A communique which has seemingly laid to rest post-election stand off may implicate several officials of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP).
Ministers and SLPP operatives who played key role in masterminding extra-judicial killings should be spending sleepless nights as the dawn of justice is close by.
The peace document has laid a solid foundation for justice in the not-too-distant future as Resolution-4 requires government to release all those kept in police and prison cells in respect of offences relating to election and protest.
“The parties to the dialogue agree to release persons arrested, detained and imprisoned for alleged election and civil protest informed by a list to be submitted by the APC (All People’s Congress) and other political parties and considered by the Government of Sierra Leone,” a portion of the Communique reads.
This resolution alone could rope in SLPP for crimes against humanity as suspicion of disappearances and mass murders continue to mount.
What about a situation in which a list of one 500 (five hundred) detainees is submitted and 300 (three hundred) come out? Will such a situation not warrant investigation of government to give account of others suspected to have disappeared.
It happened three years ago when government’s list of suspects released from police custody show that 14 were missing, an act that shocked residents in Makeni city in Bombali district in the Northern region.
In July 2020, youth in Makeni were arrested and detained during a resistance to the relocation of an electricity generator to other part of the country.
They spent almost a year in prison before they eventually see the light of day. Zainab Catherine Tarawallie, a member of parliament representing one of the constituencies in Bombali district too was taken aback by the small number of people that walked out of police and prison custody.
The member of parliament was expecting a higher number. Honourable Tarawallie made the allegation during the launch of a report titled: ‘Youth Disenfranchisement and Protest in Sierra Leone’ authored by a former human rights campaigner, Valnora Edwin.
Although the female parliamentarian declined to show the exact number of those released, those who remained unaccounted four could go up to 14.
An instance of Secret killing also was detected when accused persons fail to show up in respect of several case files announced in a magistrate court in Freetown following the Pademba Road prison massacre in April, 2020.
An atmosphere of sorrow hanged on the Court as attendees’ minds went back to a shoot-out at the prison yard which claimed the lives of 31 inmates including a police officer.
Throughout his five-year rule, Bio’s government has been grappling with allegations of playing magic with casualty figures after state-sponsored killings with the aim of evading justice in the near future.
Accusing fingers however continue to point at sacked Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Lahai Lawrence Leema for most of the killings that have place under Bio’s watch.
The former minister allegedly carried out overt and covert killings at any time the opportunity arose with the August 10, 2022 being the most opportuned moment.
Backed up by a contingent of well-armed soldiers, Leema allegedly extra-judicially executed several Sierra Leoneans who committed no crime. Most, according to sources were extracted from their bedrooms and shot dead.
He was also accused of heightening tension in the country during the protest as he targetted facilities belonging to the APC.
Allegation of burning down APC’s most popular ‘Ataya’ base in Eastern Freetown continue to hunt him even after he has been dropped out of government.
As he did away with most of the most atrocious crimes he committed, the ex-minister developed a false sense of immunity failing to realise that it was impunity to the core.
Towards June24 election, Leema was bold enough to warn the people of Sierra Leone not to stand on their way or face dangerous consequences.
“We will crush anyone who stand on our way during the election,” Lahai Leema would threaten and intimidate the people of Sierra Leone especially those in the North-West regions, strongholds of the APC.
Little wonder that he was left out of Bio’s government after the elections fearing that he would repeat the same action. Suspicion of organ harvesting from the remains of those shot dead by state security forces was also raised in the aftermath of August demonstrations since government did not hand over the accused’s remains for befitting burials.
Armed guards were deployed at the cemetery to keep guard so that no one could remove any of the remains.
It remains unclear whether those buried were actual corpses, and to date, the doubt remains except a future investigation laid the facts bare.
Several arrest were also carried out in Lunsar town, in the Northern region, with some later released, but many say it was the exact number.
However, few stakeholders including Professor Umar Kamara came out after the ordeal at Pademba Road prison not counting those who perished under the barrel of the gun.
The arrest in Lunsar town came after youth took to the street to ensure the release of a councillor who was held in custody allegedly on the Paramount Chief’s order.
The worsening economic hardship after the illegal closure of mines in once a prosperous town was also one of the contributing factors to the protest in the Iron Ore rich town.
Tombo Fishing community in the Western Rural also saw similar waves of arrest and detention at Pademba Road in Freetown. The detainees were later released, but some were also allegedly missing whether during the protest or while in detention.
Those arrested during September-11 protest in Freetown also faced similar situation as police confirmed that dozens were arrested, charged and standing trial in several magistrate courts in Freetown.
Harsh prison conditions also contributed to the inmates’ precarious situation. Recurrent human rights report especially those from the US State Department present gore details about dangerous conditions in police and prison cells.
Detainees’ complaints from a notorious detention camp known as Benghazi do not stray too far from rape, sexual harassment and slavery against lock ups and custody officers.
The camp was established as a detention centre for hard core criminals especially armed robbers, but ordinary protesters especially women and girls could be held therein.
The people of Sierra Leone would get the exact truth when APC submitted the list of detainees, but a sell-out would also the keep the heads of the killers and cannibals above water.
However, they would not run away from the long arm of international law. No matter how long the night, the day will surely will come, and it is the day of reckoning in which no killer will have a field day as the screws would be tightened.