By: Fatorma Yillah
Family members in Koidu City in Kono District and friends of New site community, Hastings in the East end of Freetown, are in serious worries about the whereabouts of Abu Bakar Jalloh since he disappeared in the aftermath of the August 10, 2022 violent protest in Freetown in which disgruntled youths poured out on the streets of Sierra Leone’s capital calling for the resignation of the President, Julius Maada Bio.
Abu Bakar Jalloh, born on 1st June, 1991 and a resident of New site community Hastings was a member of the youth wing of the opposition All Peoples Congress (APC) party and was in Freetown when the protest was organized and launched.
Abu Bakar was not just a participant in that protest, he was a key organizer, representing his colleagues from Kono District. He was on the frontline of that public outcry, exercising his right to freedom of assembly and expression; rights guaranteed under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Sierra Leone is a signatory.
However, following the chaos that ensued; some of which involved looting, killing of police officers and the destruction of properties, Abu Bakar became a specific target of state persecution. Video footages captured by loyalists of the ruling Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) party implicated him as being involved in the burning of the Wellington Police Post and the Calaba Town Police Station, leading to the release of inmates.
He was initially arrested and detained at Camp Benghazi, a notorious detention and torture center operated by the Operation Support Division (OSD), an armed wing of the Sierra Leone Police. Camp Benghazi has been repeatedly criticized by local and international human rights monitors for its systemic use of torture, inhumane treatment, and arbitrary detention against civilians. Despite a brief escape from this unlawful detention, Abu Bakar Jalloh was rearrested by a special reconnaissance team reportedly led by the then Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Lahai Lawrence Leeman.
Since this rearrest, his whereabouts have remained unknown. There is a well-founded fear that his life is either at risk or has already been subjected to some king of extrajudicial action that could have resulted in his disappearance or he may have been forced to leave the country beyond his will and threatened with extermination if seen anywhere in the country.
In this circumstance, as an individual who could be possibly running for his life, it is in the estimations of family members and friends, that he could be seeking protection somewhere since there is a well-founded fear of persecution based on his political action and activism, among other grounds. In the case of Abu Bakar Jalloh, the elements of persecution are clear and existential. He is being targeted for his role in organizing a protest that called for the change of the current government.
If Abu Bakar Jalloh is alive and rearrested in Sierra Leone under any circumstances, he risks torture and inhumane treatment. His prior detention at Camp Benghazi—a recognized site of state-sponsored torture, substantiates this risk and current unknown status following his previous arrest aligns with documented patterns of state-organised disappearances perpetuated against political opponents.
In Sierra Leone there is no certainty that the state will accord Abu Bakar Jalloh due protection under the laws. The Sierra Leone security and judicial systems have historically failed to protect individuals in such situations, making internal relocation extremely difficult and impossible.
Given the circumstances, wherever Abu Bakar Jalloh may be pursuing his request for protection and seeking a dignified life, any such country should consider extending magnanimity to save his precious life.
If he happens to find himself in Europe for instance, it is hoped that Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights would be exercised to save his return to a country where there is a real risk of him being subjected to torture, inhuman or degrading treatment, or punishment or death.
The facts of Abu Bakar Jalloh’s case is not just because he is a political activist; he is a victim of state repression and a candidate for enforced disappearance. His life and freedom are in grave danger if he returns to Sierra Leone.
On August 10, 2022, Sierra Leone witnessed one of its most violent civil uprisings in recent history. The protest, primarily staged in Freetown’s eastern suburbs was fueled by mounting socio-economic hardships, public frustration, and government’s heavy-handedness. The demonstrators demanded the resignation of President Julius Maada Bio, citing issues of corruption, political intimidation, and worsening living conditions.
While the government classified the protest as a security threat, human rights organizations documented series of disproportionate responses, including summary executions, mass arrests, torture, and enforced disappearances.