SLAM has reminded everyone that electoral justice is the wish of most Sierra Leoneans. SLAM believes electoral justice is unstoppable and the only solution to prevent another war in Sierra Leone. Also, the suffering people of the country, who are in the majority, want electoral justice now. “Give Caesar what is due Caesar,” are the words of the disgruntled citizens reminding the international stakeholders to restore democracy by respecting the peoples’ mandate of June 24, 2023 multi-tier elections. (Photo: Dr Veenod Fullah, the chairman of SLAM – Global).

Everyone, including the national and international elections observers said the incumbent Julius Maada Bio did not win the June 24 elections. The observers from ECOWAS, African Union, European Union, UK, US, Ireland, Carter Center, National Elections Watch NEW concluded that the elections were not fair, not free, not credible, not transparent, not accountable and not peaceful. And because of the fraudulent elections and the bad blood that followed, the Peace and National Unity Dialogue was held on October 18 last year that produced the Communique, which in turn, born the Tripartite.

That was before the APC rightly decided not to petition the results at the SLPP Supreme Court because of the rife-corruption embedded in the judiciary. The Tripartite has probed the elections for six months now. As the June 29, 2024 deadline nears for the Tripartite Investigations Committee to make public its much anticipated recommendations, every Sierra Leonean is waiting in bated breath for the outcome. And SLAM – Global is not an exception prompting them to release a strong press statement to inform the internal and external stakeholders about the dire and urgent need to resolve the electoral impasse peacefully and justly and on time.

Sierra Leoneans say the Tripartite is not only about peace. It is about electoral justice. Voters want to know the truth about who won the June 24, 2023 elections. Observers believe reviewing the electoral laws is good but without electoral justice, the reviews or reforms are useless. Elections had happened before but no Tripartite investigations had been conducted as it is happening today. The international community should know that the country needs electoral justice to prevent another bloody war. Below is the press statement by SLAM – Global. It is as follows – (Photo: US Ambassador David Hunt flanked by Dr Samura Kamara, right, and Alhaji Minkailu Mansaray. Dr Keifala Marah, left is the APC Co-Chair).

SLAM – Global PRESS RELEASE

Members of the Sierra Leone Advocacy Movement (SLAM), an advocacy movement of like-minded Sierra Leoneans, yearning for the socio-economic and political development of our beloved nation where justice, the rule of law, democracy and respect for the fundamental human rights of our compatriots prevail, would like to thank the International Community, Development Partners and Friends of Sierra Leone, especially those that have championed the cause of resolving the political impasse following the rigged multi-tier elections of June 24, 2023, which Local and International Observers widely described as “lacking transparency and accountability”.

We are most grateful for your collective efforts towards sending the many International Observers to oversee the referred elections of June 24, 2023, as well as your invaluable assistance/support and role in ending the 11-year brutal civil war in Sierra Leone that claimed over 50,000 lives, including foreign troops that fought alongside our local forces. Sadly however, most of the principal perpetrators of that brutal war, including the “de facto president”, Mr Julius Maada Bio, are illegally wielding political power in our beloved nation, to the painful dissatisfaction of the majority of our compatriots.

As you are aware, the work of the Tripartite Committee, established by the October 18, 2023 Communiqué, signed by the De facto Government of Sierra Leone and the opposition All Peoples Congress Party, witnessed by the International Community (the Commonwealth, African Union and ECOWAS), with a mandate, amongst others, to investigate the June 24, 2023 elections in Sierra Leone, was originally scheduled to complete its work and submit a comprehensive report on June 19, 2024. That deadline has painfully, but understandably, been extended to June 29, 2024. (Photo: ECSL Chairman Mohamed Konneh, left, and Maada Bio).

As provided for in the signed communiqué, the expected recommendations of the Tripartite Committee “SHALL BE IMPLEMENTABLE AND ACTIONABLE”. Learning from the difficult history in restoring and maintaining democracy, peace and stability in Sierra Leone and the sub-region, we believe that you, as MORAL GUARANTORS, must be on Standby to ensure FORCEFUL COMPLIANCE, if required. Drawing from recent developments in the sub-region, the former President of Ivory Coast, Koudou Laurent Gbagbo, had to be removed from power by an International Force after he lost elections in 2011.

This was to prevent a further humanitarian disaster after an estimated number of over 1500 people had been killed and over a million displaced in Abidjan alone. Former President of The Gambia, Yahya Jammeh, only left power in January 2017 when he lost elections after realising that an internationally backed ECOMOG standby force was ready to remove him should he fail to hand over power peacefully, thus securing the peace and security of The Gambia and the sub-region at that time.

We are certain that the citizens of Sierra Leone and, by extension, West Africa will be put off from voting in the future should we have anything short of “ELECTORAL JUSTICE” and the restoration of true democracy in Sierra Leone. We therefore trust that you will ensure that one of their fundamental human rights, expressed in their votes on June 24, 2023, is protected and would be something meaningful to them. (Photo: Foreign stakeholders in Freetown).

What is worth noting at this juncture is the level of patience that the Presidential Candidate of the APC Party, Dr Samura Mathew Wilson Kamara, has displayed, even at the expense of his personal dignity/respect and threat to his own life and those of his party members and compatriots, coupled with the unshaken confidence/trust that he, his political party and majority of the people of Sierra Leone placed on the International Community. In view of that, anything less than the “ELECTORAL JUSTICE” that we are genuinely expecting and rightfully advocating for will be a disservice to our nation and a blatant betrayal of confidence and deception by the International Community.

With the escalating economic crises, relentless incarceration of political opponents and human rights abuses by the “De facto Government” of Mr Julius Maada Bio, and with ex-combatants amassed across the borders of Sierra Leone, we fear a return to civil war, if appropriate action is not taken. In our view therefore, it will be cheaper in monetary terms, as well as the potential cost to human life and suffering to have a standby force to ensure, as per the signed communiqué and the Terms of Reference of the Tripartite Committee, that the recommendations be fully actioned and implemented.

Please note, with serious concern, the worrisome pronouncements and inciteful messages trending in our motherland and its borders. Whilst Dr Samura M W Kamara is advocating for “ELECTORAL JUSTICE”, citing provisions of the TRUTH & RECONCILIATION COMMISSION, established after the brutal 11 years civil war in Sierra Leone, as a guiding principle, Mr Julius Maada Bio is threatening “BULLET FOR BULLET”, boldly/publicly emphasising his determination to annihilate anyone that has left the country and attempting to return, contrary to “CLAUSE 4c” of the signed Communiqué that made provision for “supporting the resettlement of any political party supporters internally and externally displaced because of political intimidation, attacks and harassment…”

In light of the above, we call on the International Community, Development Partners and Friends of Sierra Leone to ensure “ELECTORAL JUSTICE” in our beloved nation, and to be proactive in fully supporting a contingency plan by way of a standby force to secure the peace, as well as ensuring that the freedom of expression and the rights of citizens to protest are upheld, should the need arises. This will guarantee stability and prevent any potential humanitarian disaster and civil conflict in Sierra Leone that would have a ripple effect in the sub-region. A stitch in time… (Maada and the foreign delegates in Freetown).

For and on behalf of SLAM-Global Members

SIGNED

Dr. Alfred A Veenod Fullah

CHAIRMAN

CC:

• Commonwealth Secretary-General
• The United Nations Representative in Sierra Leone
• E Bola Tinubu, President of Nigeria & Chairman of ECOWAS
• E Oumar Touray, President of ECOWAS Commission
• Madam Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang, former VP of The Gambia
• Nana Akufo Addo, President of Ghana
• E Bassiru Faye, President of Senegal
• E Mamadi Doumbouya, President of Guinea
• E Joseph Boakai, President of Liberia
• Ambassador of the USA to Sierra Leone
• 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
• Honorary Consul of Guinea-Bissau in Sierra Leone
• Vice Consul of Greece in Sierra Leone