Sierra Leone Perpetrators Guilty
A New Leaf for Child Soldiers and Human Rights
Three men are convicted for their role in the 11-year long Sierra Leone civil war. The guilty verdict includes the use of child soldiers.
On Wednesday, the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone named three perpetrators in the west-African country’s 11-year long civil war.
The guilty verdict of the three Sierra Leonean men--Alex Tamba Brima, Brima Bazzy Kamara and Santigie Borbor Kanu for 11 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes—should serve both as an educator for the world and as sigh of relief for the 300,000 boys and girls currently serving warlords across the developing world.
The three men are convicted for "extermination, murder, rape, enslavement and enlisting children into armed forces," among other things. UN briefings said on its website, “This was the first time an international tribunal ruled on the charge of recruitment of child soldiers.”
Perhaps now the world can no longer rely on the excuse of ignorance or naivety. The public has mainly become aware of these stories through Hollywoodized films, like Blood Diamond, much too long after the atrocities take place. But this guilty verdict should serve as a warning sign to the International Community: We now know what has happened, we have been made aware, and we will not turn our backs again.
While films such as the Killing Fields and many others are important tools of history and education, action and awareness must be implemented during the time of conflict.
Interventions and public outcry must band together faster and easier. Media outlets must do their part to report responsibly by entering into regions of conflict sooner and staying longer. And as complicit governments make it harder for aid workers and journalists to successfully do their job—as we are seeing ever more with the Sudanese government and Darfur—humanitarians must fight that much harder to overcome and outsmart the obstacles set in their path.
We have watched governments conceal wars and atrocities on the world stage for too long, such as the 1936 Berlin Olympics or bulldozing Manila’s shantytowns and pouring blue dye in its oceans to hide poverty and pollution from world politicians.
When will we reach the point when we learn from history, learn from warning signs that wars and genocides are brewing before reports of 200,000 killed continue to remain stagnant for another year without military intervention on Darfur’s soil.
The Special Court for Sierra Leone has raised the bar for human rights. Charging these men for the use of child soldiers will hopefully set an example by discouraging current warlords from following the same psychological combat routine. The guilty verdicts will hopefully continue to educate the public sphere and create a stronger awareness for human rights and war crimes atrocities taking place throughout the globe.
