• Peacebuilding and reconstruction

Peacebuilding and reconstruction

In this paper, Amnesty International raises its concern over the lacking commitment of the government in Sierra Leone to provide meaningful reparations to the victims of sexual violence, six years after the end of the conflict. It argues that reparations should aim at helping women to rebuild their lives, assisting them in recovering from the trauma of sexual violence, and develop understanding and address the impact of rape in communities in order to de-stigmatise survivors and combat discrimination against women in society. Recommendations for reaching this goal inlcude:

To the Sierra Leone government:

• publicly acknowledge the suffering of women and girls in Sierra Leone
• ensure reparations for survivors of sexual violence
• implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), legal, social and economic reform in order to eradicate discrimination against women
• ensure justice.

To the Special Court for Sierra Leone:

• ensure that steps are taken to identify property taken from victims, so that it can be returned
• establish effective systems so that victims of crimes convicted by the Special Court can claim compensation before national courts
• continue initiatives to commemorate victims and recognise their suffering
• expand the gender justice work within its outreach programme.

To the UN Peace Building Fund:

• ensure that funding is allocated to the reparations process in a timely manner
• ensure that the funds allocated to the reparations programme reach the victims
• ensure that the funds provided for reparations are used to provide reparations and do not become merged with development funds.

To the international donor community:

• continue to put pressure on the government to make a commitment to justice, and implement a comprehensive reparations programme.

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