SLAM-Global Expresses Concern over the Status of Political Detainees in Sierra Leone – Press Statement August 13, 2024

The attention of members of the Sierra Leone Advocacy Movement-Global Ltd. (SLAM-Global) is yet again drawn to unfolding developments in the political spectrum in our beloved nation, with particular reference to the status and fate of Political Detainees and Prisoners. As the General Public, International Community and Development Partners of Sierra Leone are aware, Article 4, Clause A of the Agreement for National Unity, developed from the Mandated Dialogue between the Government of Sierra Leone and the All Peoples Congress (APC) Party signed on October 18, 2023, states as follows: “Release of any 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)”.

In line with the above provision, as per available information, the APC Party submitted details of 318 of such detainees/prisoners to the Government of Sierra Leone, requesting their release. We are therefore deeply concerned over a recent tweet by the Chief Minister, David Moinina Sengeh, on the status of the said detainees/prisoners, which we are reproducing here for ease of reference: “Out of 318 names submitted by the APC for Resolution 4, only 15 are confirmed to be in custody – the rest either escaped during the Nov 26 failed coup, or have served jail terms, paid fines and released based on orders of the courts, 51 were never in custody & 9 were duplicated”.

What is more worrying is the silence of the Opposition Parties whose members/supporters were involved, our Moral Guarantors, and Civil Society in Sierra Leone, over such a sensitive and concerning issue that is being trivialised by the Government of Sierra Leone, through a tweet by its most Senior Cabinet Minister. SLAM-Global is hereby reminding Mr Julius Maada Bio and his Government that it is their responsibility to protect our defenseless compatriots under their custody, therefore we would not entertain flimsy excuses for their unavailability like those advanced by their Chief Minister, through his tweet.

We are particularly reminding them about the UN Universal Declarations on Human Rights of 1948, which provides for the “sanctity of life, and the right to life as an inalienable human rights guaranteed for every human being on the surface of Planet Earth” Mr Julius Maada Bio and his Government are also being reminded that since 1948 there have been comprehensive International Treaties on Human Rights that encapsulated the right to life. They included:

• UN International Covenant on Political and Civil Rights 1966; · UN International Covenant on Economic and Social Life 1966; · European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms 1950; · AU Charter on Human and People’s Rights 1984; · ECOWAS Protocol A/SP1/12/01 on Democracy and Good Governance Supplementary to the Protocol relating to the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peace Building and Security 2001; · Constitution of Sierra Leone (Act No. 6) of 1991 (as amended); · Human Rights Commission (Act No. 9) of 2004; etc. With these avalanches of National and International Instruments on Human Rights, SLAM-Global will not leave any stone unturned in our fight for accountability and justice for the fate of our defenseless compatriots that are under the custody of Mr Julius Maada Bio and his Government. (Photo: Maada Bio is evil).

It is certain that those 318 incarcerated citizens may have been caught by the State security apparatuses for the cause, and in the course of exercising their inalienable Civil Liberties and Human Rights, namely their: · Right to Assembly; and · Right to Protest. It is worth noting, at this juncture, that it was not by mistake that the Drafters of our referred Agreement for National Unity made provision for the “release of any persons arrested, detained, and/or imprisoned for alleged elections and civil protest”. It is therefore not acceptable that the Chief Minister would in a flimsy tweet inform the public that they could only account for 15 out the 318 names submitted by the APC Party.

This controversy is even compounded by the notorious “Pademba Road Massacre”, masterminded by known Senior Officials of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), (most of whom have been compensated with higher State appointments), when defenseless prisoners were mercilessly killed by State security personnel and buried in mass graves. In view of the above, SLAM-Global and well-meaning Sierra Leoneans are, in addition to our advocacy for the administration of “Electoral Justice” in Sierra Leone, calling on Mr Julius Maada Bio and his Government to accurately account for the status and fate of our compatriots that are under their custody, failing which, we would seek redress from the appropriate Institutional Bodies and Institutions.

SIGNED

Dr. Alfred A Veenod Fullah DIRECTOR-GENERAL

Cc:

• Brian Forni, Vice President, Congressional and Public Affairs
• The Rt. Hon Patricia Scotland, Commonwealth Secretary-General
• The Secretary of State, United States Department of States
• Karim Ahmad Khan, Chief Prosecutor, International Criminal Court (ICC)
• Richard YOUNG, Chief de Division, Afrique de l’Ouest
• Ms. Ursula Von Der Lyen, European Commissioner
• The United Nations Representative in Sierra Leone
• The Chief Executive Officer, Carter Center
• Justice Keith Sullivan
• H. E. Bola Tinubu, President of Nigeria & Chairman of ECOWAS
• H. E. Oumar Touray, President of ECOWAS Commission
• Madam Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang, former VP of The Gambia
• Nana Akufo Addo, President of Ghana
• H. E. Bassiru Faye, President of Senegal
• H. E. Mamadi Doumbouya, President of Guinea
• H. E. Joseph Boakai, President of Liberia
• David W. D. Cameron, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth & Dev Affairs, UK
• Ms. Ursula Von Der Lyen, European Commissioner
• The Rt. Hon. Andrew Mitchell, British Minister responsible for Africa
• Lynn Brown, Shadow Minister for Africa, UK
• Neil Alan John Coyle, MP for Bermondsey & Old Southwark, UK
• Ambassador Aly Diallo, Ambassador of the Republic of Guinea to the UK&I
• H. E. Cyprian Terseer Heen, Acting Ambassador of the Nigeria High Comm. in the UK&I
• British High Commissioner to Sierra Leone
• Head of the European Union Delegation in Sierra Leone
• General Consul of Canada in Sierra Leone
• Ambassador of China to Sierra Leone
• Ambassador of Germany to Sierra Leone
• Ambassador of Lebanon to Sierra Leone
• Ambassador of Iran to Sierra Leone
• Ambassador of Brazil to Sierra Leone
• Ambassador of Sweden to Sierra Leone
• Ambassador of Iran to Sierra Leone
• Ambassador of Cuba to Sierra Leone
• Ambassador of Libya to Sierra Leone
• Ambassador of Egypt to Sierra Leone
• Ambassador of Cuba to Sierra Leone
• Ambassador of Guinea to Sierra Leone
• Ambassador of Liberia to Sierra Leone
• High Commissioner of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to Sierra Leone
• High Commissioner of Ghana to Sierra Leone
• General Consul of Italy in Sierra Leone
• Honorary Consul-General of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in Sierra Leone
• Honorary Consul-General of Ireland in Sierra Leone
• Honorary Consul-General of Japan in Sierra Leone
• Honorary Consul-General of India to Sierra Leone
• Honorary Consul of Senegal to Sierra Leone
• Honorary Consul of Switzerland in Sierra Leone
• Honorary Consul of Syria in Sierra Leone
• Honorary Consul of Turkey in Sierra Leone
• Honorary Consul of Mali in Sierra Leone
• Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Sierra Leone
• Honorary Consul of Romania in Sierra Leone
• Honorary Consul of Norway in Sierra Leone
• Honorary Consul of Hungary in Sierra Leone
• Honorary Consul of France in Sierra Leone
• Honorary Consul of Belgium in Sierra Leone
• Honorary Consul of Spain in Sierra Leone
• Honorary Consul of Serbia in Sierra Leone
• Honorary Consul of Austria in Sierra Leone
• Honorary Consul of Denmark in Sierra Leone
• Honorary Consul of Russia in Sierra Leone
• Honorary Consul of Pakistan to Sierra Leone
• Honorary Consul of Malaysia in Sierra Leone
• Honorary Consul of South Africa in Sierra Leone