Long road ahead for ex-combatants in Sierra Leone
Many former rebels now drive moto-taxis like this one in Freetown (ISSOUF SANOGO/AFP/Getty Images)
When child soldiers are used, issues of blame and designations like perpetrator become blurred. In these situation sometimes the cruelest perpetrators of violence are also some of its most scarred victims.
Many children were conscripted to fight with Sierra Leonean rebels during the county’s long civil war. One of SFCG’s concerns has been their reintegration into mainstream society. It is not an easy task. Many of these former rebels are viewed with suspicion and anger. They are marginalized and few want to employ them.
Rishna Gracie recently visited Sierra Leone and she blogs about the country’s difficulties in overcoming a violent past as well as the approaches SFCG has taken there. Check it out!
You can also find out more about SFCG’s work in Sierra Leone here.
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