Almost two weeks after President Bio has been served with a letter by the ICC (International Criminal Court (ICC), a source in the United States has intimated this press that another ICC letter has landed on Bio’s desk while in the US.
The ICC, the judicial wing of the UN came into being by the promulgation of the Rome Statute, 1998 and charged with the responsibility of bringing to justice those who commit war crimes, genocide and crimes against unity.
Unlike the first letter which merely requests a meeting with the President, the second letter, the source, says outlines human rights crimes committed under Bio’s watch. Forewarned is forearmed: with the second letter in hand, Bio has been given ample time to prepare himself well ahead of ICC’s interview.
Several online media institutions who share their findings with this press said government had hired an international lawyer to be with Bio in the interrogation room. ICC’s attempt of bringing to justice those accused of masterminding human rights follows waves of protests held at ICC headquarters in Denmark almost a month ago.
While at the ICC facilities, protesters drew the attention of deteriorating human rights situation in Sierra Leone as government forces continued to shoot at armless and defenceless protesters. Evidence of state-sponsored killings by way of video footages were presented to the ICC, a move appeared to have expedited ICC’s response. The court’s action stuns and shocks many Sierra Leoneans who thought that government officials are above international law. Bio with his officials is currently under strict surveillance in the US, and will return to Sierra Leone only after he shall have answered questions from the ICC.
Except Chief Minister, David Moinina Sengeh who is a US Citizen, President Bio and his team cannot travel to various parts of America as they are under strict surveillance owing to US visa ban issued two weeks back. The letter lays to rest speculations as to whether Bio’s government will be prosecuted for human rights crimes committed in Sierra Leone between 2018 and 2023.
It is a bad moment for Sierra Leone’s President who is struggling for recognition after June polls. US, UK, EU and key inter-governmental organisations have failed to recognise Bio after he was allegedly fraudulently declared by the Chief Electoral Commissioner, Mohamed Kenewui Konneh.
Konneh is head of ECSL (Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone), a body mandated by law to conduct and supervise election in Sierra Leone. EU, Commonwealth, AU, ECOWAS, Carter Centre Foundation, G7+ as well as local election observers condemned the election as one that “lacked transparency.” The crime of subverting the will of the people of Sierra Leone might come to the fore, and other crimes are sure to follow.
Extra-judicial killings and other crimes against humanity were allegedly detailed in the second letter for which Bio will be compelled to meet the ICC Chief Prosecutor after the UN summit. Killings during September 11, 2023 and August 10, 2022 protests as well as Makeni city, Lunsar, Tombo, Tonkolili, Freetown and Pa Demba Road Correctional facility will not be left unanswered when Bio meets ICC.
If it goes as planned, Bio will be Sierra Leone’s first sitting President to be roped in by an international tribunal the same way Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) brought charges against ex-Liberian President, Charles Ghankay Taylor for human rights crimes committed in Sierra Leone between 1991 and 2002.
SCSL was set up following a request by late President Ahmed Tejan Kabba to bring to justice those who bear the greatest responsibility for the crimes. The Liberian President neither committed the crimes himself nor issued orders for their commission, but aided and abetted RUF (Revolutionary United Front) fighters during the war.
September 11, 2023, protest erupted in the country’s capital, Freetown in which six people were reportedly killed with Moyeba community east of the city taking a fair share of the number of the deceased. A disabled top-up seller, Alfred Kallon was among those who crumbled under the barrel of the gun during the protest.
Fresh evidence which has however emerged showed that Kallon was in his booth when he was allegedly shot at as he was mistaken for an APC member.
Official sources however present a low casualty figure. Assistant Commissioner of Police, Brima Kamara said only two protesters were fatally injured. He made the statement during a press conference held at police headquarters a day after the protest. Unlike in the past, the police have however assured Sierra Leoneans that an investigation would be launched into the killings.
It however remained unclear whether the killers would be brought to justice since impunity is deeply ingrained in public insitutions. August 10, 2022 killings whose casualty figure is high will also take centre stage during Bio’s meeting with the prosecutor. Police’s alleged heavy-handed response to the protest took the lives of 31 Sierra Leoneans including six police officers.
Brutal murders also also allegedly took place in Makeni city in July, 2020 where 20 people, according to Honourable Catherine Zainab Trawallie, were also allegedly gunned down by the police. Tarawallie who represents one of the constituencies in Bombali district told journalists that she came to know the exact casualty figure after those arrested were released after a year of incarceration.
The killing in Makeni took place after the youth resisted the transfer of a thermal plant (electricity generator) from Makeni city to Lungi Town also in the North. As usual, government put the figure of those killed at six, but threats of a further crackdown were made in a press release issued by ex-Minister of Information and Communication now Labour Minister, Mohamed Rahman Swarray.
Tombo in Western Rural district also saw bloodbath when fishermen protested against a fishing ban imposed by government during Covid-19 outbreak in March, 2020. The ban, which according to government, was to control Covid-19 spread, did not go down well with the fishermen who saw their livelihood challenged.
The ban was later reversed after destruction of lives and property had taken place with the blame shifted to local authorities. Officials in the Fisheries Ministry claimed that they bore no hand in the ban.
Similar killings were also carried out by security forces in Lunsar town in the North following a protest put up by the youth following the closure of SL Mining by government.
Legal experts say government has no right to shut down the company whose exploitation of Iron Ore in Lunsar, PortLoko district is legal. The Number of those killed remains unknown until an investigation is mounted.
In early, 2018, a small village, Rosengbe in Tonkolili district woke up to a deafening gunshot during a joint police and military raid for Canabis, a drug outlawed by government. The entire village came under attack as dwelling houses were allegedly broken into by state security forces and valuables seen as proceeds of cannabis carted away.
Motor cycles were also allegedly stolen and a commercial motorist (okada rider) was shot dead for refusing to hand over his bike.
The then Local Unit Commander in Mile-91 Division who condemned the operation was temporally relieved of his duty, and it still remains unclear whether he has returned to active service. Arguably, the most horrific killing was the one at Pa Demba Road Correctional Centre where inmates protested one-month of incommunicado detention order issued by the Chief Justice after a suspected Covid-19 was reported.
31 inmates including a correctional officer were shot dead with accusing fingers pointed at the presidential guards at State House. Bio is expected to answer questions relating to all crimes during the ICC interview after the summit, and who will he hand over remains the biggest question.
