Sierra Leone Special Court is Broke

Sierra Leone’s Special Court is going to run out of money in December says UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon. In an appeal to the Security Council for $14 million for Charles Taylor’s appeal Moon says that the international community will have issues if it doesn’t make the funds available.

“As I have said before, the legacy of the Special Court and the progress that has been made towards ensuring accountability and restoring peace and security in Sierra Leone and the region would be at risk.”

If there is no money for the Special Court it means it has out run its purpose. However it is rather alarmist of Moon to suggest that the region and Sierra Leone will be at risk if they don’t get funds. Quite frankly the biggest fall out from the court if it doesn’t get the grant it needs (which I am sure it will) is that those who are now employed by the court will face immediate unemployment.

The risk that Moon invokes does not exist. Sierra Leone just had its third peaceful elections since the war ended in 2002. That the court is still in operation 10yrs since it was set up,  is a sign of its ineffectiveness.

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