By Abdul Karim Koroma

After the nine years rebel war and political instability that marred Sierra Leone, the country remains divided as ever before. Even though the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) tried to reconcile and unite people, this was to no avail.

One fundamental thing, which ‘Fambul Tok' has succeeded to achieve, is that the scheme has enabled both victims and perpetrators to tell their stories at community level which the TRC failed to do. More importantly the untold stories of the war are been voiced out during the ‘Fambul Tok' meetings.

'Fambul Tok' is an initiative whereby traditional methods of reconciliation are been used at community level to heal the wounds of the decade war. ‘Fambul Tok' is a partnership between Forum of Conscience or FoC, a local human rights group and Catalyst for Peace, a US based foundation which supports locally rooted reconciliation process in post conflict African societies adding that the project will reconcile victims, perpetrators and witnesses. Six years after the end of Sierra Leone 's brutal civil war, there is still a need for sustainable peace in the country.

Since the country's eleven-year-long war ended in 2002, an internationally-designed TRC has come and gone, while the United Nations backed criminal court is about to wrap up its final deliberations in the prosecutions of the handful of men deemed most responsible for fomenting the conflict. Despite millions of dollars spent on these proceedings, neither body has succeeded in fundamentally changing the daily lives of Sierra Leoneans who still grapple with the aftermath of war.

This community healing process of reconciliation and forgiveness is designed to address the roots of conflict at the local level, and to restore dignity to the lives of those who suffered from violence. The work will help war-affected individuals reflect on the past in ways which will enable them to be a part of averting renewed aggressions. And it will also help create healthy communities capable of building new foundations of peace through honoring traditional methods of reconciliation.

‘Fambul Tok' answers the call of Sierra Leone 's official Truth and Reconciliation Commission to create local reconciliation activities. And its organizers will draw on extensive nation-wide networks developed as part of the Truth and Reconciliation Working Group. ‘Fambul Tok' is a distinctly Sierra Leonean initiative, rooted not in western concepts of crime and punishment but in communal African sensibilities which emphasize the need for communities to be whole – with each member playing a role – if peace and development are to be achieved for the nation.

The communities are of the notion that the TRC and Special Court are Freetown based while ‘Fambul Tok' is been implemented at chiefdom and village level. FoC Executive Director John Caulker Wednesday showcased the video clips of the reconciliatory ceremonies that started in Kailahun including Bormaru where the war stated.

Caulker said the choice of Kailahun district is significant. 'This was where the war began on March 23, 1991 when RUF rebels crossed into Sierra Leone from Liberia ,' he said. 'It is the first time perpetrators are meeting face-to-face with victims as well as friends and relatives... to apologise for offences they committed during the conflict.'

Caulker stated that thousands of such forgiveness ceremonies are to take place throughout the country over the next five years. The ceremonies are differs from community to community. A total of 14 ceremonies have been held in seven chiefdoms.

From the clip it is crystal clear that the people welcomed the initiative from all indications. At Kakodo in the Kailahun district, a woman whose only son was thrown into the river publicly forgives her perpetrator.

In interestingly a Revolutionary United Front (RUF) ex-combatant came out willingly to confess all his evil deeds during the war including the ambushing of a vehicle and in the process lots of people lost their lives.

“My heart is heavy I can't afford to leave with thing tormenting my life.” He asked a memorial service be organized for all those that he killed during the war.

In Sakiema a former fighter who has thought all the while that confessing his wrong doings during the war will be killed came out during one of the burn fires organized by ‘Fambul Tok' to explain what he did during the war.