Amnesty International has welcomed the historic decision by the Special Court for Sierra Leone dated 13 March 2004 to refuse to recognize the applicability of a national amnesty for crimes against humanity and war crimes. The Special Court for Sierra Leone held that, in accordance with international law, the general amnesty granted in the 1999 Lomé peace agreement was "ineffective" in preventing international courts, such as the Special Court, or foreign courts from prosecuting crimes against humanity and war crimes.

The legal system in Sierra Leone is still very weak and that further impacts human rights and protection issues, says Refugees International. "It is extremely difficult for the poor to access the system. There are prolonged cases of pre-trial detention for suspects. Many have no legal representation in court, and most cases brought to the court are not properly documented or investigated. Hearings are repeatedly adjourned and postponed, leaving suspects to languish in prison," said the organisation.

Sierra Leone's war crimes court has opened in the capital Freetown to try persons who bear the greatest responsibility for the atrocities committed during the country's 1991-1999 conflict. Sierra Leone's civil war was characterised by horror and brutality. Some people fear the court might become a new flashpoint for renewed hostilities. “Our war has ended and every factional fighter disarmed. Putting people on trial at this stage may ignite fresh conflict,” says Abraham Conteh, a 46-year old father of three. “My house was burnt and three of my relatives killed. I fear that this court may not end well.”

The United Nations and the United States should explicitly call on Nigeria to turn former Liberian President Charles Taylor over to the Special Court for Sierra Leone, Human Rights Watch says. On Wednesday, the Special Court will officially open its newly constructed courthouse in the Sierra Leonean capital Freetown. The first trials of senior officials are expected to begin shortly. The opening ceremony will be attended by high-ranking officials from the United Nations and donor countries.

The UN-backed Special Court set up to try those considered most responsible for war crimes in Sierra Leone has begun carrying out investigations in Liberia: a team of investigators began searching residences of ex-president Charles Taylor on Friday. The team, headed by Chief Investigator Allen White, met strong resistance on Friday, when they tried to enter a house in Congo Town, the south-eastern suburb of the capital, Monrovia, where Taylor lived until he was forced into exile in August last year, clearing the way for the signing of a peace deal.

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees has announced that come June this year all their support for Sierra Leonean refugees reluctantly refusing to come will stop. This was disclosed by the new UNHCR Public Information Officer, Rachel Goldstein-Rodriguez during a question and answer session at the UNAMSIL press briefing last week. She said although UNHCR is not forcing the refugees to return home, they have nevertheless on several occasions been encouraging them, as according to her, "the Agency will soon stop all relief supplies to Sierra Leonean refugees in Guinea and Liberia that do not want to return home."

From January 2000 – December 2003, 12 primary schools were de-wormed with a total of 3600 pupils and 430 adults in the Eastend Part of the city of Freetown.

The UN-backed war crimes court for Sierra Leone will open its doors March 10 ahead of trials of nine defendants in custody for alleged crimes against humanity during the West African state's decade-long rebel war, officials said. The court will hold special sessions in early March for the prosecution and defence to present a status report of their pre-trial preparations to the judges, who will then fix a date for trials, court spokeswoman, Alison Cooper told local radio. Observers say trials are likely to commence in late March or early April.

Reporters sans frontières (RSF) has condemned the raid by several dozen police officers on the offices of the independent daily "Awoko", in the capital, Freetown, on 21 January. Three journalists were manhandled by police during the raid. The raid came after three journalists from the paper went to the scene of an accident, in which a police car collided with another vehicle, during a police operation against illegal street vendors.

Three years after the end of Sierra Leone's devastating civil war, the living conditions of the majority of the people is getting worse by the day, as the economy shows no signs of picking up. "These are indeed troubling times," explains Ibrahim Sesay, a spokesperson for the Consumers Association of Sierra Leone in the capital Freetown. "The cost of living has skyrocketed and people are suffering, with unemployment on the increase, low incomes and rising costs of goods on the market," Sesay adds.

Two years after the Government of Sierra Leone and the United Nations (UN) signed an agreement to establish the Special Court for Sierra Leone, Amnesty International is calling on the international community not to waver in its support for the Special Court. "16 January 2002 marked a historic development towards ending impunity for a decade of atrocities against the people of Sierra Leone," Amnesty International said. "The Special Court was established at the initiative of an African state, Sierra Leone, in agreement with the UN, to act on behalf of the entire international community to provide justice to victims of crimes against humanity and war crimes."

A lengthy disarmament programme has wrapped up in Sierra Leone, with organisers giving themselves a pat on the back: "I think that the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of ex-combatants have been a success," says Francis Kaikai, Executive Secretary of the programme. Amidst the backslapping, however, there was growing discontent amongst some of the former combatants, who have been taught skills like tailoring, carpentry and masonry. They say they have not been given the specialised tools that will allow them to ply their trade. Even for those who have everything they need to earn a living, jobs are scarce.

Merlin has been in Sierra Leone since 1996. Throughout the most severe parts of the civil conflict, Merlin continued to deliver uninterrupted emergency health and nutrition services to the most vulnerable populations in Kenema and in Freetown. At the height of the emergency phase Merlin was employing in excess of 400 health staff and dealing with a beneficiary population of 1.5 million people. The conflict in Sierra Leone is now officially over, with the country disarmed and under the control of the UN. Merlin currently has programmes in Kenema District, Kono District, Bo District and Tonkolili District.

The World Association of Newspapers and the World Editors Forum, which represent 18,000 publications in 100 countries, has expressed "serious concern" at the confiscation of all equipment belonging to the independent For Di People newspaper. According to reports, on the morning of 24 November heavily armed police confiscated equipment belonging to For Di People, in connection with a damages award in a civil libel case. Editor Paul Kamara, who is also facing seditious libel charges in another case, was appearing in court at the time of the raid.

A non-governmental organisation has set the ball rolling on sport and games in Sierra Leone's refugee camps in the hope that young refugees will be able to have fun with a purpose. Since starting its programmes in Sierra Leone in March, Canadian-based group Right to Play has introduced football, volleyball, kickball, softball and frisbee to Liberian refugee youth in five camps. Besides keeping them active and channelling their energies into positive activities, these sports also teach them important values and life skills like self-confidence, teamwork, communication, inclusion, discipline, respect and fair play.

More than 1,000 Sierra Leonean refugees in Guinea can expect to go home by the end of this year as the UN refugee agency resumes repatriation ahead of plans to gradually phase out assistance next year. On Monday, UNHCR restarted its return programme from Guinea to Sierra Leone after a three-month break over the rainy season. Eighty-four refugees left Kissidougou in south-eastern Guinea and headed for Kono district in eastern Sierra Leone.

Drawing on qualitative field-based research and quantitative survey data, “From Combat to Community: Women and Girls of Sierra Leone” produced by Women Waging Peace assesses how consideration of gender issues can improve Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) processes and documents the contributions of women in official and civil society-based reintegration programs.

More than 100 teachers absorbed by the UNHCR Education Assistance Program for refugees have benefited from an "All Teachers" training program intended to enhance their classroom performance. The exercise was simultaneously held at the VOA and Banjor Refugee Camps, from November 13-15. The training was organized by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), an implementing partner of the UNHCR.

A recent action by the Senegalese authorities has raised fears concerning the press's future and the right to information in a country which until now has been known to respect democracy and freedom. Police officers arrested Sophie Malibeaux, Radio France Internationale's (RFI) permanent special correspondent, in Ziguinchor, southern Senegal, on 7 October 2003. Malibeaux was covering a meeting of the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (Mouvement des Forces Démocratiques de Casamance, MFDC), an armed independence group, when she was arrested and forced onto a special flight to Dakar.

Paul Kamara, managing editor of the "For-Di-People" newspaper, was arrested and detained on October 3 at the headquarters of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Kamara was released after seven hours and asked to report the following morning. He was arrested in connection with a front page article published in the October 3, 2003 edition of the paper. The article challenged the constitutional legality of the Speaker of Parliament, Justice Edmond Cowan's defence of President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah in Parliament.