| Samenvatting |
Child labour is widespread in Sierra Leone and law enforcement is weak. Several thousand children work in diamond mining, mainly boys, in an environment which closely resembles slave labour. They work long hours and in harsh conditions, engaging in activities like digging, sifting and shifting. Many children work in family businesses or on family farms. Overall, statistics show that an overwhelming 71.6% of children between the ages of 5-14 years are working, either in paid or unpaid work. Moreover, the report notes that following the conflict, many former child soldiers have been forced into mining activities, whilst disturbingly, many women and girls have been kept in slavery for sexual exploitation. Furthermore, conflicts in neighbouring countries have led to re-recruitment of former child soldiers in Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire. |
