Sierra Leone's run-off presidential elections concluded peacefully and with ease on Saturday. The news came as a relief to politicians and voters alike who for weeks feared a renewal of violence as people made their ways to the polls. Despite some irregularities and accusations from both major parties of disturbances and harassment at the polls [1], national and international observers and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed satisfaction with the election process and agreed that the run-off elections showed marked improvement over last month's first-round elections [2].

Definitive results have yet to be released. Ernest Koroma of the opposition party, All People's Congress (APC), led in August's general elections with 44 percent of the votes, followed by current Vice President Solomon Berewa of the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) with 38 percent. Koroma's APC took the majority in parliament as a result of the August elections [3]. A victory for the APC in the presidential elections will represent the first peaceful transfer of power in the country that emerged from civil war only five years ago.

This election is also the first since UN peacekeeping troops left in December, 2005 [4]. Both Koroma and Berewa called for peace on Election Day, emphasizing the country's larger goal of peace conciliation. According to them, violent incidents and tension have always been part of the election process. Koroma canceled campaign events in the weeks prior to Election Day because of security concerns and recent clashes between the police and demonstrators erupted in violence [5]. 

The opportunity for lasting peace gives hope as well as weight to these historic elections, so far characterized by fear and frustration. Lansana Gberie, an analyst and author with extensive experience writing about war in Sierra Leone, emphasizes that “the real significance of this election is in its conduct and not really in its outcome.” According to him, a transfer of power with no violence would be indicative of Sierra Leone starting anew [6]. Peaceful elections constitute an important turning point for Sierra Leone, but the next challenge for the government is addressing the persistent underlying causes of civil unrest, socioeconomic inequality and political weakness. Many went to the polls out of frustration with the widespread unemployment, especially among youth and former fighters, and political corruption that has plagued current President Ahman Tejan Kabbah's administration [7].

How to remunerate victims of the war and punish war criminals has created a stumbling block for peace. Amputees bemoan lack of assistance [8], and efforts to reintegrate former fighters, known as Kamajor, have shown mixed results [9]. Meanwhile some former fighters, who largely come from the southern Mende people, are supported and respected by their communities, and thus their indictment on charges of war crimes remains contested and politically and ethnically charged [10].  Support for the Kamajor fighters is widespread enough to stir up rumors that political candidates have quietly sought Kamajor endorsement, while those same fighters face trial in Freetown in a special tribunal for war crimes [11]. Still, there have been some convictions, and the war's mastermind, Charles Taylor of Liberia, is currently awaiting trial in The Hague. Peace has allowed for reform in the police and army, as well as the construction and rehabilitation of hospitals and schools [12].

These advancements are critical to building lasting peace in Sierra Leone. While the IIJD supports the efforts of the special tribunal to bring those responsible for war crimes to justice, we also recognize the real need to couple strengthening the rule of law and promoting independent judicial systems with responsive social programs that address the social and economic inequalities persisting in Sierra Leone. This two-pronged approach to development is at the base of the IIJD's mission. Bringing war criminals to justice alone cannot sufficiently address the underlying causes of war. Justice in legal channels must be complimented by social justice, especially in the continued efforts to address youth unemployment and Kamajor reintegration.