Africa Is a Country

Regular people and the international justice system

Regular people and the international justice system

By
Boima Tucker

The world today could definitely learn some much needed lessons from the people of Sierra Leone.

A still from "Fambul Tok."

Sierra Leone is a country that still struggles to get fair representation in international media. Recent headlines have circled around the Special Court of Sierra Leone and the trial of former warlord and then President Charles Taylor. The court itself received some critical analysis recently in the form of the documentary “War Don Don.” One question that came out of that film is whether the repercussions of the court could be felt on the ground, and in every day life. What I remember most about the court from my 2006 visit to Freetown was that it was the only place in town with constant electricity.

In contrast to the ambivalence that swirls around the Special Court, I was delighted to see the film “Fambul Tok,” directed by John Caulker and Libby Hoffman, and its positive news of a grassroots reconciliation process in the country. This is a must see film for anyone interested in post-conflict healing, truth and reconciliation, or the effects on regular people of the international justice system.

War ethnographer Carolyn Nordstrom in her book A Different Kind of War Story talks about the creativity of war victims in the face of violence to rebuild and create a new future. “Fambul Tok” shows that creativity of a community to create peace in action. Victims and perpetrators sometimes from the same family reestablish ties, and work together to restore interrupted traditions and cultural norms. The process is taken up enthusiastically partly because reconciliation is already a part of the culture in Sierra Leone.

In some ways, “Fambul Tok” is part of Sierra Leone’s reconciliation with the world as images and stories of people being violated still seem to dominate global perceptions of the country. For Fambul Tok to document and share this process is almost a message of forgiveness to the world at large for barely paying attention during the war years. The two films “War Don Don” and “Fambul Tok” definitely work in conjunction to provide insightful glimpses into the society’s rebuilding process over the last 10 years. The world today could definitely learn some much needed lessons from the people of Sierra Leone.

Further Reading

A power crisis

Andre De Ruyter, the former CEO of Eskom, has presented himself as a simple hero trying to save South Africa’s struggling power utility against corrupt forces. But this racially charged narrative is ultimately self-serving.

Cinematic universality

Fatou Cissé’s directorial debut meditates on the uncertain fate and importance of Malian cinema amidst the growing dismissiveness towards the humanities across the world.

The meanings of Heath Streak

Zimbabwean cricketing legend Heath Streak’s career mirrors many of the unresolved tensions of race and class in Zimbabwe. Yet few white Zimbabwean sporting figures are able to stir interest and conversation across the nation’s many divides.

Victorious

After winning Italy’s Serie A with Napoli, Victor Osimhen has cemented his claim to being Africa’s biggest footballing icon. But is the trend of individual stardom good for sports and politics?

The magic man

Chris Blackwell’s long-awaited autobiography shows him as a romantic rogue; a risk taker whose life compass has been an open mind and gift to hear and see slightly into the future.

How to think about colonialism

Contemporary approaches to the legacy of colonialism tend to narrowly emphasize political agency as the solution to Africa’s problems. But agency is configured through historically particular relations of which we are not sole authors.

More than just a flag

South Africa’s apartheid flag has been declared hate speech by a top court. But while courts are important and their judgments matter, racism is a long and internationally entrenched social phenomenon that cannot be undone via judicial processes.