SEVENTH WEEKLY BRIEFING OF THE TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION CHAIRED BY THE CHAIRMAN RT. REV. DR. JOSEPH HUMPER, ON WEDNESDAY 4TH SEPTEMBER 2002
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is my pleasure as always, to welcome you to yet another of our weekly Briefings, today's being the seventh. The Commission has held a number of fruitful meetings and consultations with a number of institutions and organisations, including diplomatic missions in the country, since our last weekly briefing.
1. Meeting with the Minister of Local Government
Together with my colleague commissioners, a meeting was held with the Minister of Local Government Mr. Sidikie Brima and some senior members of that ministry. During our deliberations, the importance of the ministry's pivotal role in providing every assistance and support to the commission especially during its regional visits, was highlighted.
I am happy to report that the ministry has been swift to respond to our clarion call and has assigned the Deputy Director of Local Government, Mr. Duramani Kamara, to act as the ministry's Liaison Desk Officer for TRC.
2. Meeting with the European Union Representative to Sierra Leone
A consultative meeting was also held between the European Union Representative to Sierra Leone, His Excellency Ambassador Jeremy Tunnacliffe over the course of the preceding week. According to the E.U. Ambassador, a report written by the Human Rights identification mission from Brussels who visited our country last April recommended support for the TRC. The commission intends to do a follow-up on this.
3. Meeting with the Chief of Defence Staff
During our meeting with the Chief of Defence staff, Brigadier Tom Carew, certain concerns were raised by him. These included the fears of his men that facing the commission would make them possible candidates for the Special Court. It was agreed that staff of the military and their families needed to be properly sensitised about the TRC. The Director of Personnel, Colonel Memuna Koroma, has been assigned to work with the commission on this all important sensitisation work.
4. Meeting with the Acting Inspector General of Police
The commission also met with the Ag. Inspector General of Police Mr. Brima A. Kamara and other senior staff. Similar concerns raised during the meeting with the military, was also raised by the police with regards their appearance before the commission. Assurance of anonymity for protection and assurance of proper sensitisation, were two key requests made to the commission. To emphasize the importance the police attached to the role of the TRC in helping to sustain law and other, a TRC Liaison Officer has been identified within the Sierra Leone Police. He is the Ag. Head of Community Relations Department, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Thomas Lahai. His area of studies is victimology and holds a masters degree in applied criminology.
5. Meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations
Another visit made by the commission during the past week was to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Relations. During our deliberations with the Foreign Affairs Minister Mr. Momodu Koroma, a number of vital issues relating to the assistance the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can give to the Commission were discussed.
6. Commission's Visit to the War Amputee Camp at
Aberdeen Road, Murray Town
One group of persons of primary concern to our work, are the war wounded which includes the Amputees. Last Friday, the Commission paid a visit to the Amputee Camp at Aberdeen Road, Murray Town to sensitize the residents about our Commission and the importance of their support and participation in it. Though the amputees were quite receptive to our proposition, yet they raised some critical concerns of theirs, which they revealed would determine their participation in the commission. Contained in the written petition presented to me by their chairman, Mr. Lamin Jusu Jarka, a double amputee, were demands for monthly sustenance allowances for each amputee, reintegration allowances, proper medical and housing facilities as well as educational opportunities for their children.
The commission is 'victim oriented' and in the spirit of rendering humanitarian assistance to these our brothers and sisters, their concerns and grievances would be channelled to the appropriate authorities.
New developments reported in today's edition of the 'Sierra News' newspaper, reveals that the TRC boycott threat by members of the War Amputees Association has been dropped after they held a meeting with President Kabba at his Hill Station Lodge.
According to the newspaper story, President Kabba admonished the amputees not to misled by a few ill-motivated persons. He pledged his Government's commitment to alleviating the sufferings of the Amputees and other war wounded persons.
A copy of the amputees' petition will be made available to you at the close of this session
7. Courtesy Call on the Gambian High Commissioner to Sierra Leone
The Commission paid a courtesy call on the Gambian High Commissioner to Sierra Leone, His Excellency Lt. Col (Rtd.) Autouman Saho, to acquaint him about our activities. The Gambian envoy pledged his country's cooperation and support for the commission. He promised to pay a visit to the Aberdeen Road Amputee Camp to encourage them to participate in the TRC. You will recall that during his visit to our country, the Gambian President His Excellency Yayah Jammeh took time off to visit the Amputee Camp. The Amputees have revealed how highly they regard the Gambian President.
Other Engagements of the Commission
A representative from the Search for Common Grounds, Talking Drum Studio from Burundi shared with the commission, her country's intentions of setting up both a Truth and Reconciliation Commission as well as a Special Court, at the end of their protracted war.
In its bid to get everyone on board, the commission through its Media and Public Education Consultant, sensitised a union of twelve youth clubs and other members of the Lumley and Goderich communities on the operations and activities of the commission, over the weekend. The youths expressed their willingness to support the commission in its sensitisation campaign.
As a follow-up to the three days workshop on the South Africa Mano River Dialogue held in Freetown by the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation in South Africa in collaboration with the campaign for Good Governance, in which I delivered a paper on "Reconciliation Process in Sierra Leone", the Commissioners and staff have met the South African conveners earlier today for further discussions on possible collaboration and support to the TRC.
In-house consultations among Commissioners and Staff
The document in 'Children and the TRC' which emanated from the reports and recommendations from the technical meeting on the above issue held in June last year in Freetown, by UNICEF, UNAMSIL Human Rights Section and the National Forum for Human Rights, has been deliberated upon by the commission. Children's participation in the TRC is a major concern of the commission.
Conclusion
The commission wish to re-iterate its gratitude to all those who in diverse ways have been assisting the commission. It is the hope of the commission that such assistance and support will be continued and increase. The success of the commission is in the hands of everyone, Sierra Leoneans in particular.
I thank you for your attention