Published December 24, 2011 | By Kendall Lawrence

Though Sierra Leone ranked 30th in the 2011 Failed States Index, the country has made significant progress since ranking 6th in the 2005 Index. Continuing improvements rely on the country’s political and social stability. The new government is focusing on creating new jobs, curbing corruption, and continuing development projects in the country. Still rebuilding from the destructive decade long civil war, high tensions threaten to dissolve any progress that has been made. The Demobilization, Disarmament, and Reintegration program created at the end of the war continues to run, but the reintegration step has fallen short. The 2012 elections are crucial for monitoring progress in Sierra Leone.