By: Mohamed Dauda Kamara
Sierra Leone, a country that has been stormed with security threats in recent years, would enhance a ‘stabilized security force’ from the Economic Community of West African States in the imminent months.
The Director of Defence Public Relations and Information for the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forced, Col. Idrissa Bangura said on Monday that troops from ECOWAS will be deployed in Sierra Leone to support the country’s security sectors.
In his emphatic statement, he averred that the initiative by ECOWAS is to impede any attempt to stage a coup or subvert the democratically elected President in the country, adding that the stabilization force is aimed at protecting the seating government from unconstitutional change of power.
“A sizeable force will be deployed in Sierra Leone to prevent individuals from unconstitutionally removing the seating government from power,” he emphasized.
Col. Bangura, relayed that ECOWAS has spent hugely on revamping the country’s security sectors, thus, asserting that the move is to protect the country from another war or security breach.
Few days ago, President Julius Maada Bio’s “Bullets-for-bullets” statement, faced several criticisms from the Main Opposition, All People’s Congress.
“Sierra Leone is a democratic state. So, If you want to grab power with the bullet, you will be met with the bullet,” he said.
Col. Bangura’s emphasis on the importance of the ECOWAS sizeable troops to Sierra Leone appears to have backed up President Bio’s ‘bullet-for-bullet’ statement, a statement that is described by the main opposition as “threatening.”
President Bio has made the statement last week, alleging that the main opposition members are propagating false information among the citizens that there would be a re-run of the flawed June-2023 elections based on the recommendations of the Tripartite Committee.
But President Bio’s government has been faced with the highest security breaches as a democratically elected President, coupled with more than two failed coups, prison break, insurgence and subversion.
And Col. Bangura said that the ECOWAS stabilization force would help to maintain peace and stability in the country.
