Power grab in Sierra Leone has caused several protests in the streets which are moving to the ICC (International Criminal Court) at the Hague, Netherlands.
Sierra Leoneans from various parts of the world will converge at the Dutch capital next week to send a loud and clear message to the world that they are less comfortable with the current political situation back home where President Julius Maada Bio refused to go after his defeat in last month’s election.
The Dutch strike will be preceded by a demonstration in Australia due to take place on 7th, this month. As usual, Sierra Leoneans from the US, UK, Austria, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Germany among others will meet at the ICC to protest against Bio’s “illegitimate” government.
Letters of complaints, according to reliable sources, will be served to the ICC Chief prosecutor to keep him informed about atrocious human rights crimes that have taken place in Sierra Leone under Bio’s watch.
Several human rights abuses including extra-judicial killings have been committed against the people of Sierra Leone for the past five years with no sign of receding. The first killing took place in Rosengbe village in Tonkolili district during a joint police and military raid for Cannabis, a drug outlawed by law.
A commercial motorist (okada rider) was shot dead during the raid upon refusal to hand over his motor cycle to the security forces. Looting also took place: as stores and dwelling houses were broken into and valuables carted away. Security forces justified their actions saying the loot was a proceed of Canabis.
The killing did not stop in Tonkolili but spread to Makeni city in Bombali district, home of former President Ernest Bai Koroma. The relocation of 1.65kva electricity generator from Makeni city to Lungi town left six people dead in July, 2020.
But, an opposition parliamentarian representing one of the constituencies in Bombali district put the figure of casualties at 20. Honourable Zainab Catherine Tarawallie made the disclosure during the launch of the report of Makeni killings in 2021.
“All along, we thought government figure was correct, but we came to know the exact number of casualties in Makeni city when those held in prison were released,” she narrated before the launch of the report.
Killings also took place in Makeni city during August 10, 2022 protests although the exact figure is not known. The killings intensified following the “shoot-to-kill’ order issued by Northeastern Resident Minister, Abu Abu Koroma. Extra-judicial killings also were carried out in Lunsar where protesters took to the streets over government’s shutting down of the mines.
SL Mining Company which created jobs and improved livelihoods in the once arid town was arbitrarily shut down by government, a move that brought economic hardship to the town. The protesters, eye-witnesses said, were gunned down and bodies allegedly dumped in nearby streams.
A river at the outskirts of Lunsar town received most of the protesters’ remains. Unlawful killings also occurred in Tombo in the Northwestern district where fishermen protested over what many referred to as government’s illegal ban on fishing. Local authorities justified the ban calling it a Covid-19 control measure.
Some protesters were allegedly killed by police and military officials with no one knowing where the bodies were kept. Bloodbath was also seen in Freetown where close to 30 protesters were murdered by security forces not counting those extra-judicially executed by former Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Lahai Lawrence Leema.
Leema allegedly masterminded clandestine killings days after the August protest in Freetown. Little wonder that he was badly implicated by a report of the Special Investigation Committee set up by government. High cost of living was the main cause of the protest which police said was unlawful citing the Public Order Act, 1965. The law in question says anyone who wanted to protest must obtain permission from the police.
But, legal experts offered arguments to the contrary as they maintained that any protester has the right to take to the streets without police permission. Arguably, the worst killings occurred in the country’s main correctional centre on Pa Demba Road in Freetown where 31 inmates including a prison officer were allegedly murdered by guards at State House.
Unofficial sources showed a figure higher than the one put forward by government. A widely circulated audio by erstwhile SLPP Women’s leader, Fatmata Sawaneh implicated Leema, the former Chief of Defence Staff and Sawaneh herself.
Sawaneh confessed that she and the two officials were at the scene of the killings with threats that SLPP government would make Sierra Leone sour for APC members. Although their role in the massacre remains unclear, accusing fingers point at them with many Sierra Leoneans calling for investigation. Violence also took place before and during the June-24 elections.
Key APC members were attacked and killed including District Chairlady, Cecilia Ngobeh whose house was burned down by thugs linked to SLPP. Sporadic political violence was also seen in several parts of South-East especially Pujehun and Bonthe districts although the Public Elections Act, 2022 criminalises such actions.
Perpetrators however enjoy a field day because they are South-Easterners.
These are serious crimes the protesters would like the ICC to look into should they fall within their mandate.hoping for positive answers from the international community in the restoration of democracy in Sierra Leone.
The protests first started in the US and the UK
before taken to the EU parliament in the Belgian capital, Brussels, and the ICC is next.
At the EU parliament, the protesters were well received in parliament and given time to vent out their grievances.
A letter detailing the current political situation in Sierra Leone was tendered to EU parliamentarians who assured Sierra Leoneans that action would be taken against the Bio regime to put back democracy on track.
Surely, sanctions, travel ban and asset freeze will be imposed on Bio’s government by the international community if he continues to cling to power.
Monday’s protests in Belgium drew crowds from several European countries.
Those in England, US, France, Germany, Italy and others converged in Belgium to tell the international community that Bio’s government is illegitimate.
It was just slightly above a week when Sierra Leoneans in the US and the UK staged protests about Sierra Leone’s current political situation.
Protesters in London and Washington DC took similar actions almost two weeks ago.
The protest reached Downing Street, the official residence of the British Prime Minister who also received a letter from the protesters complaining about Sierra Leone’s political crisis.
Like those at the EU parliament, Downing Street protesters were also assured by the British government that action would come in months.
White House, the official residence of the US President also got a correspondence from the protesters detailing Sierra Leone’s uncertain political future if the gridlock continued, and the response was also the same.
June-24 presidential and parliamentary elections left Sierra Leone at crossroads as Bio still holds power despite evidence that he lost the elections.
APC (All People’s Congress)’s presidential candidate, Dr Samura Kamara who is widely believed to have won on a wide margin could not form a government as the incumbent candidate, Bio still holds the forte although he leads a government that is not recognised by the international community. Bio, few days ago, appointed ministers and senior officers who were approved by the one-party parliament, and these officers, will however, run the new government although isolated by the community of nations.
EU, AU and ECOWAS parliaments do not recognise Sierra Leone’s parliament until it is fixed. External Parliamentary delegations have promised to visit Sierra Leone to end the stalemate although their approach remains unclear. But, the only solution Sierra Leoneans will embrace is Bio stepping aside or holding a re-run elections.
Many see his occupation of Office of the President unconstitutional. The winner, Samura Kamara is currently being prevailed on by high profile personalities to accept the result and work with President Bio, a move he has rejected outright.
At this moment, it is clear that it is only the language of protest that the people should speak within and outside Sierra Leone. The protests will not end in London, Washington, Brussels and the Hague but will be replicated in Sierra Leone. Reliable sources have intimated this press that nationwide protests will be staged soon to ensure that ECSL (Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone) produces credible results.
Bio has six months from June to conduct fresh elections without Mohamed Kenewui Konneh who many believe that he is as an SLPP hardliner.
By his disposition, Konneh is more ‘PAOPA’ than Bio.
Protests upon protests before June elections, the people had spoken their minds against the Bio regime for quite a long time although they differed in degree.
The protests were relatively peaceful in some p parts of the country while violent in other communities.
The situation in Bo is not the same as the one in Makeni, the Northeastern capital where situation degenerated to a near all-out conflict between security forces and the protesters.
Konneh however found it difficult to understand the people’s message, one of the main factors that created the current controversy.
The dust is yet to settle on the June-24 elections as US demands investigation into alleged rigging.
The Embassy’s Spokesman, Matthew Miller says the US State Department needs a through probe of the elections.
“We call on government to institute an independent, outside investigation of the election process and integrate observer recommendations to improve the electoral modalities for future elections,” Miller said in a tweet seen by this press. The investigation, by all standards, seeks to establish the rightful winner of the elections as much attention is being focused on Dr Samura Kamara who credible entities declared winner.
NEW (National Elections Watch), a credible, umbrella body of civil society organisations specialised in election observation minced no word, in a radio interview, that Bio had lost the elections to Samura Kamara who is widely seen as the most popular candidate.
Members of the international community particularly EU spoke the same voice with NEW, and election result held by the main opposition, All People’s Congress (APC) established the party winner.
Sierra Leoneans are lost in wonders about how Konneh could fast play magic with numbers.
Konneh heads ECSL (Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone), a body charged by law to conduct all public elections in Sierra Leone.
The agency is expected to be credible in conducting elections, but its dishonesty in the June-24 elections leaves much questions than answers, a situation that warrants an investigation.
It remains unclear, at the moment, whether government will honour US’s call as President Julius Maada Bio continues appointment of ministers, deputies and heads of agencies.
Despite claims that the election is rigged, Bio insists on forming a government saying the election is free and fair, a move that puts Bio’s government at loggerheads with the international community. The UN, EU, UK, Commonwealth, AU, ECOWAS and other inter-governmental agencies are still stunned and shocked at the new form of rigging adopted by the Bio regime.
The Bastion of democracy, the US was the first to condemn Sierra Leone’s electoral process referring to it as ” stolen elections.”
Consequently, the US, in collaboration with EU has been insisting that election results be published by polling stations and districts for transparency and fairness or Sierra Leone faces harsh measures in an event of non-compliance.
If the international community go by their stance, the big riggers will not travel to EU and other countries either in their official and private capacities.
Commonwealth, AU, ECOWAS, MRU and other inter-governmental agencies are expected to resort to similar actions.
The allies have similarly issued an ultimatum to ECSL to go by the demands.
Apart from rigging, the officials may also face fraud investigations.
“Do as you are instructed; publish the 2023 election result or the EU, UN, UK, USA will probe into accounts directly or indirectly connected to 124 SLPP politicians,” the international community further warned government. In plain terms, the politicians will lose their assets if ECSL does not produce genuine the results.
The joint ultimatum emanated from EU press release issued a day after the announcement of the elections.
“The European Union Election Observation Mission calls on the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone to promptly publish the disaggregated results at polling station level to ensure transparency for public scrutiny,” a portion of the release reads.
EU which has been in Sierra Leone since May 11, this year is of the firm view that failure to release the result at such lower levels compromises transparency.
A day prior to the announcement of the election results, the EU EOM released a preliminary statement noting that reception of sensitive materials at each stage of the tabulation at regional tally centres lacked transparency. The EU EOM team could not meaningfully observe verification of the result forms for the presidential election.
It further noted that the number and type of corrections and cancellation of polling station results was neither released nor shared with party agents and citizen observers. Marked inconsistency of figures was also detected during the observation process.
“The EU EOM notes that there are statistical inconsistencies between the first and second batches of presidential results published by ECSL on 26th and 27th June respectively,” the observers pointed out. These discrepancies in the number of average valid votes per polling stations range from a decrease of 75 per cent in Kenema to an average increase of 31 per cent in Kono.
The result also showed low numbers of invalid ballots of 0.4 per cent nationwide as well as high turn out in at least three districts exceeding 95 per cent and in a further two districts going above 90 per cent. Local observers also share similar concerns. West African election observers also agree with EU findings.
In a recent press release, the West African Election Observers Network (WAEON) and West African Democracy Solidarity Network (WADSN) threw their weight behind the local observer body, National Elections Watch (NEW) in their call for free and fair elections.
“WAEON and WADSN support the call made by NEW for the ECSL to release all polling station level results in the spirit of transparency and allow for independent analysis and verification of results,” the release reads in part.
In an effort to ensure fairness and honesty in the conduct of the elections, NEW issued a statement on June 27, 2003 based on estimates from its processed results and verification for transparency. NEW made it clear that no candidate got the constitutional threshold of 55 per cent of votes cast in the first round.
NEW’s stance indicated that a runoff was unavoidable. A US-based media agency, Africanist press too condemned the electoral process which confers illegitimate authority on the new government. The media agency sees the current regime enjoying a stolen mandate. “We must also make it known that any government that is the result of a non-transparent election is one that holds a stolen mandate.
The Sierra Leonean political elites have already organised an electoral coup against the popular democratic will of the majority of Sierra Leonean votes. Similarly, main opposition, All People’s Congress (APC) does not recognise the government of the embattled President Julius Maada Bio owing to a “stolen mandate.”
APC’s Presidential candidate sees Bio’s action as a “frontal attack” to democracy. The protesters say until the electoral coup is reversed, protests will not end.