News from Kenema District, Eastern Sierra Leone confirmed that over two hundred supporters of the main Opposition All People’s Congress have fled the district looking for safe haven after being threatened by members of the ruling SLPP Government.
Our Eastern correspondent informed us that the district is presently in turmoil as supporters of the Opposition All People Congress are being targeted, molested, beaten, and left to die. There are growing concerns that the district is under siege as APC supporters are being identified by SLPP supporters. Reports are that over five APC supporters have been killed through mob justice whilst a good number of them have fled to the bush in fear of being killed or burnt alive. Foday Wularay, a prominent APC Youth in the district has been declared wanted by SLPP supporters. His crime according to sources he was among those critiquing the SLPP-led government of President Julius Maada Bio. Wularay is on also on record as having been involved in many APC rallies within the district an act considered a challenge to the SLPP especially when Kenema District is the stronghold of the SLPP.
Since the announcement of the June 24 election when President Julius Maada Bio was declared president-elect, supporters of the Opposition APC have not enjoyed peace. There is rising tension in other areas in the southeast as APC supporters are being chased out of the districts. In Sierra Leone, the northwest is the stronghold of the Opposition APC while the east is the stronghold of the SLPP. The country has been divided by regional and tribal lines, a very dangerous situation brewing war.
Police Officers have always remained biased in support of the government of the day. Sierra Leone political system does not favor opposition parties as there are good number of opposition supporters in police detention centres across the country.
Sierra Leone is now divided into tribal and regional lines as even civil society organizations who are expected to speak on behalf of the people will prefer to support the ruling government on the basis of tribal and regional lines. This has adversely affected the country’s political system as the APC which is the biggest opposition party has refused to work with the ruling government demanding a rerun of the June 24 polls.
Some of those APC supporters who were even born in the District, are said to have fled to either the city of Freetown or to neighboring countries to avoid attacks by SLPP members who are angry that their party was voted against.
This press was privileged to speak to some of those APC supporters who were in hiding and they explained that after the elections they faced many threats which made them fear for their lives.
A young businessman told this press that his shop was ransacked by irate youths of the SLPP who pretended it to be a robbery.
“I am very afraid now for myself and members of my family,” he told this press. “I fear that they may just go for my life”.
The police, on the other hand, treat such cases lightly because they are afraid of prosecuting members of the ruling government.
