For stealing the people’s votes in the June 24, 2023 elections, United States has commenced tough action on Sierra Leonean authorities.
Highly placed and specific government officials including President Julius Maada Bio will not travel to the United States owing to an indefinite visa restriction announced by US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken in a press release dated August 31, 2023.
“Today, I am announcing a new visa restriction policy…for undermining the democratic process in the June 23 Sierra Leone election. Under this policy, the United States will pursue visa restrictions for those believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining democracy in Sierra Leone including through the manipulation or rigging of the electoral processes,” a portion of the press release reads. Any government official who plays key role in election rigging before, during and after elections will be stopped from entering the United States and their family members too might be affected by the ban.
The ban comes a little over two months after President Bio’s false declaration as winner of the June polls by the Chief Electoral Commissioner, Mohamed Kenewui Konneh.
The United States also sees the intimidation of voters and election observers as well civil society organisations by way of threats and acts of physical violence as part of rigging.
Under the new ban, the United States Embassy in Sierra Leone will not honour any visa application by specific government official in Sierra Leone.
However, junior government officials and ordinary Sierra Leoneans can travel to the United States as the ban is not directed at them.
The decision reflects US’s commitment Sierra Leoneans’ aspirations for free and fair elections that demonstrate the will of the people, democracy and the rule of law. However, the State Department is yet to publish names of government officials barred from entering the United States, and Sierra Leoneans are also eager to know when the ban will commence.