Transitional justice survey in Sierra Leone

Nearly 90% questioned were aware of Charles Taylor's trial.

A BBC World Service Trust survey, conducted in July 2007, found Sierra Leoneans rate the Special Court highly but say it could do better still.

The survey explored knowledge and attitudes on transitional justice issues in the wake of Sierra Leone’s civil war, which ended five years ago.

It found that more than two-thirds of Sierra Leoneans think their country’s UN-backed Special Court has performed well so far, while more than a quarter think the court is putting some wrong people on trial.

Sixty-eight percent of respondents said they think the Special Court’s performance to date has been 'good' or 'excellent.'

The Special Court for Sierra Leone

An overwhelming majority of respondents (96%) say they are aware of the Special Court, although only 4% say they know a lot about its proceedings. More than one in four report that they do not know anything about its proceedings.

The Special Court for Sierra Leone was set up in 2002 by the government and the UN to try those with 'greatest responsibility' for atrocities committed during the civil war.

Its decision to try leaders of the pro-government Civil Defence Forces (CDF) as well as the insurgent Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels and Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) has generated some controversy, as has former Liberian President Charles Taylor’s transfer to Europe.

Charles Taylor

Nearly 90% of people questioned said they were aware of the court’s trial of former Liberian President Charles Taylor but only half approved its decision to try Taylor in The Hague rather than in West Africa.

More than a quarter (27%) would have preferred his trial to be held in Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown.

The court gained custody of Taylor in 2006, for war crimes and crimes against humanity for allegedly backing Sierra Leone’s Revolutionary United Front rebels but he was transferred to The Hague after West African leaders expressed fears that holding the trial locally could destabilize the region.

His trial began in June 2007, but has been adjourned until 7th January, 2008.

Communicating Justice

The household survey was carried out nationwide with Search for Common Ground and the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ).

It is part of Communicating Justice, a joint, two-year project of the BBC World Service Trust and ICTJ.

The project aims to raise levels of public awareness and debate around transitional justice issues in five post-conflict African countries: Liberia, Sierra Leone, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi.

Communicating Justice is funded mainly by the European Union and the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with additional funds from the US-based non-governmental organisation Humanity United.

A full report from the survey will be available later in 2007 on the project website.

The survey is based on a sample of 1,700 adults, taken from seven districts and the Western Urban and Western Rural Areas of Sierra Leone.

Participating households were selected randomly, with one respondent meeting the sample criteria being taken from each household.


The article is from the BBC, and can be found below.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/trust/africa/story/2007/10/071004_sierra_survey.shtml