The Campaign for Human Rights and Development International (CHRDI) has called on the Government of Sierra Leone to adopt a comprehensive implementation strategy that integrates transitional justice, constitutional reform and electoral governance into a single national agenda aimed at strengthening democratic accountability and long-term peace. The recommendations are contained in a newly published policy brief titled: “Closing the Governance Gap: A Strategic Policy Framework for Transitional Justice in Sierra Leone – From Promises to Practice: Bridging Transitional Justice and Constitutional Reform in Sierra Leone.”
The policy document argues that Sierra Leone’s democratic journey should not be viewed as a series of isolated reforms but rather as a continuous process that began with the 1999 Lomé Peace Agreement, continued through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), subsequent constitutional reforms, the 2023 Agreement for National Unity and the 2024 Tripartite Committee recommendations. According to CHRDI, those milestones collectively form a single reform chain designed to move Sierra Leone from post-war recovery to constitutional democracy.
Despite notable progress, the organization observes that implementation remains the country’s greatest challenge. While Sierra Leone has established stronger democratic institutions, expanded the recognition of human rights and developed comprehensive reform proposals, many recommendations have remained unimplemented because of inadequate funding, political delays and limited institutional accountability.
CHRDI maintains that the country no longer faces the threat of armed conflict but continues to grapple with the constitutional consequences of its past. It notes that issues affecting elections, public trust, civic participation, security sector neutrality and political inclusion are closely linked to unresolved transitional justice commitments. The organization believes the post-election tensions experienced in 2023 demonstrated that unresolved governance challenges can easily undermine democratic stability if left unaddressed.
The policy brief highlights the significance of the Lomé Peace Agreement in ending the civil war while acknowledging that its amnesty provisions delayed full accountability for wartime abuses. It describes the Truth and Reconciliation Commission as the country’s most comprehensive blueprint for reform, emphasizing that its recommendations covered reparations, constitutional reform, gender justice, youth protection, security sector reform and institutional accountability. However, CHRDI argues that successive Governments have largely treated the TRC report as a reference document rather than a practical implementation framework.
The organization also examines Sierra Leone’s constitutional amendment processes, noting that although reforms have been introduced over the years, progress has often been selective. According to the report, politically expedient amendments have advanced more rapidly than broader structural reforms aimed at improving institutional independence, inclusion and electoral integrity. It further notes that while the Agreement for National Unity and the Tripartite Committee recommendations successfully reduced post-election tensions, they concentrated heavily on electoral processes without sufficiently addressing outstanding transitional justice obligations.
Among its key findings, CHRDI identifies implementation rather than diagnosis as Sierra Leone’s principal governance challenge. It argues that the country has produced numerous reports, recommendations and negotiated agreements but lacks an effective mechanism linking legislation, budgeting, institutional responsibility and public oversight. The organization recommends that future advocacy should focus on monitoring what has actually been implemented rather than producing additional reform documents.
The report further identifies inclusion as the strongest bridge connecting all previous reform initiatives. It highlights women, young people and persons with disabilities as groups consistently recognized in the TRC recommendations, the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment framework and the Tripartite recommendations. CHRDI believes meaningful progress can be achieved through stronger enforcement of quotas, reforms to nomination fees, improved voter education and increased representation in public appointments and elected offices.
Another major recommendation focuses on strengthening the role of Civil Society Organizations. CHRDI argues that organizations such as itself, faith-based institutions, the Sierra Leone Bar Association, the media and election observer groups should not only become active during periods of political tension but should instead be formally incorporated into governance and accountability mechanisms through legislation and structured public reporting.
The policy brief also identifies several areas where reforms continue to lag. Those include inadequate reparations for victims of the civil war, limited financing for survivor-centred justice programmes and the risk of reducing constitutional reform solely to electoral procedures. CHRDI warns that focusing exclusively on election management without addressing broader justice issues could weaken public confidence in democratic institutions.
To address those challenges, CHRDI proposes a series of policy recommendations directed at the Government, Parliament, electoral institutions, security agencies and Civil Society Organizations. It urges Government to publish a Cabinet-approved implementation roadmap within 90 days that combines outstanding TRC recommendations with priority Tripartite reforms, supported by clearly costed budget allocations and public implementation timelines.
For Parliament, the organization recommends the establishment of a Select Committee on Constitutional, Electoral and Transitional Justice Reform with cross-party participation and civil society representation. It also advocates quarterly public hearings to monitor implementation progress and strengthen public confidence in the reform process.
The report further recommends that the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone, the Political Parties Regulation Commission, the Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone and the Independent Media Commission publish clear implementation plans, strengthen oversight mechanisms and improve transparency in electoral administration. It also encourages the Sierra Leone Police, the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces and other security institutions to adopt a joint election security protocol that reinforces political neutrality while improving accountability and public trust.
For civil society, CHRDI proposes the establishment of a Transitional Justice and Constitutional Reform Observatory that would monitor implementation of TRC recommendations, Tripartite reforms, reparations, inclusion measures and civic space protections. The organization also plans to publish annual scorecards assessing institutional performance and to build a broad advocacy coalition involving religious leaders, youth organizations, women’s groups, disability advocates, the Sierra Leone Bar Association and election observers.
The policy framework outlines a detailed 24-month implementation roadmap with measurable milestones for Government institutions, Parliament, oversight bodies and Civil Society Organizations. It further proposes monitoring indicators covering legislative progress, institutional transparency, reparations delivery, inclusion and civic space, arguing that regular public reporting would make reform measurable and strengthen accountability.
In its conclusion, CHRDI emphasizes that Sierra Leone already possesses the essential foundations for reform through the Lomé Peace Agreement, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, constitutional amendments and the Tripartite process. According to the organization, the country’s greatest challenge is no longer identifying reforms but ensuring they are implemented, financed, monitored and enforced in a coordinated manner that promotes both democratic stability and substantive justice.
