FROM THE ATJLF TEAM
We are pleased to bring you the first edition of the Trails of Justice in 2025. In this edition, among other transformative outcomes of our Legacy projects, we announce the 2025 ATJLF-MRCG Transitional Justice Reporting Fellowship. It also features insightful articles from some of the Fellows on reparations and wealth redistribution as guarantees of non-recurrence. Our Impact Story section showcases inspiring project outcomes, while, in honor of Women’s History Month, we highlight ATJLF-funded women-centering initiatives and celebrate remarkable women driving transitional justice in Africa.
Transformative Outcomes Trail the Implementation of Legacy Projects
As implementation of ATJLF’s Legacy phase project progresses, transformative outcomes attend its wake. To mention a few, we have recently launched a transitional justice reporting fellowship as part of our grantee partnership with the Media Reform Coordinating Group Sierra Leone while providing mental health and psychosocial support to hundreds of survivors of the Boko Haram crisis through the Kishimi Health and Care Foundation in Northeast Nigeria.
Partner Spotlight – RAJP
We are proud to be supporting our Partner, Réseau Action Justice et Paix (RAJP), as they advocate the institutionalization of transitional justice into the elementary curriculum in Côte d’Ivoire. In particular, they are advocating for the inclusion of Cote d’Ivoire’s history and its political and military crises into the curriculum. They are also creating an illustration book that can help young people learn about the history of Cote d’Ivoire and its crises.
PUBLICATIONS
25 March | Blog – Sierra Leone: The Unfulfilled Promise of Reparations
Patricia Ngevao
In this post, Patricia Ngevao, a MRCG-ATJLF 2025 Fellow, draws on first hand survivors’ accounts to detail the challenges and shortcomings of the Sierra Leonean government’s approach to reparations for victims of the civil war (1991 – 2002).
25 March | Blog – In the Shadows of Wealth: Poverty as a Catalyst for Violence in the Sierra Leone’s Conflict
Fatmata Tidankay Kamara
A MRCG-ATJLF 2025 Fellow, Fatmata Kamara makes a case for government-led economic reforms and wealth redistribution as measures to prevent a recurrence of the Sierra Leonean civil war (1991 – 2002).
26 March | Blog – Highlighting Women-Focused ATJLF Projects in Commemoration of Women’s History Month
ATJLF
In commemoration of Women’s History Month, this post highlights some of our women focused Legacy projects. All ATJLF-funded are designed to mainstream gender. In fact, at least 50% of Legacy grantee organisations are women-led and have women in their senior management.
26 March | Blog – Peace Clubs: Building a Future Free from Violence in Sierra Leone
ATJLF
With support from ATJLF, Famboul Tok has trained and supported students across thirty (30) peace clubs in Sierra Leone to promote community sensitization on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) recommendations.
OUR IMPACT STORY
Educating for Justice: MRCG’s Journey to Heal Sierra Leone’s Past
Sierra Leone’s Media Reform Coordinating Group (MRCG), backed by the African Transitional Justice Legacy Fund (ATJLF), has advanced transitional justice (TJ) awareness by introducing a pioneering Media and Transitional Justice module at Fourah Bay College, educating 120 journalism students, and launching a widely circulated TJ Reporting Manual, translated into French. These efforts, including mentorship programs, empower journalists to address the legacy of the 1991-2002 civil war, fostering accountability and informed storytelling essential for lasting peace.
COVICI: Institutionalizing Mental Health Support in Cote d’Ivoire
Through its psychosocial care project for victims, supported by ATJLF, COVICI is building a replicable model of psychosocial care for survivors of Côte d’Ivoire’s political and military crises. Six months into implementation, the initiative has reached over 225 victims by equipping them with integrative and community tools for emotional healing and resilience. In this story, Beugré Ahi Benoit, a survivor speaks about discovering the power of forgiveness and mental well-being through shared experiences.
COMMEMORATIONS AND EVENTS
Recognize any Outstanding Woman on Our List?
In commemoration of the International Women’s Day, we celebrated some of the remarkable women driving change in transitional justice across Africa. From championing peace processes to designing frameworks and ensuring accountability for war crimes, they are making a difference for survivors and working to prevent the recurrence of mass violations. Recognize any of them?
