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Confronting the Past?

Negotiating a Heritage of Conflict in Sierra Leone

University of Sussex, UK, p.basu{at}sussex.ac.uk

Cultural heritage is not a priority in Sierra Leone. As one of the poorest countries in the world and one only gradually recovering from civil war, there are more immediate concerns. Despite long-term neglect, this article considers whether there is, however, a role for Sierra Leone's cultural heritage in post-conflict recovery. It examines two arenas for the production of Sierra Leone's national past: its list of proclaimed national monuments notionally protected by a Monuments and Relics Commission, and the report of its Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). Whilst the rhetoric of the TRC calls Sierra Leoneans to confront their past, history is rewritten in its report and a mythic past of `peaceful co-existence' posited. To confront Sierra Leone's `indigenous' cultural heritage is, however, to confront a long history of conflict. The article asks whether it is not better to acknowledge this difficult past rather than deny it.

Key Words: cultural heritage • Sierra Leone • Truth and Reconciliation Commission

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