The bombshell will continue as the travel ban on Maada Bio and family members of the illegal SLPP regime are just the beginning of sanctions. The state institutions in Sierra Leone are next in line to face an embargo. These state-captured institutions, still under the total influence of Maada Bio, are the worst enemies of the state in the last five years of the Bio presidency. It is therefore no surprise that the US government is planning to impose more punitive sanctions on these state-controlled institutions, that have betrayed the trust of Sierra Leoneans. Sierra Leoneans would welcome further sanctions on this corrupt SLPP regime. (Photo: Secretary of State Antony Blinken).

Most citizens would never forgive the conspicuous silence of the state institutions despite the innumerable violence committed by the Bio brutal agents. These state institutions or moral guarantors are supposed to protect the people. State institutions like the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone ECSL, the Political Parties Regulation Commission PPRC, the Statistics Sierra Leone, the National Civil Registration Authority NCRA, the Judiciary, the Police, the Military, the Office of National Security ONS, Traditional Chiefs, Religious Bodies, most of the Civil Society Organisations CSOs and most of the Media Houses and so on, will not be allowed to go scot-free.

“These corrupt moral guarantors has let us down big time. Their only interest is in promoting the Bio violent agenda,” a resident in Freetown noted. A few hours after the travel ban was imposed on targeted individuals namely the SLPP government officials and their family members for undermining the democratic process in Sierra Leone, the United States is poised to further sanction state institutions that played a pivotal role in propping up the Bio presidency and lastly for undermining June 24, 2023, general and presidential elections. Diplomatic sources say the US will not only target individuals, but they will also make sure state institutions found wanting will face the music.

The heads of the above-mentioned state institutions would be targeted as well as the institutions themselves because almost all of these institutions are not independent and apparently not interested in the people. This is because they have been sponsored financially by Maada Bio since April 4, 2018, when he came to power. Sources say the police and military will face the brunt in terms of peacekeeping missions abroad. The imminent United States embargo will make sure police officers and army personnel do not go overseas for any peacekeeping missions in the future. More details are as follows – (Photo: Maada Bio is under serious pressure).

Sierra Leone: US Considering Further Actions After Visa Ban – Embassy Spokeswoman

By Mano Reporters

The United States is considering further actions beyond just visa restrictions against people deemed responsible for elections-related malpractices in Sierra Leone, a State Department spokeswoman said on Friday. Sarah Van Horne, the head of Public Affairs at the US Embassy in Freetown, said that US officials were looking at other actions geared towards keeping to its commitment to upholding democracy in the country. She was speaking to the local press a day after US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced a policy targeting officials the US government believes were responsible for allegedly manipulating the results of the June 2023 elections or engaging in intimidation and threats of violence against voters, elections observers, and civil society activists.

“This is not a change of what we are saying… We are still concerned about the election process and vote tabulation. What we are saying is the same thing,” Ms Van Horne said in the virtual presser, in response to a question suggesting a change of tone in the statement from mere concerns about transparency in the electoral process to alleged rigging of the outcome. The June 24 elections were mainly a two-horse race between the incumbent Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC). The APC believes the process was rigged and it holds ECSL chairman Mohamed Konneh responsible and accused him of conniving with incumbent President Bio to declare him winner in the first round with 56.17 percent of the votes, ahead of APC’s Samura Kamara’s 41.17 percent.

The opposition party has ordered its elected members to stay away from taking their seats in parliament and local councils as part of its policy of non-participation in the governance process of the country until its demands are met, including the re-run of the election. APC invited Western countries to impose sanctions on the President and members of his government to pressure them to heed to its demands. Thursday’s announcement was therefore hailed by opposition supporters and their sympathizers, who see the US move as heeding that call. However, Secretary Blinken, in the statement, didn’t mention the names of individuals targeted. And Ms Van Horne declined to comment on this on Friday, insisting that it’s in line with the US government’s policy not to disclose the visa status of individuals. She also declined to comment directly on questions requiring clarification about whether the sanctions are meant for government officials or whether opposition supporters accused of involvement in violence and intimidation could also face sanctions. She however stressed that the move wasn’t directed at the Sierra Leonean people.

Courtesy: manoreporters.com