Sierra Leone Faces Pressure to Safeguard War-Affected Children

By Musa Paul Feika

Nearly twenty-three years after Sierra Leone’s brutal civil war officially ended, the legacy of the conflict continues to weigh heavily on the nation
particularly on the lives of children who were caught in its crossfire. While the guns may have fallen silent, the scars remain vivid. Many citizens argue that the state has not done enough to provide sustainable protection, opportunities, and dignity for war-affected children, including former child soldiers, orphans, and those from fractured families.

Across Sierra Leone, voices from different walks of life are calling for urgent and lasting interventions to address what they see as an unfinished chapter in the country’s peace and reconciliation process.

In Freetown, market woman Mariatu Kargbo, who lost two of her brothers during the war, expressed her deep frustration over the lingering neglect:

The war took away our children’s innocence. Some were forced to fight, others lost their parents. Today, many still struggle to find their place in society. Government must make sure they get education, healthcare, and support like every other child.”

Education: A Broken Promise

Education is often highlighted as the most critical tool for recovery, yet citizens note that many children directly affected by the war were left behind. Despite progress made under the government’s Free Quality Education initiative, thousands of war-affected children never returned to school.

Ibrahim Conteh, a teacher in Makeni, described the situation as a “silent crisis”:

We still have children who never went back to school after the war. Some ended up on the streets. If the state truly values reconciliation, it must guarantee that every child has access to education.”

Conteh emphasized that educational support for such children should not be treated as charity but as a national obligation to rebuild peace and stability.

Healthcare and Psychological Support

Beyond education, healthcare and psychological rehabilitation remain urgent needs. Many war-affected children
now young adults still suffer from unaddressed trauma and health challenges.

Fatmata Sesay, a nurse based in Cut Road, Freetown, highlighted the invisible wounds that persist:

Some of these children are now young adults, but their mental and physical health needs are never properly addressed. Without proper healthcare and counseling, we cannot expect them to build stable lives.”

Experts argue that without structured psychosocial programs, Sierra Leone risks raising a generation weighed down by the war’s shadows.

Civil Society Raises the Alarm

Civil society and human rights groups have repeatedly warned that neglecting war-affected children undermines national stability. Joseph Kamara, a human rights activist from Kingharman Road, issued a stark reminder:

If this country keeps neglecting those directly affected by the war child soldiers, orphans, and children from broken homes then we are building our future on shaky foundations.”

Kamara stressed that healing the wounds of war requires long-term investment in children’s welfare, not short-term relief programs.

TRC Recommendations Still Unfulfilled

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), established after the conflict, had strongly recommended special protection measures for war-affected children. These included priority access to education, healthcare, and psychosocial support. Yet, decades later, many Sierra Leoneans believe the implementation has been slow, inconsistent, and underfunded.

For ordinary citizens, this failure represents not just a policy gap but a moral failure to honor the sacrifices of those who suffered most.

A Call to Action

As Sierra Leone strengthens its democratic institutions and strives to rebuild its social fabric, the plight of war-affected children remains a defining test of its commitment to peace. Citizens insist that protecting these children is not only about policy but about justice, reconciliation, and national healing.

“We cannot change the past, but we can give these children hope,” Kamara concluded. “That is how we build peace.”