The Sierra Leone Police (SLP) has issued a press release refuting allegations that former peacekeeping officers of the SLP were subjected to degrading conditions, inhumane treatment, and illegal solitary confinement at Police Headquarters.

The allegations, which have been circulated by local tabloids and on social media, also claim that the Executive Management Board (EMB) of the SLP embezzled the ex-peacekeepers’ allowances and employment benefits.

The Media and Public Relations Department (MPRD) of the Sierra Leone Police has described these claims as “deliberately false and misleading.

The SLP’s statement provides a detailed rebuttal to the accusations, clarifying the situation and outlining the facts regarding the peacekeepers’ deployment and allowances.

According to the SLP, the Government of Sierra Leone had committed to contributing police peacekeepers to missions in South Sudan, Abyei, and Somalia.

As part of this commitment, the SLP has been deploying Individual Police Officers (IPOs) and Formed Police Units (FPUs) to these missions.

The SLP has deployed five FPUs to Somalia, with the current unit being referred to as FPU-5. The allegations specifically concern FPU-4, which completed its tour of duty in Somalia in October 2023 and returned to Sierra Leone.

Upon their return, the peacekeepers were given a standard two-week time-off to spend with family and friends before resuming normal policing duties.

After this break, they were deployed to various locations across the country, including Police Headquarters, where they were engaged in regular policing duties, not solitary confinement as claimed.

The SLP also addressed claims of embezzlement by the EMB, stating that the EMB does not have access to the allowances of the peacekeepers. Instead, the African Union (AU) directly deposits the allowances into the peacekeepers’ individual foreign accounts in Sierra Leone.

While each peacekeeper has been paid for 16 months, there is an outstanding balance of two months’ allowances, which the SLP has been actively working to resolve. The AU Mission Assessment Team currently in Sierra Leone is expected to facilitate the payment of the remaining allowances soon.

The SLP emphasized that the peacekeepers’ deployment at Police Headquarters and other locations was consistent with standard procedures and that their welfare and upkeep were fully supported by the SLP management.

The press release concludes by urging the public and media to rely on verified information and to avoid spreading misleading or false claims that could undermine the integrity of the Sierra Leone Police and its operations.