UNPACKING THE SHORTCOMINGS OF TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE: IN THE CASE OF POST-CONFLICT SIERRA LEONE

Year 2025, Volume: 5 Issue: 2, 166 - 181, 30.07.2025

Adam Mukanjor Njolnbi Hülya Özkan Rıgıderakhshan

https://doi.org/10.58851/africania.1696604

Abstract

An increasing number of African states are undergoing transitions from conflict to peace, highlighting persistent infringements on civilians' rights, whether perpetrated by political authorities, driven by economic interests, or rooted in enduring historical legacies. In response to these complex post-conflict dynamics, the frameworks of Transitional Justice and Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) have emerged as both academic fields of inquiry and instruments of political practice. These mechanisms primarily aim to address large-scale human rights violations and facilitate the reconstruction of a lawful civil order. Contemporary scholarship and practitioners of DDR and transitional justice focus on identifying the most viable and legitimate means of confronting past injustices while fostering sustainable peace. This study critically examines the shortcomings of transitional justice mechanisms, DDR processes, and truth commissions in their efforts to achieve reconciliation and stability in post-conflict Sierra Leone. It is argued that these shortcomings, along with the persistence of structural violence in the post-conflict context, stem from a lack of coordination toward a unified objective and the failure to implement Johan Galtung’s "Transcend" approach. Furthermore, the research identifies key limitations in the operationalization of truth commissions, particularly their inadequate engagement with Track II diplomacy, insufficient implementation of lustration practices, and neglect of participatory legitimacy. These deficiencies have ultimately contributed to the unfulfilled objectives of peacebuilding initiatives in post-conflict Sierra Leone.

Keywords

Transitional justice , Truth commissions , Disarmament , Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) , Post-conflict Sierra Leone , Transcend approach , Structural violence

GEÇİŞ DÖNEMİ ADALETİNİN YETERSİZLİKLERİ ÜZERİNE BİR İNCELEME: ÇATIŞMA SONRASI SİERRA LEONE ÖRNEĞİ

Abstract

Afrika'daki birçok devlet, çatışma ortamından barış sürecine geçiş yaşamaktadır ve bu süreç, sivil hakların ihlallerinin hâlâ devam ettiğini göstermektedir. Bu ihlaller; siyasal otoriteler tarafından, ekonomik çıkarlar doğrultusunda ya da tarihsel mirasların bir sonucu olarak ortaya çıkabilmektedir. Bu karmaşık çatışma sonrası dinamiklere yanıt olarak, Geçiş Dönemi Adaleti ile Silahsızlandırma, Terhis ve Yeniden Entegrasyon (DDR) çerçeveleri hem akademik bir sorgulama alanı hem de siyasal bir uygulama aracı olarak ortaya çıkmıştır. Bu mekanizmalar, büyük ölçekli insan hakları ihlallerini ele almayı ve yasal bir sivil düzenin yeniden inşasını kolaylaştırmayı amaçlamaktadır. Güncel literatür ve uygulayıcılar, geçmişteki adaletsizliklerle yüzleşmenin en uygulanabilir ve meşru yollarını belirlemeye ve kalıcı barışı sağlamaya odaklanmaktadır. Bu çalışma, geçiş dönemi adaleti mekanizmalarının, DDR süreçlerinin ve hakikat komisyonlarının, çatışma sonrası Sierra Leone’de uzlaşma ve istikrar sağlamaya yönelik çabalarındaki yetersizliklerini eleştirel bir biçimde incelemektedir. Çalışmada, söz konusu başarısızlıkların ve çatışma sonrası dönemde devam eden yapısal şiddetin, ortak bir hedef doğrultusunda koordinasyon sağlanamamasından ve Johan Galtung’un ortaya koyduğu “Transcend” yaklaşımının uygulanamamasından kaynaklandığı öne sürülmektedir. Ayrıca araştırma, hakikat komisyonlarının ikincil diplomasi (Track II diplomacy), tasfiye uygulamaları (lustration) ve katılım temelli meşruiyet süreçlerini etkin bir şekilde kullanamamalarına dikkat çekmektedir. Bu yetersizlikler, çatışma sonrası Sierra Leone’de yürütülen barış inşa süreçlerinin hedeflerine ulaşamamasına neden olmuştur.

Keywords

Geçiş Dönemi Adaleti , Hakikat Komisyonları , Silahsızlandırma , Terhis ve Yeniden Entegrasyon (DDR) , Çatışma Sonrası Sierra Leone , Transcend Yaklaşımı , Yapısal Şiddet

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