A big question mark hangs on the implementation of a communique signed last Wednesday by the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and the opposition, All People’s Congress (APC).
According to an SLPP press release dated 20th October, 2023, the ruling party will submit a list of their supporters affected by political violence and intimidation under President Julius Maada Bio.
“…SLPP will prepare and share a comprehensive list of all its affected supporters to the Government of Sierra Leone for consideration. Similar lists will be prepared and submitted for consideration for other matters covered in the Agreement,” a portion of the press reads.
A senior APC politician who spoke on condition of anonymity sees the press release as a direct response to clause-4 of the peace communique which requires the ruling party to help resettle those driven from their communities by political violence and intimidation, discontinue politically motivated cases and release all those held in custody for offences relating to election and civil protest.
The peace communique states that the parties to the dialogue agree to “Support the resettlement of any political party supporters internally and externally displaced due to political intimidation, attacks and harassment informed by a list to be submitted by the APC, and other parties and considered by the government of Sierra Leone as soon as possible.”
The same clause also touches on “the discontinuation of any politically motivated cases against the APC and other parties and their supporters based on a list to be submitted by the APC and other political parties and considered by the Government of Sierra Leone.”
SLPP government is also required “to release persons arrested, detained and/or imprisoned for alleged elections and civil protest informed by a list to be submitted by the APC and other political parties and considered by the Government of Sierra Leone.”
The quoted portions of the press release shows that it is the SLPP that should resettle the internally and externally displaced, release protesters held in custody and discontinue politically motivated trials.
Recent political violence that took place before, during and after the elections shows that APC were the victims and not SLPP.
An APC official took this press back to the early days of 2018 where hundreds of APC supporters were driven from their homes in Kono district, Eastern Sierra Leone immediately SLPP was announced winner of the elections.
Many fled into the bush while hundreds sought refuge in Massingbi Town in Tonkolili district where they stayed for months and most had not returned fearing another outbreak of political violence.
Forcefully taken out of their comfort zones, life for the internally displaced APC supporters became difficult and a helping hand was needed.
The opposition leader, Dr Samura Kamara readily answered to the distress call by offering them Le50, 000, 000 (fifty million Leones) as well as food and other non-food items.
Similar incidents of political violence also took place in other parts of South-East regions with APC supporters and sympathisers on the wrong end.
SLPP’s violence against APC supporters continued throughout especially in subsequent bye-elections held ahead of June 24, 2023 elections.
Destruction of election materials at Constituency 110 in the Western Area Rural district, the shooting dead of an APC supporter in Tonko Limba Chiefdom in Kambia district, the torture of APC supporters during parliamentary bye-election in Koya Chiefdom in PortLoko district were all examples of SLPP-sponsored violence against APC supporters as no perpetrator was brought to justice.
The violence spree continues as the police and the courts fear to hold SLPP’s violent supporters accountable for fear of reprisals.
SLPP’s Political thuggery was laid bare in a run up to June-24 elections driving away many from their communities.
Just month ahead of the election, women in Pujehun district were ambushed and physically assaulted after they declared support for Massa Rogers, wife of APC’s presidential candidate, Dr Samura Kamara.
Massa Rogers hailed from Pujehun aka Wanjama, a reason for the Wanjamarian women coming to APC’s side with great hope that it was their turn for a first lady. Pujehun would have taken pride in the first wife of a President had the elections conducted freely and fairly.
But, their plans were smashed by the violence since it was extremely difficult for women to take part in an election riddled with thuggery.
Dozens of the victims, according to APC chairlady in Pujehun, were admitted at the government hospital and other community health centres in the district.
APC supporters in Bonthe, the home of President Julius Maada Bio, saw similar violence when they were attacked by SLPP supporters.
As usual, police were not neutral in handling the situation as APC Chairman in that part of the country told this press that APC members who were victims suffered double jeopardy as they were arrested and detained.
“Some APC members and supporters were released on the same day, but the APC youth leader spent the night in a police cell in Bonthe,” the APC Chairman told this press.
The attacks against APC supporters came after SLPP violently took to the street while APC was in their campaigns on their allotted day. What about the political violence suffered by APC in Bo city in the Southern Region?
The house of APC’s chairlady, Cecilia Ngobeh was torched by SLPP-backed thugs in Bo alongside four vehicles parked in the compound on the eve of June elections.
What about APC’s Public Relations Officer, Mohamed Moriba who was attacked and his house burned down? Most of those APC supporters who suffered similar attacks were yet to return to their homes.
Several past government officials are still taking refuge in foreign countries. A past senior government official, Pat Sowe is still hiding in faraway country. What about erstwhile publicity secretary, Cornelius Deveaux who escaped police brutality in the early days of SLPP government?
The former APC spokesman is taking refuge in the West African country of the Gambia, but he is sure to return home as the dialogue is about to be implemented.
Who is holding supporters of APC and other political parties in custody? It is the SLPP-led government and nobody else.
Put together, the number of protesters detained by SLPP government, reports says, amounts to over 500 as massive arrest were carried out by police during August, 2022 and September, 2023 protests against high cost of living.
Intermittent waves of arrest were conducted in Makeni, Lunsar, Tombo and Freetown by the SLPP-led government, and most remains in custody. Who is also carrying out politically motivated trials? It is only the SLPP-led government that is fuelling such cases in court.
However, some political trials have been terminated owing to want of evidence, but others still linger.
The cases of past ministers: Alfred Paolo Conteh, Dr Sylvia Olayinka Blyden, Kemo Sesay, Karmoh Kabba and others had ended while cases of other past ministers still kept alive with no one knowing when they will come to an end.
In all international reports laid hands on by this press, nowhere is it indicated that SLPP supporters were arrested, detained or killed during protests. Even the EU report contains no clause where voters were fired or teargased during voting.
Few exceptions exist only for Moyeba community where few SLPP members and supporters including a top-up seller, Alfred Kallon were gunned down by state security forces during September 11, 2023 protest out of inadvertence.
The deceased, according to reliable sources, were mistaken as as anti-SLPP protesters. A cursory look at the press release shows that the party in governance, SLPP on whom uneasy lies for wearing the crown is tacitly circumventing a major clause in the peace document.
For many, the sincere implementation is a wait-and- see affair.