Two decades after the war: How much has democracy delivered?

By Alfred Koroma (ATJLF/MRCG Fellow 2025)

The June 2023 election marked the fifth general elections in Sierra Leone since the war ended in 2002.

 In those elections, the country has seen peaceful transitions of power between the two main political parties, the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) and the All Peoples Congress (APC); enacted progressive laws, and repealed laws such as the Criminal Libel Law and abolished the decades old death penalty law.

But how much has democracy truly delivered after all those elections? Concord Times asked some citizens – an educator, students and human rights advocates.

In the aftermath of the war, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) laid out the roadmap for healing and rebuilding. Its recommendations covered everything from transitional justice and institutional reform to promoting women’s rights, human rights protections, and economic empowerment. While the country has made notable strides, particularly in holding regular elections and promoting peace, Sierra Leoneans who spoke to Concord Times say the deeper transformation envisioned by the TRC remains incomplete.