Restless Silence: The illusion of Peace In Sierra Leone

 

By Alpha Amadu Jalloh.

 

Global indices applaud Sierra Leone for its “peacefulness,” yet daily realities of injustice, economic hardship and political suppression reveal a nation adrift. Until the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s warnings are heeded, calm will remain an illusion.

 

In recent global peace rankings, Sierra Leone has been placed higher than many of its West African counterparts, including Ghana. To many observers, this may appear to be a commendable achievement. But to those who understand the true meaning of peace, not merely the absence of war but the presence of justice, stability, economic well-being and rule of law, such rankings feel not only misleading but also dangerous. They present an illusion of peace while the nation simmers in restlessness, political anxiety and socio-economic despair.

 

> “Peace is an ecosystem. One that includes justice, economic empowerment and human rights.”

Alpha Amadu Jalloh

 

It is important to note that peace is not defined by silence or the lack of gunfire. Peace is an ecosystem. One that includes freedom of expression, access to justice, political participation, economic empowerment and the protection of fundamental human rights. By these measures, Sierra Leone falls far short of being classified as a peaceful country.

 

As I wrote in Monopoly of Happiness: Unveiling Sierra Leone’s Social Imbalance:

 

> “When justice is delayed, denied or traded for political favour, the people retreat into silence. But silence in the face of systemic pain is not peace. It is fear wearing the mask of calm.”

 

The very concept of peacebuilding in Sierra Leone is incomplete if not grounded in the recommendations and findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report of 2004. That report, birthed in the aftermath of the country’s brutal civil war, was not simply a historical document. It was a roadmap for national healing, institutional reform and peace consolidation. Its pages are filled with the cries of victims and the confessions of perpetrators. It recommends a new social contract based on inclusion, justice and accountability. Yet today, the majority of those recommendations have been shelved, forgotten or politicized.

 

The TRC did not only highlight atrocities. It diagnosed the root causes of conflict. These included endemic corruption, political exclusion, youth marginalization, systemic inequality and the manipulation of state institutions for personal gain. It warned that if these underlying problems were not addressed, Sierra Leone risked returning to instability. Two decades later, these same issues persist, unheeded and unresolved.

 

International peace rankings like the Global Peace Index compiled by the Institute for Economics and Peace rely on a set of indicators. These include militarization, societal safety and security, and domestic and international conflict. While such indices may suggest that Sierra Leone is relatively non-violent in comparison to other post-conflict states, they often fail to capture the lived experiences of Sierra Leoneans who navigate daily through police brutality, political intimidation, economic hardship and institutional injustice.

 

> “When a nation is labelled peaceful while its citizens suffer in silence, it sends the wrong signal.”

— Alpha Amadu Jalloh

 

The notion that Sierra Leone is more peaceful than Ghana or even several countries ranked lower is hard to justify through a qualitative lens. Ghana, despite its challenges, has demonstrated a consistent commitment to democratic governance, peaceful transitions of power, civil liberties and judicial independence. Ghanaian citizens have far greater access to justice and enjoy broader civic space to express dissent than Sierra Leoneans do. Ghana has not experienced the scale of political arrests, intimidation of journalists and arbitrary detentions that have occurred in Sierra Leone in recent years.

 

In Sierra Leone, the mere act of criticizing the government or calling for reforms can land one in legal trouble or worse, behind bars. The security forces have, on numerous occasions, used excessive force against peaceful protesters. Media institutions are routinely threatened and independent journalists operate in fear of retaliation. In a nation where citizens must self-censor to avoid harassment, can we truly speak of peace?

 

As stated in Monopoly of Happiness:

 

> “Our leaders fear dissent more than they fear poverty. A people silenced are a people defeated, yet this is paraded as peace. But peace is never imposed. It is negotiated, earned and nurtured by justice.”

 

Consider the unrest in August 2022, where widespread protests erupted in Freetown and other parts of the country, leading to violent clashes and the loss of lives. That incident alone should have served as a wake-up call that something is fundamentally wrong. But instead of tackling the causes, the government resorted to blame and repression. The voices of the youth, crying for jobs, justice and accountability, were met with bullets, arrests and propaganda.

 

A country where the majority of the population lives in poverty and struggles daily to access basic services such as electricity, clean water, education and healthcare cannot be considered peaceful. Economic injustice breeds social unrest. Sierra Leone’s youth unemployment is among the highest in the region. Drug abuse, particularly the spread of “kush,” has reached crisis levels. An idle, disillusioned population is not a peaceful population. It is a ticking time bomb.

 

> “There can be no peace where hunger is a daily ritual and frustration is a way of life.”

— Monopoly of Happiness, Chapter 4

 

Restlessness is not always loud. Sometimes it is quiet despair, masked by laughter at street corners, hidden behind the silence of civil servants who have not been paid or lost in the eyes of a young graduate forced to ride motorbikes to survive. These people are not living in peace. They are enduring.

 

True peace also requires transitional justice and institutional reform. The TRC was clear that institutions such as the police, judiciary and military needed to be depoliticized, professionalized and accountable. Yet these bodies remain deeply compromised. The police are often used as tools of political oppression. The judiciary, though filled with capable individuals, is widely perceived as corrupt and biased. Elections are marred by irregularities, intimidation and manipulation. These are not markers of peace. They are warning signs.

 

In contrast, Ghana, Cape Verde and even countries like Senegal, despite political tensions, maintain stronger institutions and allow greater public discourse. Their press is relatively freer. Their citizens are more empowered. Their transitions of power, although not perfect, are not accompanied by fear or bloodshed.

 

It is high time that international bodies, researchers and those compiling peace indices adopt a more grounded and holistic approach. Metrics should include the implementation of truth commission recommendations, adherence to international human rights standards, respect for freedom of speech, judicial independence and the socio-economic wellbeing of the population. Peace must be measured not just by what is absent, such as war, but by what is present, such as justice, freedom and dignity.

 

The African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, to which Sierra Leone is a signatory, underscores the necessity of rule of law, human rights and democratic governance as pillars of peace. Yet Sierra Leone’s repeated disregard for these principles renders its inclusion in peaceful nations lists questionable at best.

 

Let us be clear. This is not about diminishing Sierra Leone’s progress since the war. There has indeed been progress. But false accolades and premature celebrations breed complacency. When a nation is labeled peaceful while its citizens suffer in silence, it sends the wrong signal to both leaders and the international community. It suggests that all is well when, in fact, the house is on fire.

 

Rather than congratulating ourselves based on skewed indices, we must confront the uncomfortable truth. Sierra Leone is not at peace. It is restless. It is confused. It is uncertain. Until the structural injustices that underpin this restlessness are addressed, we cannot claim peace.

 

> “Peace without justice is merely postponed conflict. The wounds we ignore today will bleed into the generations of tomorrow.”

— Monopoly of Happiness, Conclusion

 

The TRC warned us. The people are still warning us. The question is, are we listening?

 

” _Alpha Amadu Jalloh is a Sierra Leonean author, youth advocate and 2025 Africa Renaissance Leadership Award recipient. His latest book is “Monopoly of Happiness: Unveiling Sierra Leone’s Social Imbalance”._