PRESS RELEASE:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:C4D CONDEMNS THE SPATE OF VIOLENCE, KILLINGS AND DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY IN SIERRA LEONE

Freetown, Thursday, 11^thAugust2022, Citizen’s Forum for Democratic Accountability (herein after referred to as C4D) has closely followed the magnitude of violence that erupted across the Country and the brutal killing perpetrated by both security personnel and protest on Wednesday10^th August2022.

According to reports, the Sierra Leone Police crackdown on peaceful protesters to foil the peaceful protest or demonstration from expressing their frustration over the high cost of living and bad governance but eventually, the peaceful protests degenerated commotions and disturbance in Freetown, Makeni and Kamakwie leaving behind over 15 Sierra Leoneans murdered in cold blood, including security personnel and protesters.

In the service of democracy and good governance in tandem with our commitment towards account ability and national cohesion, C4D calls on the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL), the Sierra Leone Police (SLP), the people of Sierra Leone and the International Community to note the following:

1. C4D expresses concerns over the spate of violence, the breakdown of law and order and the cataclysm mic consequences of loss of lives and property in the country on the part of the security sector and civilians on August10th, 2022.

2. C4D also shed eye brows on the continued spate of violence against peaceful protesters and innocent civilians in the country in recent times and condemns the outcome of the protests, the perpetration of violence and the imperfections of the police and protesters to strike a balance of tolerance, peace and security in the country.

3. C4D calls on all Sierra Leoneans, more particularly protesters, security personnel and political loyalists to restrain from the spate of violence, incitements, tribal and regional ranting in the country and at the same time, exercise calmness, control emotions, suppress grievances, imbibe the spirit of tolerance, love and respect for one another.

4. C4D also urges the Government of Sierra Leone and security forces to employ dialogue as a way to sway protesters not to always protest in place of using repressive measures to forestall them, since protests are fundamental for human rights and electoral democracy where minority groups use voice to demand accountability and express their grievances peacefully, as and when necessary. Protests revital and corrective to majority rule.

5. C4D calls on the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) to be professional enough to control protests, desist from the use of arms against unarmed peaceful protesters and civilians, control emotions and refrained from divided loyalty and being used by politicians as political lanterns and stooges. The security sector should not lose sight of the fact that their loyalty is to the state and not to individuals.

6. C4D calls on protesters not to take the law in to their hands but to be law-abiding and desist from disorderly behavior and at the same time call on all to resist being used by politicians as political stooges and as means to an end.

7. C4D considers the imposed curfew as timely but should not outlive its usefulness in it contravenes Section 29 of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone, Act No. 6 of 1991.

8. C4Dis appealing to His Excellency, the President and Commander–In–Chief of the Armed Forces, to expedite the restoration of peace and security and kindly address the nation at a time like this when the nation is caught in a web of crisis due to the high cost of living and the recent impasse in the country.

9. C4D is worried over the shutdown of the internet yesterday during the crisis and condemn the authorities concerned to desist from depriving the public to access the internet and exercise the rights to freedom of expression and opinion and other fundamental rights within the ambit of the law.

10. C4D appreciates the government for briefing the International Community on the mishaps and the contributions they made shows that they are not oblivious of the situation in the country.

11. C4D commends the intervention of RSLAF and shows professionalism in dealing with peaceful protesters at one point in time for which were impressed.

12. C4D holds the view that the International Community has done very little or nothing to salvage the situation and for which the roof leaks more than ever, even though Sierra Leone is as a sovereign state, your timely intervention could have contributed to averting the crisis through diplomacy due to and bargaining for which bilateral and multilateral relations are created.

Given the above, C4D thinks that the situation could not have deteriorated into chaos and loss of lives and properties had the government not underrated the protest; the police restrained themselves from repression and displayed professionalism in handling protests, and if protesters had not lost their emotions and took the law into their hands, but for the failings of both security personnel and protesters the situation slipped into aggression, resulting to the loss of lives and property in addition to many lives lost in recent times. A situation that has compelled Sierra Leoneans to jog their memories of the anguishes, savagery and barbaric nature of the 11 years civil war that caught the country in a web of quagmire and left thousands of Sierra Leoneans killed and maimed with impunity.

To this end, Sierra Leoneans should endeavor to embrace national cohesion and be mindful that our similarities far supersede our differences and our differences can be better reconciled when we have love, tolerance and respect for one another.

/Ends

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Issued by: Citizens Forum for Democratic Accountability (C4D)

Contact: Marcus A. Bangura, Founder and Executive Director

Email:citizens.c4d@gmail.com/marcusbangus.bangura@gmail.com

Mob: +23276891538/+23231891538