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 In the past 60 years, Africa has been home to nearly 50 wars resulting in the deaths of millions of civilians. These wars have been characterized by substantial civilian deaths, the conscription of child soldiers and the spread of the AIDS virus. Yet, across the continent, dim rays of hope continue to brighten.
In Sierra Leone, the United Nations December 2 swore in eight judges comprising the special tribunal overseeing the trials of soldiers accused of war crimes during the country’s decade-long civil war. According to Reuters, about 50,000 people were killed during the war, and common atrocities included mass civilians killings, rape and mutilation.
In Burundi, a 9-year-old civil war appeared closer to an end when one of the country’s main rebel groups, the Forces for the Defense of Democracy (FDD), agreed to a ceasefire with the Burundi government on December 3.
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