Policy Brief | Centering Survivors in African Transitional Justice Processes

By Pelumi Obisesan-Aina and Emmanuel Ayoola

From the Gambia to Sierra Leone to Liberia and all the other countries where the Africa Transitional Justice Legacy Fund (ATJLF) works, challenges with victims and survivors’ inclusion in transitional justice processes persist. These challenges manifest in different forms including their lack of involvement in process design and decision-making, insufficient reparations, and inadequate mental health support. These gaps have contributed to making justice elusive for victims of mass atrocities and conflicts across Africa. This policy brief identifies ATJLF’s key findings on the subject as an intermediary Funder in the African transitional justice space and proffers policy recommendations to ensure that transitional justice processes meaningfully engage survivors while delivering empowering outcomes for them.