Truth and Reconciliation Commission (Sierra Leone)

The Sierra Leone Truth and Reconciliation Commission was established as a condition of the Lomé Peace Accord with the assistance of the international community in the wake of the 11 year civil war there. It was signed by President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah and RUF leader Foday Sankoh on July 7, 1999. the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's mandate was to "create an impartial historical record of violations and abuses of human rights and international humanitarian law related to the armed conflict in Sierra Leone, from the beginning of the Conflict in 1991 to the signing of the Lome Peace Agreement; to address impunity, to respond to the needs of the victims, to promote healing and reconciliation and to prevent a repetition of the violations and abuses suffered."It was chaired by retired Rev. Dr. Joseph Christian Humper.

The commission operated from November 2002 to October 2004. The first phase of its operation consisted of statement taking throughout the country, followed by a phase of public hearings. The Commission made its final report to both the Sierra Leonean government and the United Nations Security Council in 2004. The final report includes both the names of individual perpetrators and recommendations for the government moving...
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