The rebel war in Sierra Leone has been given various characterisations. One of the most commonplace of them brands it a ‘senseless war’. In this study the author examines the views of the Sierra Leoneans themselves on this notion, and through a sociological lens he explores the “youthscape“ of the war. The study also revisits some of the central works on the Sierra Leonean war by authors such as Paul Richards, Ibrahim Adbdullah and Yusuf Bangura.

NATHANIEL KING has an M.Phil. in sociology from the university of Sierra
Leone. He is currently pursuing a PhD thesis in social anthropology at the Max Planck Institute in Halle, Germany.