Some wounds run so deep that generations inherit the pain without understanding its source. In “Tribes and Turmoil: The Unhealed Wounds of Sierra Leone,” Rev. Dr. Victor H. Fakondo Sr. takes readers on an unflinching journey through the ethnic divisions that have shaped—and scarred—a nation. Published by Studio of Books, this isn’t just another historical account of Sierra Leone’s troubled past.
It’s a raw, honest reckoning with the tribalism that continues to fracture communities, families, and futures. Fakondo writes with the authority of someone who has lived through the consequences of division, and his voice carries both the weight of grief and the urgency of hope.
What makes this book essential reading is its refusal to offer easy answers or comfortable narratives. Fakondo traces the manipulation of ethnic identities from colonial times through the brutal civil war that devastated Sierra Leone from 1991 to 2002, showing how political elites weaponized tribal loyalty for power while ordinary people paid the price in blood and broken trust.
He doesn’t shy away from difficult truths—even exposing how the educated elite, who should know better, perpetuate the very stereotypes they claim to oppose. Through real-life case studies and personal reflections, you’ll feel the human cost of tribalism in every chapter: the families torn apart, the economic injustice that follows tribal lines, the trauma that passes from parent to child like an inheritance no one asked for.
But here’s why this book deserves a spot on your to-be-read list: it doesn’t leave you drowning in despair. Fakondo is both a truth-teller and a bridge-builder. Drawing on successful reconciliation models from Rwanda, South Africa, and Liberia, he lays out practical pathways toward healing—truth commissions, education reform, equitable governance, faith-based initiatives, and youth empowerment programs. He shows how women and young people, so often the victims of tribal conflict, can become the catalysts for transformation. This isn’t naive optimism; it’s hard-won wisdom from someone who believes reconciliation is possible because he’s seen glimpses of it.
If you’re passionate about African history, post-conflict recovery, social justice, or simply understanding how societies heal from deep wounds, “Tribes and Turmoil” speaks to something universal. Sierra Leone’s story is unique, but the questions Fakondo raises—about identity, power, forgiveness, and collective destiny—resonate far beyond West Africa.
This book will challenge you, maybe even anger you at times, but it will also invite you to imagine what true reconciliation looks like when a nation decides that shared humanity matters more than tribal pride.
Add it to your list. Some books inform us; this one has the power to transform how we think about division, healing, and hope.