Dark Chapters: How Illiteracy Fueled a National Tragedy

By Fatmata Tidankay Kamara (ATJLF/MRCG Fellow 2025)

Illiteracy in Sierra Leone significantly contributed to the civil war by fueling grievances, undermining state-society relations, and creating a fertile ground for recruitment into armed groups. Limited access to education fostered a cycle of poverty and social disintegration, making it easier for marginalized youths to be drawn into the conflict.

The Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), previously known as “Donors to African Education,” is a “network and partnership” established by a World Bank initiative in 1988. ADEA has played a significant role in the education space for the past 30 years as a convener, knowledge creator, and forum for policy dialogue. In its report in 2006 titled: “Literacy in Post-Conflict Situations –Lessons from Sierra Leone,” it states that illiteracy is a denial of basic human rights and that it contributed greatly to the country’s bottom ranking on Human Development Index (HDI). It also states that it was a significant reason for the rebel war and its brutal conduct.