Celtel and the Sierra Leone Network Launch

In 2002, Sierra Leone emerged from an 11-year civil war marked by extreme violence, deep social divisions and the collapse of basic infrastructure. Years of armed conflict had severed communication between regions, isolating communities and mistrust. The war’s end presented a fragile peace that required urgent rebuilding of both physical and social connective tissue. In this context, the ability for citizens across the country to communicate safely and affordably was not just a commercial need, but a peacebuilding imperative. Mobile connectivity could bridge divisions, support reconciliation and lay the groundwork for renewed social trust and national recovery. 

Celtel and Search for Common Ground Business-Peacebuilding partnership

Rebuilding Communities Through Mobile Connectivity

In 2003, Celtel, a mobile telecommunications provider, partnered with the NGO Search for Common Ground (SFCG) to extend mobile phone coverage into conflict-affected and previously unserved areas of Sierra Leone. The partnership brought the first mobile access to northern towns such as Makeni, Mile 91 and the diamond-mining hub of Kono; regions that had been communication blackouts during the war.

Leveraging its core telecom business, Celtel built infrastructure including transmission towers and network exchanges, enabling reliable, real-time connectivity. SFCG complemented this by running community dialogues and radio programming to ensure the new communication channels were used for reconciliation and peaceful problem solving.

This was a strategic business-peacebuilding partnership, and by opening new markets for mobile services, Celtel expanded its customer base while also addressing a core driver of past conflict – the lack of communication and trust between regions. The integration of commercial expansion with structured NGO-led dialogue differentiated it from charity.

Creating a Self-Sustaining System of Trust, Information, and Economic Growth

Celtel’s initiative directly promoted three pillars of Positive Peace.

• Good Relations with Neighbours was strengthened by improving inter-regional connectivity, allowing citizens from different ethnic, political and geographic backgrounds to interact, share experiences and rebuild fractured relationships.
• Free Flow of Information expanded dramatically as mobile access enabled access to independent news, coordination of community activities and more transparent local governance. Mobile phones provided a platform for citizens to share concerns, report incidents and access emergency services, reducing reliance on rumour or armed intermediaries.
• Sound Business Environment benefited from the enabling infrastructure that supported trade, business coordination and market integration across the country, which encouraged commerce to flow beyond urban centres to rural areas. By embedding these benefits in a sustainable revenue model, Celtel ensured that peace-supporting infrastructure would be maintained over the long term, reducing dependency on external donor support.

Supporting Economic Recovery Through Communication

The rollout of mobile coverage created a self-reinforcing system of trust, communication and economic viability. As people used phones to connect across former conflict lines, social cohesion improved, supporting a safer environment for trade, travel and investment.

Businesses and markets expanded into new areas, further increasing demand for mobile services, which funded continued maintenance and expansion of the network. The ease of communication also enabled faster conflict resolution at the community level, reducing the risk of small disputes escalating. In the long run, this infrastructure became both a symbol and a functional enabler of Sierra Leone’s post-war stability.