Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict Margot Wallström is on an official visit to West Africa, currently assessing the situation and gathering knowledge on how sexual violence during the war has influenced the society of Sierra Leone, a post-conflict country.
Wallström has held discussions with the United Nations Country Team, non-governmental organisations, caregivers, survivors of sexual violence, and the Family Support Unit (FSU) of the Sierra Leone Police Force, as well as the Solicitor General, the Chief Justice, the Minister and Deputy Minister of Gender Affairs, and the Executive Representative of the UN Secretary-General Michael Schulenburg. She also visited a reparations project for victims of sexual violence, and engaged with various interlocutors dealing with the issue.
“I understand that the country as a whole, including the government of Sierra Leone, wants to look to the future, instead of dwelling on the past. But we must not ignore the past or forget the survivors of sexual violence,” Wallström said.
“Only a country thoroughly addressing the wrongdoings of the past can build a solid foundation for a successful and sustainable future. More needs to be done to support these survivors, both in terms of access to justice, services and to help them reintegrate into society,” she said, adding that more resources were required to strengthen the capacity of the judicial system to address the issue of sexual violence.
Wallström underlined that the prevention of sexual violence was particularly important as Sierra Leone is approaching the elections “a period during which sexual violence is often used against political opponents”. The special representative urged “all people in positions of influence in Sierra Leone to speak up against the use of sexual violence as a tool of political intimidation and to do their utmost to put in place measures to prevent sexual violence from being employed to this effect”.
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