Jabateh Sekou

Fellowship: Rocca Pre-Dissertation, Ezera Research for African Students
Fellowship Year: 2025
Project Theme/Title: Memorialization and Post-Conflict Reconciliation: A Comparative Study of Liberia and Sierra Leone
Abstract: When and under what conditions does memorialization of war-time atrocities lead to post-conflict reconciliation? Conversely, when does it exacerbate divisions or produce mixed outcomes? In the aftermath of civil wars, societies undertake the difficult task of reconstructing their fractured social fabric. One common approach is memorialization—the public recognition and commemoration of past violence. Existing literature suggests that memorialization can either foster reconciliation and national cohesion or deepen societal cleavages, depending on factors such as inclusivity, narrative framing, and political context. While memorialization has been extensively studied in individual cases, few studies systematically compare its impact across multiple post-conflict societies. This research builds on my previous fieldwork in Liberia, conducted in December 2024 and January 2025, to extend the analysis to Sierra Leone. Through archival research, semi-structured interviews, and content analysis of memorials, this study systematically examines the divergent approaches to memorialization in these two post-war societies. Liberia’s decentralized and community-driven commemorative practices contrast sharply with Sierra Leone’s centralized, state-sponsored efforts, such as the Peace Museum in Freetown. By comparing these different models, this research seeks to identify the mechanisms through which memorialization fosters reconciliation, exacerbates tensions, or produces ambivalent outcomes. The findings will contribute to scholarship on transitional justice, memory studies, and peacebuilding, offering insights applicable to post-conflict societies globally (Assmann 2011; Hamber 2009; Olick 2007). Additionally, this study will refine and sharpen the theoretical foundation of my broader dissertation research.