The Security Sector of Sierra Leone has warned that effectively anyone who is confirmed to have recorded, shared and forwarded any tribal or hate message directed against any individual or ethnic group will be committing an offence, and will therefore face the full force of the law.

The Security Sector made this stern warnings in a press release issued on Saturday 18 June 2022.

According to the Security Sector, they are appalled by the growing spate of tribal and hate messages on social media directed against certain ethnic groups of Sierra Leone.

“The Security Sector believes such disgusting development could potentially undermine the peace and integrity of a country that not too long emerged from a brutal civil conflict,” the sector noted.

The Security Sector further stated that the idea of some ill-motivated Sierra Leoneans at home and abroad using social media to record and circulate tribal messages against certain ethnic groups is self-serving, unlawful, counterproductive and not representative of our collective heritage.

According to Security Sector, whilst they recognize freedom of speech as a fundamental human right of every citizen, blatantly and maliciously defaming the image of any other individual and/or ethnic group does not fall within the realm of human rights and is in fact deviant.

“The Security Sector wishes to inform all and sundry that effective immediately, anyone who is confirmed to have recorded, shared and forwarded any tribal or hate message directed against any individual or ethnic group will be committing an offence, and will therefore face the full force of the law,” they noted.

“The Security Sector wants the general public to rest assured that it is committed to providing professional security services for all Sierra Leoneans, including the maintenance of law and order in the country at all times,” the Security Sector concluded.