CREDO calls for robust support for TRC

The international human rights organisation, CREDO, on Friday expressed concern over the "waning enthusiasm of the international community and donor countries" and called on it to sustain commitment to Sierra Leone's Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

According to CREDO, one aspect of the "waning enthusiasm" was the lack of financial resources which had undermined the oganisation's work. In July, Executive Secretary Yasmin Jusu-Sheriff warned that insufficient funds was hindering the commission from doing its job properly.

CREDO appealed to donor countries to provide strong financial support as a "well-funded and supported Truth and Reconciliation process will compliment the Special Court and provide a broader basis for reconciliation and reconstruction."

The Special War Crimes Court on Sierra Leone, which recently sworn in its judges but is not yet operational, is mandated to prosecute those responsible for the most serious violations of international law during the country's civil war.

The international community should also provide a proactive support to Sierra Leonean human and civil rights organisations to enable them to sustain the widest possible public participation in the TRC, CREDO announced on Friday.

The Centre for Research and Development of [CREDO] Freedom of expression and Associated Rights is an international rights organisation based in Senegal and Great Britain. The organisation focuses on issues affecting the African continent.