By Zainab Sunkary Koroma (ATJLF/MRCG Fellow 2025)
For over a decade, Sierra Leone’s brutal civil war left a trail of destruction, with thousands killed, maimed, or displaced. In the aftermath, the demand for justice was loud and clear. The international community answered, believing that accountability was key to ensuring lasting peace. In 2002, the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) was established under an agreement between the United Nations and the Government of Sierra Leone. Unlike other international tribunals, it operated under a unique mandate, focusing solely on those who bore the greatest responsibility for atrocities committed after November 30, 1996, the date of the failed Abidjan Peace Accord, which had sought to end the war.
The Special Court was not a blanket tribunal; it targeted individuals who directed and organized the crimes. A total of 13 individuals were indicted for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other serious violations of international law. These charges included murder, rape, sexual slavery, forced marriage, acts of terrorism, attacks on UN peacekeepers, and the recruitment of child soldiers.
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