Chasing the Devil - The Search for Africa's Fighting Spirits
For many years Sierra Leone and Liberia have been bedevilled by a uniquely brutal culture of violence from which many of Africa's cruellest contemporary cliches have sprung - child soldiers, prisoner mutilation, blood diamonds. With their wars now officially over, Tim Butcher set out on a journey across both countries. Just as he followed H M Stanley through the Congo in order to write his bestseller, Blood River, he now pursues a trail blazed by Graham Greene in 1935, and immortalised in the travel classic Journey without Maps.
As a journalist in Africa, Tim came to know both countries well, although the wars meant that trips to the jungle hinterland became far too risky. But he persevered, knowing that he had to explore the jungle to see if the devil of war had truly been chased away. What he encountered were other devils - masked figures guarding the spiritual secrets of jungle communities. His book is a record of a dramatic journey to one of the most fraught parts of the globe, at a unique moment in its history.
Supported by Ian and Carol Sellars
Running Time: 1hr
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