Kono, Sierra Leone. Diamonds are who’s best friend exactly?
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I’m told the Kono diamond mining district of Sierra Leone was once a party town. The diamond wealth once brought with it streets lined with Mercedes and hookers. A decade of civil war however put paid to all that. Being the most valuable part of the country, this is the area that saw the most fighting. I’d like to say the burned out homes like the one pictured is the exception but unfortunately in the old town they are more the rule. None the less the town has been rebuild enough at least for the diamond mining to continue
Most of these photo’s are taken in an area still known as “little Lebanon”. Before the war, Kono was home to a lot of immigrant Lebanese miners. Most of them have gone now and taken their falafel with them. When war broke out, they mostly retreated to their safer and less war-torn homeland of Lebanon.
I’m not going to comment on the sad irony of this.
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September 3rd, 2007 at 8:41 pm
Preemptive Matt Comment
Matt, to answer the question you will inevitably ask, the food here is very basic. There’s probably 2 main dishes you come across. Meat in a kind of peanut sauce on rice, or meat in a potato leaf sauce on rice. If you are near the cost the meat will proably be what ever fish is available. If you are more inland the meat will probably be a type of small native deer that stands about a foot high.
The establishment this is served in would generally be a hut covered in old UN heshen sacks
September 4th, 2007 at 8:33 am
Hmmm… so we are basically looking at a Mr Wongs (but somewhat more scenic? I would have to ask you of course to rate the native Sierra Leonian Satay to that offered here on the sunny shores of Sydney…
Wait a minute, aren’t potato leaves poisonous? I say stick to the peanuts!!
Yes I would definitely say that the home shown is a renovators delight… just bring some love, a little time (and a new home to build right over the top)…
One is of course reminded of the scene from the movie Zulu with an impeccably dressed Michael Caine ordering his soldiers to “Carry on making your mud pies…” Assuming there are some diamonds in that river?
September 5th, 2007 at 9:16 pm
It’s great to see that the fashion industry managed to help fit some of the Sierra Leonian’s with crocs……….
Hope your accommodation was a little more comfortable than this home!!