Very African War

The 1991 to 2002 war in Sierra Leone today conjures a melange of images but the overall impression of the war is its nihilism: its lack of purpose and its randomness in the application of extreme violence. However, to regard it as purely nihilistic, is to forego the opportunity to understand what happened and why; and it is only by achieving this understanding that we can hope to learn something from it: why it happened, and why it developed in the form it did. Although no two wars are the same, they are also not totally unique. By understanding one war, we can add to our corpus of knowledge to help understand other wars. This book is a case study of a single, but important, war in Africa. Its purpose is to deepen our understanding of African wars and hence help not just the historian, but also those who have in some way to deal with conflict in Africa, today and in the future, whether they be policymaker, aid worker or soldier.

Razboiul din 1991 pana in 2002 din Sierra Leone evoca astazi o combinatie de imagini, dar impresia generala a razboiului este nihilismul sau: lipsa de scop si intamplarea in aplicarea violentei extreme. Cu toate acestea, a o considera pur nihilista inseamna a renunta la ocazia de a intelege ce s-a intamplat si de ce; si numai prin realizarea acestei intelegeri putem spera sa invatam ceva din ea: de ce s-a intamplat si de ce s-a dezvoltat in forma pe care a facut-o.