Sierra Leone to elect new president in late 2012: official (02.10.2011)

(Source:Reliefweb)

National elections will be held in Sierra Leone in late 2012, a decade after the end of the west African state's bloody civil war, the National Electoral Commission said on Saturday. Official Raymond George said local, parliamentary and presidential polls would take place on one day in the third quarter of the year but declined to give an exact date.

Sierra Leone, at UN, calls for international assistance for next year’s polls (23.09.2011)

(Source:UN News)

Sierra Leone, often cited as a success story in United Nations efforts to consolidate peace in countries that have been ravaged by conflict, today appealed for international help to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections next year.

Mandate of UNIPSIL extended for another year (14.09.2011)

(Source:UN News)

The Security Council today extended for another year the mandate of the United Nations office that is helping Sierra Leone on its journey towards becoming a stable, peaceful and democratic country.

Sierra Leone to probe political violence: presidency (12.09.2011)

(Source:Reliefweb)

Sierra Leone on Monday announced a probe into violent clashes between the country's two main parties in the city of Bo, which have raised tensions ahead of 2012 elections. The clashes broke out after the presidential candidate of the main opposition Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) was pelted with stones on Friday, receiving a head wound, in what the party said was an "assassination attempt".

New report of the Secretary-General on the UNIPSIL (02.09.2011)

(Source:Reliefweb)

The report covers the period from 1 March to 31 August 2011.

Security Council lifts sanctions against Sierra Leone (29.09.2010)

(Source:UN News)

The Security Council today lifted the arms embargo and other sanctions it imposed on Sierra Leone more than 12 years ago during the civil war that left at least 75,000 people dead and many more maimed.

Sierra Leone at critical juncture in peacebuilding efforts, UN warned (28.09.2010)

(Source:UN News)

Sierra Leone, often cited as a success story in United Nations efforts to consolidate peace in countries that have been ravaged by conflict, faces good opportunities but also major risks from upcoming elections and newly found mineral wealth, a senior UN official said today.

Youth unemployment and corruption among Sierra Leone’s biggest hurdles – new UN report (22.09.2010)

(Source:UN News)

Although Sierra Leone has made strides in consolidating peace and fostering national reconciliation, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says that the West African nation must address the issues of high youth unemployment and corruption to ensure that the gains are not reversed.

Ban lauds Sierra Leone’s advances in firming up stability (15.06.2010)

(Source:UN News)

“Sierra Leone is one of the world’s most successful examples of post-conflict recovery, peacekeeping and peacebuilding,” Mr. Ban told reporters in the capital, Freetown, today after meeting with the country’s President, Ernest Bai Koroma.

Sierra Leonean judge re-elected head of UN-backed war crimes tribunal (31.05.2010)

(Source:UN News)

Justice Jon Kamanda of Sierra Leone has been re-elected to serve as President of the United Nations-backed war crimes tribunal set up to deal with the worst acts committed during the long and brutal civil war in the West African nation.

War reparations program needs money (24.04.2010)

(Source:Reliefweb)

An official with the Sierra Leone Truth and Reconciliation Commission says reparations have been paid to about 20,000 victims of the country's long-running civil war. She says the Commission would like to extend this program to a further 12,000 victims, but lacks the funds needed to provide cash grants and skills training to these people.

Veteran war crimes lawyer tapped as top prosecutor UN-backed court (22.02.2010)

(Source:UN News)

A United States attorney, who leads the prosecution against former Liberian president Charles Taylor, has been named by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as the new Prosecutor of the United Nations-backed tribunal trying the worst acts committed during the decade-long brutal civil war in Sierra Leone.

Edging closer to end of mandate, UN-backed court hands over prison to country (16.11.2009)

(Source:allAfrica)

The United Nations-backed tribunal trying the worst acts committed during the decade-long brutal civil war in Sierra Leone today transferred its detention centre to the national prison service. The handover of the facility … is the latest step in the completion of the mandate of the Freetown-based Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL), which delivered its last judgment inside the country in October.

Sierra Leonean judge elected head of UN-backed war crimes tribunal (02.11.2009)

(Source:UN News)

A Sierra Leonean judge has taken over as the new President of the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL), the United Nations-backed war crimes tribunal set up to deal with the worst acts committed during the long and brutal civil war in the West African nation.

UN winds down Sierra Leone court (26.10.2009)

(Source:BBC)

A UN-backed court in Sierra Leone has dealt with its last case after seven years investigating atrocities from the country's decade-long civil war.

Security Council extends UN presence in Sierra Leone (15.09.2009)

(Source:UN News / International)

The Security Council today extended the mandates for one year of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Liberia and the world body’s peacebuilding office in neighbouring Sierra Leone. … On Sierra Leone, the Council emphasized that the West African nation’s Government “bears primary responsibility for peacebuilding, security and long-term development. For its part, the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL) should continue mobilizing international support for the country, which is rebuilding after a brutal civil war that tore it between 1996 and 2001.

UN names Sierra Leonean to top post in court trying war crimes in his homeland (08.09.2009)

(Source:UN News / International)

For the first time a Sierra Leonean is serving as acting prosecutor of the United Nations-backed Special Court trying those accused of violating international humanitarian law and national law in the civil war that tore the West African country apart between 1996 and 2001. Appointed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, senior Sierra Leonean lawyer Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara took up his post today pending the naming of a new prosecutor to replace Stephen Rapp, who resigned earlier this month to become UN Ambassador-at-large for War Crimes.

UN's accolade for Koroma (16.06.2009)

(Source:allAfrica / International)

The United Nations Under Secretary General for Political Affairs, Lynn Pascoe, has assured President Koroma that the UN would not only continue to support Sierra Leone but would align its priorities in accordance with the government's 'agenda for change'.

Peace remains fragile (12.06.2009)

(Source:allAfrica / International)

Despite some impressive gains in rebuilding Sierra Leone seven years after the end of its brutal civil war, the situation in the West African nation remains fragile, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday. "The outbreak of political violence in March of this year was a wake-up call on challenges that require urgent and continued attention," Mr. Ban told the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission's high-level meeting on Sierra Leone.

Efforts to consolidate peace, prosperity remain fragile – Ban (08.06.2009)

(Source:UN News / International)

Despite some impressive gains in rebuilding Sierra Leone seven years after the end of its brutal civil war, the situation in the West African nation remains fragile, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today. “The outbreak of political violence in March of this year was a wake-up call on challenges that require urgent and continued attention,” Mr. Ban told the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission’s high-level meeting on Sierra Leone.

UN envoy praises political leadership in Sierra Leone (08.06.2009)

(Source:UN News / International)

Michael von der Schulenburg, the Secretary-General’s Executive Representative for the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL), told the Security Council that the country’s politicians “deserve the highest praise for how they have handled the recent outbreak of political violence in their country when they came together and signed and committed to the Joint Communiqué.” The governing All People's Congress (APC) and the opposition Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) signed that agreement on 2 April, ending violence between the two parties that erupted in early March.

Recent violence underscores need for international support – Ban (29.05.2009)

(Source:UN News / International)

President Ernest Bai Koroma and the top leaders of both the governing and main opposition parties were able to prevent a new round of conflict after clashes broke out, underlining the “fragile nature of the nascent democratic process in the country,” Mr. Ban wrote. The governing All People’s Congress (APC) and the opposition Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) signed a joint communiqué on 2 April, which he characterized in his most recent report on the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL) as a “major event.”

Big boost in security sector (19.05.2009)

(Source:allAfrica / International)

Vice President Samuel Sam-Sumana has said in Freetown that the training of 17 chiefdom security coordinators was an added advantage to boost security in Sierra Leone.

He made the statement while giving his keynote address at the certification ceremony of the first ever chiefdom security coordinators training at the presidential lounge, National Stadium in Freetown.

UN lauds Sierra Leone move to create new independent broadcaster (04.05.2009)

(Source:UN News / International)

The United Nations welcomed Sierra Leone’s announcement on World Press Freedom Day that it will relinquish control of its state-run broadcaster, in a move to support the creation of a new, independently-governed public broadcasting corporation.

Historisches Tribunal verfehlt sein Ziel (Historic tribunal misses target) (15.04.2009)

(Source:taz / Germany)

In Sierra Leone ist der letzte Kriegsverbrecherprozess vor dem UN-Sondertribunal zu Ende gegangen. Aber die wichtigsten Täter standen nicht vor Gericht.

Special Court receives funding reprieve (14.04.2009)

(Source:Irinnews / International)

The Special Court for Sierra Leone has received US$6.5 million in new contributions – enough, court registrar Herman von Hebel says, to avoid a shortfall that could have enabled former Liberian leader and war crimes defendant Charles Taylor to go free. In March the court forecasted that funds would run out at the end of April, leading to concern that Taylor’s trial could be delayed or discontinued, according to Special Court (SCSL) prosecutor Stephen Rapp.

UN-backed court hands Sierra Leone rebels long jail terms (08.04.2009)

(Source:AltertNet / International)

Sierra Leone's U.N.-backed Special Court sentenced three former rebel commanders to lengthy jail terms of between 25 and 52 years on Wednesday for their role in the country's 1991-2002 civil war.

Radio stations banned for inciting violence (20.03.2009)

(Source:allAfrica / International)

Sierra Leone's vice president, Samuel Sam-Sumana, on Mar. 13 ordered an indefinite ban on radio stations owned by the ruling All Peoples Congress (APC) and its main rival, the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP). This comes in the wake of a wave of politically-motivated clashes between rival party militants across the country these past two weeks. The situation has deteriorated so much so that by-elections in Gendema, a remote town bordering Liberia, had to be put on hold.

Clashes in Sierra Leone capital (17.03.2009)

(Source:BBC / UK)

Police in Sierra Leone have used tear gas to disperse supporters of the two main political parties after clashes in the capital, Freetown. There are reports that several women were raped during the violence, which has escalated in recent days. There is a great rivalry between the two main political parties.

Sierra Leone trio guilty of war crimes (25.02.2009)

(Source:BBC / UK)

An international tribunal has found three Sierra Leone rebels guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity. … The Freetown trial of the RUF rebel leaders, related to Sierra Leone's 10-year civil war, began in mid-2004.