Reparations programs are often connected with high expectations, seen as the most direct means for providing rehabilitation and recognition for the victims of civil war. But do these expectations actually correspond to reality? Eva Ottendörfer investigates the case of Sierra Leone, a country in which a comprehensive reparations program has invested 8.5 million USD in a variety of measures following a disastrous civil war. Based on her investigations, Ottendörfer does not find any real reconciling effect stemming from such reparations. What went wrong? In her study, Ottendörfer uncovers the causes and concludes with a number of recommendations for both governments and the international organizations that provide funding and technical expertise for these endeavours. Eva Ottendörfer is a research associate within the PRIF’s research department “International Institutions ”. In her research, she focuses on transitional justice in post-conflict societies, with a focus on East Timor and Sierra Leone. Her other area of expertise is the role of reparations in coming to terms with the past, especially regarding reparations provided by international institutions such as the International Criminal Court and the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund.