Sierra Leone: call for greater support of trc process

International Press Release 06-12-02 ; 12.30 PM - GMT

Swearing in of Judges of Sierra Leone Special War Crimes Court, CREDO calls for equal support for Truth and Reconciliation Process.

CREDO for Freedom of Expression and Associated Rights welcomes the long delayed swearing in of the Judges of the Special War Crimes Court on Sierra Leone. CREDO is however very concerned at the waning enthusiasm of the international community and donor countries for the Truth and Reconciliation process in Sierra Leone.

Speaking on the development, CREDO’s Co-ordinator Rotimi Sankore stated: “The special court is important, but the most informed commentators both within and outside Sierra Leone agree that less than three dozen persons are likely to face charges before the Court. This will exclude tens of thousands of victims and thousands of perpetrators from the judicial process.”

He also emphasised further, that “on the other hand, a well-funded and supported Truth and Reconciliation process will compliment the Special Court and provide a broader basis for reconciliation and reconstruction, which is important to reduce the possibility of festering pain and hostilities triggering future outbreaks of violence. Securing convictions is important, but so is sustainable peace”

The executive secretary of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Yasmin Jusu-Sheriff, had expressed concern in July this year, that the TRC is being undermined by lack of resources. "The Commission and the Commission's staff … want to do the job properly. They want to go to the communities where this war was fought, they want to bring about reconciliation, they want to give people a chance to tell their stories…But no matter how committed we are we cannot walk around Sierra Leone. And if we are not able to hire sufficient people to take the statements, then we will not be able to do the work."

CREDO also appeals strongly to funders and donors to provide robust support for Sierra Leonean human and civil rights organisations to enable them sustain the widest possible public participation in the TRC. It is vital that all communities within the country understand the objectives and workings of the TRC. For instance, in addition to “creating an impartial historical record of violations and abuses of human rights related to the armed conflict”, the TRC also aims to establish “the context in which the violations and abuses occurred” and whether “those violations and abuses were the result of deliberate planning, policy or authorisation” by groups or individuals.

The TRC is unlikely to succeed in this unless the public also understands that it has a mandate to “take into account the interests of victims and witnesses when inviting them to give statements, including the security and other concerns of those who may wish to recount their stories in public” and that “any person shall be permitted to provide information to the Commission on a confidential basis and the Commission shall not be compelled to disclose any information given to it in confidence”

CREDO further calls on the Sierra Leonean government, other concerned governments, ECOWAS, the African Union, United Nations, and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to strengthen support for the Peace and Reconciliation process in particrtular, and the legal and institutional framework for the protection of media freedom, freedom of expression and associated rights in general. Beyond high profile trials, it is vital that Sierra Leone receives support to build its own capacity for the sustainable protection its own people, and their rights

ENDS

For further information, contact our International Office:

Centre for Research Education & Development Of
- [CREDO]- Freedom of Expression & Associated Rights.
73-75 Newington Causeway
London SE1 6BD, UK
Tel: + 44 20 77875501
Fax:+ 44 20 77875502
E-mail: Media – [email protected] , General – [email protected]

CREDO is an International human rights organisation based in Senegal and London and focusing on work in Africa. CREDO believes that freedom of expression and other strongly associated rights, are major platforms on which all civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights stand. CREDO further believes that “without distinction of any kind such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status” everyone is entitled to these rights as outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural rights, The African Charter on Peoples and Human Rights and other similar documents.

While freedom of expression remains an inalienable right, it is often overlooked that it is in reality, not a stand alone right but is also a ‘gateway’ right to these other strongly associated rights, which are no less important and demand equal attention. These rights include the rights to opinion, assembly, association and so forth. An attack on any of these rights, is more often than not an indicator that other associated rights are not fully assured.

Collectively these rights are infinitely more important than they are individually. Their intertwined nature means that they are best defended and promoted collectively and not in isolation from each other.

While maintaining an international perspective, CREDO’s work focuses on themes in Africa related to: freedom of expression, media freedom, rights/access to information and information resources; freedom of opinion, association, assembly and related rights; and anti-discrimination issues e.g. discrimination based on gender, race, ethnicity, political persuasion etc.