The Mandingo/Mandika are a very small ethnic group in Sierra Leone comprising 2.3 per cent (Ethnologue 1996, 380; Encyclopedia of the Third World 1992, 1714) of the total population of 5.1 million people (New African Year Book 1999/2000, 405). They are located in the east (Encyclopedia of the Third World 1992, 1714).

No reports on the relationship among the Mandike, the current government, Revolutionary United Front (RUF) and other political parties could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. For additional information on the Mandika/Mandingo, please consult GMB13170 of 15 February 1993.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please see below the list of additional sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

Encyclopedia of the Third World. 1992. 4th ed. Vol. 1. Edited by George Thomas Kurian. New York: Facts on File.

Ethnologue: Languages of the World. 1996. 13th ed. Edited by Barbra F. Grimes. Dallas: Summer Institute of Linguistics.

New African Year Book 1999/2000. Edited by Alan Rake. 1999. London: IC Publications Ltd.

Africa Confidential [London]. January 1998-September 1999. Weekly. Vols. 39-40.

Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural Series [Oxford]. January-December 1998. Nos. 1-12.

Amnesty International. 1999. Amnesty International Report 1999. New York: Amnesty International USA.

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1998. 1999. United States Department of State. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office.

Human Rights Watch/Africa. June 1999. Vol. 11. No. 3 (A). "Getting Away with Murder, Mutilation, and Rape: New Testimony from Sierra Leone."

Keesing's Record of World Events. January-December 1998. Nos. 1-12.

New African [London]. January-December 1998. Monthly.

Political Handbook of the World 1998. 1998. Edited by Arthur S. Banks. Binghamton, NY: CSA Publications.

West African [London]. January-December 1998. Nos. 4179-4199.

Electronic sources: IRB databases, LEXIS/NEXIS, World Network Connection (WNC).

Internet sites including:

International crisis group.

UNCH

Human Rights Watch.

Unsuccessful attempt to reach oral sources.