Sierra Leone: 2022 Global Peace Index Sierra Leone Among 10 African Countries, Safer Than U.S.

20 July 2023
Concord Times (Freetown)
By Alhaji Haruna Sani

A study from the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) in Sydney has placed Sierra Leone 10 out 54 countries in Africa and 50 in the security index of 163 countries on the planet on earth while the United States is ranked 128 on the list.

While some African countries came in as very hostile, numerous African nations including Sierra Leone were proven to be peaceful. Although Sierra Leone was ranked 5th in Africa in the 2021 global peace index, but the 2022 ranking is also, but encouraging.

Following a political debacle in August of 2022 and the political quagmire that occurred before and after the 2023 June 24 elections, some Sierra Leoneans were with the firm belief that the country was going to lose its position by dropping down on the global peace index, but this report proves otherwise.

Over the years, many Sierra Leoneans consider countries like the US to be the safest haven on earth, little did they know that Sierra Leone is far safer and peaceful to the US.

However, the study used a metric system known as the Global Peace Index (GPI). The GPI uses 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators from highly respected sources. It measures the state of peace across three domains: the level of societal Safety and Security; the extent of Ongoing Domestic and International Conflict; and the degree of Militarization.

The GPI is also determined by factors such as increased military spending, new and emerging uses of technology in the war, its impact on food prices, and global shipping routes.

According to the report, the average level of global peacefulness deteriorated by 0.3%, largely because of the Russia/Ukraine conflict, however, conflicts in Guinea, and Burkina Faso, also contributed to this decline.

Mauritius and Ghana are the topmost peaceful countries in Africa in 2022.

Outside of this, the report details that the largest improvements occurred in South Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. Additionally, the five countries with the largest improvements in their global peace index were Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines, and Algeria.

Read the original article on Concord.

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