APC Reacts to Alleged Attacks on Supporters, Party Offices in the South-East

The All People’s Congress (APC) Party has issued a press release denouncing the continuous and unprovoked attacks on its supporters and party offices in the Southern and Eastern provinces of Sierra Leone.

The party also reported the burning down of their party office in Bo on June 19th, 2023, allegedly by supporters of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP).

The APC Party has expressed grave concern over the escalating violence and has brought the matter to the attention of President Julius Maada Bio, the Sierra Leone Police, the Political Parties Regulation Commission, the Peace Commission, international development partners, the Inter-Religious Council, election observers, and the general public.

According to the press release, the APC Party has previously reported numerous attacks on its supporters, resulting in severe injuries and forced displacement. Party offices in Kailahun, Bonthe, and Pujehun have been vandalized, and the situation has worsened in the past two days, particularly in Pujehun and Bo districts.

The press release detailed a series of recent incidents. On a day scheduled for APC campaign activities, the motorcade of the party’s Presidential Candidate was attacked by SLPP supporters. Tear gas canisters were also fired at the APC candidate and their entourage by the police. The attacks continued the following day, leading to the fleeing and arrest of supporters and executive members.

In Bo, on another campaign day, APC supporters were attacked while gathered at the party office. A known APC supporter, Abraham Joe Deoud, was brutally beaten by SLPP thugs allegedly mobilized by Kobba Musa, the mayoral candidate of the SLPP.

Deoud was subsequently detained without receiving any medical attention. The APC district office, which also served as the residence of the Women’s Leader, Madam Cecilia Ngobeh, was burned down by SLPP thugs, accompanied by the destruction of several vehicles.

The APC Party expressed concern about the lack of protection provided by the Sierra Leone Police to its supporters. They claimed that while APC supporters were being arrested and detained, no action had been taken against the perpetrators of the attacks, who are believed to be SLPP supporters.

The press release highlighted recent video footage of President Bio campaigning in the South-East, where he stated that he and his security forces could not be everywhere at all times. Furthermore, the president’s wife, Madam Fatima Bio, reportedly called on south-easterners not to allow the APC to exist in the region. The APC Party believes that these statements have influenced and encouraged the attacks on their supporters.

In light of the apparent inability of the police to protect APC supporters, the party has called on its followers to defend themselves, their families, and their property against these ongoing attacks by SLPP supporters.

The APC Party’s press release concludes by highlighting the alarming nature of the attacks, stating that they exhibit early warning signs of genocide and crimes against humanity.

The party urges the relevant authorities, both domestic and international, to take swift action to address the situation and ensure the safety of APC supporters and the integrity of the electoral process.