-banana-pancakes&PHPSESSID=9bf98685df4f15b6c12ff17fcea0fa99

[Natasha]

Prawn Palava

Origin: Sierra Leone 

Ingredients

2 tbsp oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
210g plum tomatoes, finely chopped
2 tbsp peanut butter
560ml water
sprig of thyme
1 scotch bonnet chilli, finely chopped
450g spinach, washed and finely chopped
1 fillet smoked fish
450g prawns
salt and black pepper to taste

Place the oil in a heavy-botomed pan and when hot add the onions and tomatoes. Cook on high heat, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the peanut butter, ensuring it's completely combined into the sauce. Add half the water at this stage. Stir well and allow to simmer for about 9 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the remaining water, along with the thyme, chilli, salt and pepper. Add the spinach, stir into the sauce and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Flake the smoked fish and add at this point, along with the prawns. Stir in and cook for a further 10 minutes.

Serve with boiled yams and rice.

http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/miscellaneous/fetch-recipe.php?rid=misc-prawn-palva&PHPSESSID=9bf98685df4f15b6c12ff17fcea0fa99

[Natasha]

Red Palm Stew
Origin: Sierra Leone   

Ingredients
1.4kg chicken, cubed
450g beef, cubed
120ml red palm oil (or 120ml groundnut oil + 1 tbsp paprika)
2 medium onions, finely chopped
4 scotch bonnet chillies, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp mint
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp Patminger (use lemongrass as a replacement)
8 large, ripe, tomatoes, chopped
250ml beef stock

Brown the meats in the red palm oil (or a mix of peanut oil and paprika) in a large pan then lower the heat and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Add the onion and chillies and fry for five minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until they begin to soften (about 5 minutes). Then add the remaining ingredients, bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes.

Serve on a bed of rice.

http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/miscellaneous/fetch-recipe.php?rid=misc-red-palm-stew&PHPSESSID=9bf98685df4f15b6c12ff17fcea0fa99   

[Natasha]

Kanyah
Origin: Sierra Leone     

Kanyah (also known as Kanya) is a sweet snack from Sierra Leone that's simple to make.

Ingredients

200g peanuts, shelled and roasted
200g rice flour
100g sugar

Using a pestle and mortar or a heavy rolling pin break the peanuts into pieces (do not render them to a powder or a paste). Place the rice flour in a dry non-stick frying pan and heat gently, stirring continuously until it browns slightly.

Combine the peanuts and rice together and grind together until they form a powder then add the sugar and mix well. Using your hands form the mixture into cubes or pyramids, or press into a pan and then cut into squares.

You can serve this immediately as a snack or your can store for several days in an air-tight container.

http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/miscellaneous/fetch-recipe.php?rid=misc-kanyah&PHPSESSID=9bf98685df4f15b6c12ff17fcea0fa99

[Natasha]

Plasas
Origin: Sierra Leone 

Plasas is a stew of greens, meat and fish most commonly found in Sierra Leone and The Gambia where it is effectively the local version of Palaver Sauce.     


Ingredients

300ml Palm oil
1.2kg chicken cut into serving-sized pieces
450g stewing beef, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 tsp ground ginger
tomatoes, chopped
2 onions, chopped
1 hot chilli, finely chopped
2 Maggi, or bouillon, cubes
900g shredded greens (sweet potato greens, cassava leaves, collard greens, kale, turnip greens)
6 okra, sliced
2 dried smoked fish, washed and flaked into pieces
200g dried prawns
100g ground egusi (or pumpkin) seeds
salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper and baking soda, to taste

Heat the oil in a large pot and cook the meat in this for a few minutes. Add the chillies, onions, bouillon cubes and some 450ml water. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Add the greens at this stage, season with the cayenne pepper, salt and baking soda then cover the pot and cook until tender (spinach will cook in 20 minutes, the other greens may take up to 35 minutes).

When the greens are done add the dried fish and dried prawns. Meanwhile combine the or egusi seeds (or pumpkin seeds [you can also substitiute peanut butter]) with hot water and stir until smooth before adding to the greens and meat. Allow the mixture to simmer for ten minutes more so that the stock thickens.

Serve with FuFu or on a bed of rice.

http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/miscellaneous/fetch-recipe.php?rid=misc-plasas&PHPSESSID=9bf98685df4f15b6c12ff17fcea0fa99

[Natasha]

Grannat Chop
Origin: Sierra Leone   

Ingredients

1.4kg chicken, cut into large pieces
3 tbsp olive oil
3 medium onions, chopped
6 scotch bonnet chillies, chopped
8 ripe tomatoes, chopped
450ml chicken stock
240ml peanut butter
1 can tomato purée
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
6 medium eggs, hard-boiled
50g parsley, chopped

   
Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the chicken until just browned. Remove and set aside then add the onions and chillies. Fry until the onion is soft then add the tomatoes and fry for two minutes. Return the chicken to the pan and add the stock. Bring to the boil then add the peanut butter, salt and pepper. Stir until the peanut butter is completely blended then add the thyme, reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.

Serve on a bed of rice, garnished with halved hard-boiled eggs and sprinkled with parsley.

http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/miscellaneous/fetch-recipe.php?rid=misc-grannat-chop&PHPSESSID=9bf98685df4f15b6c12ff17fcea0fa99

[Natasha]

Baked Chicken in a Peanut Sauce
Origin: Sierra Leone

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil
1.3kg chicken, cut into large pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
600g fresh tomatoes, chopped (or 2 tins)
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
1 habanero chilli, chopped
1 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
200ml peanut butter
200ml chicken stock
450g fine (French) beans

Add the oil to a large pan and sauté the chicken pieces in this until browned on all sides. Remove and set aside then add the onions and chilli to the pan and sauté for five minutes. Add the tomatoes and bell pepper and cook for a further 10 minutes. Add the thyme, bay leaf, salt, and cayenne and mix thoroughly.

Mix the peanut butter with the chicken stock until completely smooth. Transfer the chicken to a casserole, pour the tomato mixture and the stock mixture over the top and add the fine beans. Cover and bake in an oven pre-heated to 180°C for 1 hour. Serve on a bed of rice.

http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/miscellaneous/fetch-recipe.php?rid=misc-baked-chicken-peanut-sauce&PHPSESSID=9bf98685df4f15b6c12ff17fcea0fa99

[Claus-Peter]

Geography

Sierra Leone, on the Atlantic Ocean in West Africa, is half the size of Illinois. Guinea, in the north and east, and Liberia, in the south, are its neighbors. Mangrove swamps lie along the coast, with wooded hills and a plateau in the interior. The eastern region is mountainous.

Government

Constitutional democracy.

History

The Bulom people were thought to have been the earliest inhabitants of Sierra Leone, followed by the Mende and Temne peoples in the 15th century and thereafter the Fulani. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to explore the land and gave Sierra Leone its name, which means “lion mountains.” Freetown, on the coast, was ceded to English settlers in 1787 as a home for blacks discharged from the British armed forces and also for runaway slaves who had found asylum in London. In 1808 the coastal area became a British colony, and in 1896 a British protectorate was proclaimed over the hinterland.

Sierra Leone became an independent nation on April 27, 1961. A military coup overthrew the civilian government in 1967, which was in turn replaced by civilian rule a year later. The country declared itself a republic on April 19, 1971.

A coup attempt early in 1971 led to then prime minister Siaka Stevens calling in troops from neighboring Guinea's army, which remained for two years. Stevens turned the government into a one-party state under the aegis of the All People's Congress Party in April 1978. In 1992 rebel soldiers overthrew Stevens's successor, Joseph Momoh, calling for a return to a multiparty system. In 1996, another military coup ousted the country's military leader and president. Nevertheless, a multiparty presidential election proceeded in 1996, and People's Party candidate Ahmad Tejan Kabbah won with 59.4% of the vote, becoming Sierra Leone's first democratically elected president.

But a violent military coup ousted President Kabbah's civilian government in May 1997. The leader of the coup, Lieut. Col. Johnny Paul Koroma, assumed the title Head of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC). Koroma began a reign of terror, destroying the economy and murdering enemies. The Commonwealth of Nations demanded the reinstatement of Kabbah, and ECOMOG, the Nigerian-led peacekeeping force, intervened. On March 10, 1998, after ten months in exile, Kabbah resumed his rule over Sierra Leone. The ousted junta and other rebel forces continued to wage attacks, many of which included the torture, rape, and brutal maimings of thousands of civilians, including countless children; amputation by machete was the horrific signature of the rebels. In addition to political power, the rebels, who were supported by Liberia's president Charles Taylor, sought control of Sierra Leone's rich diamond fields.

In Jan. 1999, rebels and Liberian mercenaries stormed the capital, demanding the release of the imprisoned Revolutionary United Front (RUF) leader, Foday Sankoh. ECOMOG regained control of Freetown, but President Kabbah later released Sankoh so he could participate in peace negotiations. Pressured by Nigeria and the U.S., among other countries, Kabbah agreed to an untenable power-sharing agreement in July 1999, which made Sankoh vice president of the country—and in charge of the diamond mines. The accord dissolved in May 2000 after the RUF abducted about 500 UN peacekeepers and attacked Freetown. Sankoh was captured and died in government custody in 2003, while awaiting trial for war crimes.

The conflict was officially declared over in Jan. 2002. An estimated 50,000 people were killed in the decade-long civil war. The UN installed its largest peacekeeping force in the country (17,000 troops). President Kabbah was reelected with 70% of the vote in May 2002. In 2004, the disarmament of 70,000 soldiers was completed, and a UN-sponsored war crimes tribunal opened. For the past several years, the UN has listed Sierra Leone as the world's “least livable” country, based on its poverty and the poor quality of life endured by its citizens.

The trial of Charles Taylor, the former Liberian president, on charges of crimes against humanity began at a UN criminal court at The Hague in 2007. He is accused of abetting the violent rebel group in Sierra Leone's civil war that was responsible for atrocities which included hacking off the limbs of civilians, sexual slavery, conscripting child soldiers, and even cannibalism.

In June 2007, three former rebel leaders were convicted of crimes against humanity by a UN-backed court. Alex Tamba Brima, Brima Bazzy Kamara, and Santigie Borbor Kanumurder were found guilty of rape and enlisting child soldiers. It was the first time an international tribunal ruled on the recruitment of children under age 15 as soldiers.

In September 2007 elections, the governing party suffered a surprising defeat when opposition leader Ernest Koroma, of the All People's Congress (APC), defeated Vice President Solomon E. Berewa, of the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP), 55% to 45%. The elections were Sierra Leone's first since the United Nations peacekeeping force left the county in 2004.

[Claus-Peter]

[Claus-Peter]

Republic of Sierra Leone


President: Ernest Koroma (2007)

Land area: 27,653 sq mi (71,621 sq km); total area: 27,699 sq mi (71,740 sq km)

Population (2007 est.): 6,144,562 (growth rate: 2.3%); birth rate: 45.4/1000; infant mortality rate: 158.3/1000; life expectancy: 40.6; density per sq mi: 222

Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Freetown, 1,051,000

Monetary unit: Leone

Languages: English (official), Mende (southern vernacular), Temne (northern vernacular), Krio (lingua franca)

Ethnicity/race: 20 native African tribes 90% (Temne 30%, Mende 30%, other 30%); Creole (Krio) 10%; refugees from Liberia's recent civil war, small numbers of Europeans, Lebanese, Pakistanis, and Indians

Religions: Islam 60%, indigenous 30%, Christian 10%

Literacy rate: 31% (1995 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2005 est.): $5.022 billion; per capita $900. Real growth rate: 5.5%. Inflation: 1% (2002 est.). Unemployment: n.a. Arable land: 8%. Agriculture: rice, coffee, cocoa, palm kernels, palm oil, peanuts; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish. Labor force: 1.369 million (1981 est.). Industries: diamond mining; small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles, cigarettes, footwear); petroleum refining, small commercial ship repair. Natural resources: diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite. Exports: $185 million f.o.b. (2004 est.): diamonds, rutile, cocoa, coffee, fish. Imports: $531 million f.o.b. (2004 est.): foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels and lubricants, chemicals. Major trading partners: Belgium, Germany, U.S., UK, Côte d'Ivoire, China, Netherlands, South Africa, France (2004).

Member of Commonwealth of Nations

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 25,000 (2001); mobile cellular: 30,000 (2001). Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 9, shortwave 1 (1999). Radios: 1.12 million (1997). Television broadcast stations: 2 (1999). Televisions: 53,000 (1997). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000). Internet users: 20,000 (2001).

Transportation: Railways: total: 84 km used on a limited basis because the mine at Marampa is closed (2001). Highways: total: 11,330 km; paved: 895 km; unpaved: 10,435 km (1999). Waterways: 800 km; 600 km navigable year round. Ports and harbors: Bonthe, Freetown, Pepel. Airports: 10 (2002).

International disputes: large UN peacekeeping presence ended civil war but rebel gang fighting, ethnic rivalries, illegal diamond trading, corruption, and refugees spill over into neighboring states beset with their own civil disorder, refugees, and violence.

[Peter S]

Diary: Sierra Leone slum medic
Medical staff at a clinic in the coastal slum of Kroo Bay, in Sierra Leone's capital, Freetown, are keeping a diary of their working lives for the BBC News website.

Here, Bintu Koroma, who is a midwife at the clinic, talks about traditional beliefs and troubled pregnancies.

A woman arrived on the maternity ward last month, who had been in labour for more than one-and-a-half days without delivering.

Bintu Koroma cradles a newborn baby after a successful delivery

Her waters had broken from a premature rupture and she had gone to a traditional birth attendant, who had tried to deliver the baby but with no joy.

I examined her, however, there was not much I could do at this stage and I advised her to go to the hospital at once.

It is in our regulations that if a delivery goes on for more than 24 hours we must refer them immediately.

Inside I felt it might already be too late for this baby.

I learned later that in fact she had gone back to the traditional birth attendant because her family did not have the money to take her to the hospital.

The issue here is always money.

She eventually delivered but the baby was stillborn.
[...]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7377707.stm
each diary includes a link to the previous diary entry near the bottom of the page.





Save the Children have a major ongoing project in Kroo Bay where the clinic is, and an excellent interactive website about their work there

Kroo Bay is a warren of higgledy-piggledy, ramshackle shacks made from bits of corrugated iron. This shanty town is one of the worst places in a country that is officially recognised as the toughest place in the world to be born. There’s no electricity, no running water and only two toilets between 6,000 people.
[...]

http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/kroobay/

[P, B and J]

I really have to second the plug from Peter above about the Save the Children website on Kroo Bay (This is Kroo Bay) which I only came across recently through some independant searches!

You can pan 360 degree photos, hear the local sounds, music, etc.  I encourage you to view the many webisodes they have here: http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/kroobay/webisodes.php.  From there, in the bottom half of the page where it says "check out the other webisodes" click the arrow pointing left until you see the one entitled "01: Welcome to Kroo Bay 18.02.08" to begin with.

Despite the harsh realities of the conditions in which people are living, you will see smiling people, children playing, hear upbeat music, a plethora of hairstyles, and even a fashion show (for those who like that)!  Well, even though I'm not into fashion in a big way, I found it wonderful to watch the girls and women strut their stuff with their heads held high, even if (or especially because) it was taking place in a slum.  The unexpectedness of the setting made its impact all the more resounding.  Of course there are the very sad stories too, but somehow, despite everything they go through, the community seems to be so very full of life, at least that's how it came across to me with all these webisodes (and there are many!).

[charity]

I posted this under the thread regarding turmoil in Northern Africa, but I thought I would post it here also, as it relates in large part to recent history Sierra Leone:

I heard an interesting and crazy news segment, from the 2/24/11 edition of PRIs "The World." 
http://www.theworld.org/2011/02/gaddafi-activities-in-africa/

In it they interviewed David Crane, founding Chief Prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone.  He talked about how there was lots of evidence tying Libyas Gadhafi to crimes in Sierra Leone during the Sierra Leone Civil War 1999-2003.  In fact he said all roads led back to Gadhafi - as Gadhafi was a main orchestrator of the 'West African joint criminal enterprise' -training Liberias president Charles Taylor, Burkino Fasos president Blaise Compaore, and the leader of the Revolutionary United Front Foday Sankoh in his Terrorist camps in the 1980s.  As Gadhafi has stated -he wanted to be the "Emperor of Africa" - and so he was setting up all these people working with/for him, and they were responsible for most the movement of guns, cash, gold, diamonds and timber in west Africa.

This prosecutor said he made a political decision not to also prosecute Gadhafi and Compaore along with Charles Taylor, in that there was already unease about trying a sitting head of state (let alone three), and Gadhafi was popular with the west (funders of the court) at the time - clearing out his weapons, and selling oil. 

Another interview with him about it, that also lists other countries in Gadhafis plans:
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/africa/decapua-gadhafi-west-africa-3mar11-117315153.html
"Crane says, “He had a geo-political plan to place surrogates in various countries in West Africa, starting with Burkina Faso, then Liberia, followed by Sierra Leone, then Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Gambia and Senegal.”