How the Special Court of Sierra Leone Came into Existence; is it Purpose being fulfilled?

By Saidu Ibrahim Kamara (ATJLF/MRCG Fellow 2025)

For more than a decade, Sierra Leone was engulfed in a brutal civil war that claimed tens of thousands of lives and left countless others wounded, displaced, or subjected to extreme violence. Between 1991 and 2002, the conflict was marked by heinous atrocities, including mass killings, rape, and mutilation. Thousands of civilians bore the brunt of the war, with villages razed to the ground and entire communities forced into displacement camps.

The war, however, did not erupt spontaneously. Many Sierra Leoneans and international observers believe it was the consequence of years of systemic corruption, bad governance, and social injustices. Issues such as regionalism, tribalism, and economic decay had left the country vulnerable. At one point, Freetown, the capital city, was notoriously described as the darkest city in the world due to the collapse of basic services.