By Jodie Fonseca

Fletcher students heard a passionate voice in support of transitional justice in Africa when Sierra Leone’s Melron Nicole-Wilson spoke at the Africa Student Group’s second event of the year.  A human rights activist who co-founded his country’s first legal aid clinic and is currently a teaching fellow at Columbia Law School, Melron, whose visit was arranged by Patrick White, spoke on 25 October about “The Future of the Proposed Special Court and Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Sierra Leone.”

After giving a brief history of this West African country troubled by civil war since the early 1990s, Melron shared some details about current efforts to bring criminals to justice and to heal some of the psychological and social scars of the conflict.  Under a draft plan, the Special Court would be similar in format to Rwandan and Yugoslavian tribunals and would prosecute “those most responsible” for human rights violations.  To avoid overburdening itself, the Court would try only those accused of crimes committed since 1996.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), however, would have the ability to hear testimony about events that occurred throughout the conflict.  Modeled on the South African TRC, Sierra Leone’s version would consist of 3 national and 4 foreign commissioners.  It would be responsible for creating a forum for Sierra Leone citizens to come to terms with a recent history in which amputations, rape and the conscription of child soldiers was commonplace. This two-pronged approach to transitional justice, in Melron’s words, would contribute to future stability in his country by putting an end to impunity and alleviating the impulse to revenge.

Later in his talk, Melron pointed out several problems facing Sierra Leone in its efforts to establish the Court and TRC.   Lack of funding, overlap between Court and TRC mandates and the possibility that people might be put on trial who were minors at the time they committed crimes all complicate tasks facing the country.  Another potential stumbling block would be the Court’s lack of power to call for the extradition of offenders living in exile outside its borders.  

In response to Sarah Greenberg's question about choosing an appropriate president for the TRC, Melron admitted hoping that Desmond Tutu would participate and draw on his experiences in South Africa.  He then included a cautionary note about efforts for transitional justice in his native country, emphasizing that even the best of truth and reconciliation processes are doomed to fail if they ignore the causes of violence, in particular economic disenfranchisement and ethnic conflict.

The next ASG event will focus on the “Democratization in Africa,” and plans to bring established and emerging talent on Africa to Fletcher this semester.

Comments? Write us at letter@fletcherledger.com

[return to Home Page]