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Concerned Sierra Leoneans (CSL), has called on the government of Sierra Leone to step up and take disciplinary action against ministers, government officials, and political party stalwarts to stop the perpetration of violence against members of the public.
In particular, the matter of Mr Ismael Yillah, who unlawfully, through words, apprehended violence against the people of his constituency, causing fear and intimidation.
The CSL urge the government to speedily launch an immediate investigation into the alleged unlawful arrest and detention of the school pupils/Scouts that have caused the alleged death of some of the detained scouts.
They further reiterate their call for the release of Mohamed Kamaraimba Mansaray and demand a speedy trial in his alleged rape case.
“Justice denied anywhere diminishes justice everywhere in the world/Sierra Leone. Justice discriminates according to merit and relevant excellence. Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob, arbitrarily arrest, unlawfully detain, and degrade them through false allegations of corruption, neither people nor property will be safe in our nation” they stated.
CSL further stated, “In another development, as we watch events unfold in the alleged and/or trumped-up corruption charges of Dr Mathew Wilson Kamara, we are saddened to see again that the ideals on which our society is founded are far from the reality of many people’s lives, encapsulating the weak evidence before the court in that regard, which goes without saying that if there is no evidence that the crime alleged has been committed by D, there is no difficulty. The judge will stop the case (see Galbraith test)”
They added that this consternation about human rights violations may tend to escalate. While so many members of their community are not heard or treated fairly, the lack of price control on basic food items, as well as the unbearable living conditions for many, necessitates a change in government strategy.
They also caution the government on the issue of the re-denomination of the Leone currency, stating that several factors, both national and international, will play against the appreciation of the new Leone. They said, considering all these issues, this is not the right time to introduce the new Leones. They therefore warn against its introduction.
Going further, the CSL implore the attention of the international community, human rights defenders, and the moral guarantors to keep engaging the government of President Bio to de-escalate the tension, as general elections are fast approaching.
They ended by condemning violence and human rights violations and announced that their delegation will be meeting with the ICC prosecutors in the Hague in a few weeks.
