The main objective of the study is to draw conclusions and present recommendations that would provide a guide to strategies and instruments for post-conflict capacity building initiatives by the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) in post-conflict settings. Additionally, the study aims at contributing to a dialogue on the Funds ability to respond more effectively and efficiently to the needs of societies rebuilding after conflict. It also provides recommendations for clarification and refinement of the Funds policy in this area. A selected list of documents reviewed and persons interviewed is contained in the bibliography and annexes respectively. The Report is thematically organized. It starts with a theoretical presentation that informs the explanation of the nature of conflicts and their costs in the African settings. This is followed by a short historical background of the Sierra Leonean political economy that provide the context for understanding the impact as well as limitations of external interventions in conflict mitigation, reconstruction and capacity building. Finally, lessons of experience and best practices are drawn out and discussed in lieu of the conclusion.