Kenema

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Kenema

Kenema is the capital and administrative center of Kenema District in eastern Sierra Leone. It is the third-largest city in the country with a population of 154,539 (2004 census). It grew along with a now-closed railway, around the logging and carpentry industries, and recently with diamond mines first discovered in 1931.

Since the renewed conflict in neighbouring Liberia of 1999 to 2003, Kenema and Bo Districts have been host to more than 60,000 Liberian refugees living in 8 camps as well as in the urban areas. They receive protection and assistance from the Government of Sierra Leone, represented by the National Commission for Social Action (NaCSA) and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. The refugees fled intense fighting in their home areas, predominantly in Lofa and Grand Cape Mount Counties. From 1 October 2004 UNHCR began a programme of voluntary repatriation, assisting the refugees to return home whenever and wherever conditions permit.

Until the end of 2005 a large battalion of Pakistani peace-keeping troops was stationed in Kenema under the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone, UNAMSIL. The troops based in Kenema supported the Government of Sierra Leone in maintaining peace and stability in the Eastern Province following Sierra Leone's brutal 11-year civil war from 1990 to 2001 and in view of the unstable situation in neighbouring Liberia at that time.

Kenema and Bo are endemic areas for a highly contagious tropical hemorragic fever known as Lassa fever, and Kenema hospital is the centre of an international effort to combat the disease with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNAMSIL. New laboratories to improve rapid diagnosis are being installed at the hospital, which admits between 250 and 500 suspected cases per year.

During the second face of the war(1997-2001), Kenema was one of the most notourious homes of the Kamajor malitias who help fight against the Revolutionary United Front RUF/SL and the rebelious Sierra Leone Army (SLA).These men who were honorned as liberators, quickly transformed into a killing machings with no active central political entitle of control.The hope for liberty for the people of Kenema and its surroundigs then became a guagmire for the poor and helpless citizens of the region. However, the people of Kenema entrust their faith in Gud and believed that the destiny of the township will come by and the innocent killings will ends.Some of then of couse were blessed by the present of the Nigerian contigent who in some cases uses the influnse of internationalism and protectionalism. Youths who were mostly radicaly towards the new system or were fans of the runnaway forces were persecuted, killed without trial or through any ligal authority.Kenema however, has the history of brutal conflicts in its history but the contemporary history of Kenema as the nation is experiencing the post/conflict era,the major problems of the city is mostly about Gender equality,notorious illnesses and progressiveness in the social welfare sectors.

Coordinates: 7°53′N 11°11′W