British military intervention in the Sierra Leone Civil War
The United Kingdom began a military intervention in Sierra Leone on 7 May 2000 under the codename Operation Palliser. Although small numbers of British personnel had been deployed previously, Palliser was the first large-scale intervention by British forces in the Sierra Leone Civil War. In early May 2000, the Revolutionary United Front (RUF)—one of the main parties to the civil war—advanced on the country's capital, Freetown, prompting the British government to dispatch an "Operational Reconnaissance and Liaison Team" (ORLT) to prepare to evacuate foreign citizens. On 6 May, the RUF blocked the road connecting Freetown to the country's main airport, Lungi. The next day, British soldiers began to secure the airport and other areas essential to an evacuation. The majority of those who wished to leave were evacuated within the first two days of the operation, but many chose to stay following the arrival of British forces.
General Sir David Richards (then a brigadier) commanded British operations in Sierra Leone.
An RAF CH-47 Chinook; Chinooks were essential to the evacuation and supported later British operations in Sierra Leone, but as the RAF lacked the capacity to transport them intact, two had to fly to Freetown from the UK.
A Sea Harrier; Harriers were used for reconnaissance and reassurance during the British intervention.
A man panning for diamonds in Sierra Leone; the exploitation of the country's diamonds inspired the terms "blood diamond" and "conflict diamond".
Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It shares its southeastern border with Liberia and is bordered by Guinea to the north. With a land area of 71,740 km2 (27,699 sq mi), Sierra Leone has a tropical climate and with a variety of environments ranging from savannas to rainforests. According to the 2015 census, Sierra Leone has a population of 7,092,113, with Freetown serving as both the capital and largest city. The country is divided into five administrative regions, which are further subdivided into 16 districts.
Fragments of prehistoric pottery from Kamabai Rock Shelter
Bunce Island, 1805, during the period the slave factory was run by John and Alexander Anderson
An 1835 illustration of liberated Africans arriving in Sierra Leone
Houses at Sierra-Leone (May 1853, X, p. 55)