15TH BI-MONTHLY MEDIA BRIEFING ON THE TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION
COMMISSION (TRC), HELD ON WEDNESDAY 9TH April 2003 BY THE CHAIRMAN,
BISHOP JOSEPH C. HUMPER.
Good afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen,
You are welcome to the 15th edition of media briefing on the activities of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).
Today's briefing heralds the take- off of another very crucial phase in the history of the Sierra Leone Truth and Reconciliation Commission which is the "HEARINGS PHASE".
For those of you who have been following our activities and programs, you will observe that TRC is gradually approaching the climax of its mandate and vision .The various activities and programs that started since the inauguration of the Commission late last year are progressively reaching a crescendo. The hearing phase which seemed a long way off when we started the statement taking exercise in December last year, is suddenly here.
It is with joy and satisfaction with our past activities and programs that I announce to you today that the Commission will start its expected public hearings on Monday, 14th April 2003.
The primary goals of the hearings are not different from our mandate. Thus through the instrumentality of the hearings, the Commission hopes to provide witnesses with an opportunity to tell their stories either publicly or in private and help relieve their grief through providing them a platform that validates their experience and offers official acknowledgement of the wrongs done to them.
The hearings will in addition create an opportunity for the country to be engaged in a dialogue with itself about what went wrong and what needs to change.
Through the hearings the Commission is going to make recommendations towards charting a roadmap for development and sustainable peace in Sierra Leone.
Ladies and gentlemen, the Commission is aware of the fears expressed in many quarters as to the confidentiality of testimonies, and security of victims and perpetrators during the hearings. The Commission has put in place tacit security measures that guarantee the security of all those appearing before it. As a matter of policy, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission will provide witness protection if it is determined that a witness is potentially at risk because of public testimony. Indeed if the potential risk is greater than the witness protection services the Commission can offer, the Commission itself will discourage the witness from testifying. We therefore wish to allay these fears and urge all those who want to come forward and testify to feel free and take advantage of these mechanisms to clear their minds before the TRC.
TYPES OF HEARINGS
The Commission shall organize four types of hearings:
1. INDIVIDUAL WITNESS HEARINGS.
Individuals are requested during statements taking whether they will be willing to attend and give testimony at hearings.
2. THEMATIC HEARINGS.
This is designed to produce a social analysis that describes and explains the past in relation to a number of identified themes. Such hearings will allow the Commission to address patterns of abuse and broader social analysis regarding the enabling background conditions.
3. EVENT- SPECIFIC HEARINGS
The Commission hopes to establish whether particular events served an especially catalytic role in the history of human rights abuse in Sierra Leone. Examples here may include the coups; extra judicial executions or other events that offer insight into the patterns of abuse of power, the role of key perpetrators (individuals and institutions) of the sufferings of victims.
4. INSTITUTIONAL HEARINGS
The Commission wishes to consider whether there were specific civil society institutions (such as the media) or state actors (like the military) that warrant particular scrutiny for their role in inflicting, legitimizing or ignoring abuses. Were there sectors of the society (such as certain corporations) who benefited from abusive structures? Were there other institutions that were targeted unfairly?
Institutional hearings will therefore provide the Commission with an opportunity to address areas where broader institutional reforms and policy change may be needed.
I wish to state that, besides the four types of hearings stated above, the Commission will organize closed hearings and adopt such other measures as it deems fit that enable it to respond to the two important components of its mandate that require it to "capture the experiences of women and children". The closed hearing is designed to respond to the cultural sensibilities of the community and the best interest of the witness. Circumstances in which a closed hearing may be advised include
- Where the violence is of a sexual nature.
- If the re-entry of the witness into the community after the testimony will be jeopardized.
- Where there is a threat level of the security.
- where the witness is a child.
- Where the testimony may jeopardize the witness' on-going reintegration / re- absorption in the community
The hearing session commencing in Freetown will embrace all the districts in the country from 30th May to 11th July 2003. All thematic and institutional hearings will be held in Freetown. This will ensure national participation.
Ladies and Gentlemen The Truth and Reconciliation Commission has a clear understanding of the enormity of the task that lies ahead with regards to the public hearings, and I make bold to state that we have braced ourselves up for the challenges. You will recall that In the course of our assignment, the Commission has had reason to arrange several in- house and thematic training programs for Commissioners and core staff. Only last week the Commission hosted the former Deputy Chair person for the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission Dr Alex Boraine for a four day experience- sharing session. There is no gainsaying that the Commission drew from the successes and failures of the South African TRC.
It is the same vein and the deep concern for women that The Commission has entered into a memorandum of understanding with United Nations Fund for Women (UNIFEM) for a three- day gender-based training for the commissioners and staff of the Commission. This memorandum of understanding has resulted to the putting together a team of experts who are here to share their wealth of experience with us for the next three days. The Commission is committed to doing quality work and will stop at nothing less to achieve that goal.
Finally, ladies and gentlemen of the press, let me use this forum to invite you all to be part of the epoch- making event at the Bank of Sierra Leone Complex, Kingtom on Monday 14th April 2003 which is the opening ceremony of hearings. Time is 10.00 am.
Once again, thank you all and God bless you.