Sierra Leone
Rights groups call on UN to restart preparations for truth commission

afrol, 14  July - Article 19, the Global Campaign for Free Expression, and the Sierra Leone Working Group on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission today issued a joint call to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The Sierra Leone Working Group is a coalition of over forty local non-governmental bodies which has lobbied for a credible and effective TRC in Sierra Leone. They asked the OHCHR to immediately restart the preparatory phase of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), which was suspended following the virtual collapse of the Lomé peace agreement in early May.

The Sierra Leone Working Group on the TRC has carried out provincial and national consultation exercises over the past month to discover what people's attitudes are to crucial issues of truth and justice in the aftermath of virtual collapse of the peace agreement. The Working Group on the TRC held provincial consultations in the Western Area, Northern Province and the Southern and Eastern Provinces between 16-19 June. A national consultation was held in Freetown on 10 July.

John Caulker, Chair of the Sierra Leone Working Group said today:
"We found a strong consensus that key rebel leaders should face some kind of special criminal court operating under international law, but that there is still a real need for the TRC. It was agreed by participants that the OHCHR should immediately provide financial and technical support for a concerted public sensitization and awareness building programme which fully involves Sierra Leonean stakeholders. We hope that the OHCHR will heed this call."

Andrew Puddephatt, Executive Director of ARTICLE 19, added: 
"The OHCHR's approach to the discharge of its responsibilities since the TRC was established in law in February has been slow and unimaginative. Sierra Leonean organisations stand ready to begin large-scale public sensitization and awareness building activities but need financial and technical assistance which has not yet been forthcoming - despite the fact that donors, including the British government, have donated substantial funds for this purpose."

ARTICLE 19 suggested that if the UN's performance has not improved significantly by the end of August, it might be necessary to give Sierra Leoneans direct responsibility for coordinating these sensitization and awareness-building activities. 

Source: Based on United Nations

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