Alpha Amadu Jalloh: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 24 April 2024:
In the heart of Sierra Leone, a nation once praised for its resilience and courage in the face of adversity, a dark cloud looms ominously. Extra-judicial killings have become a chilling norm, casting a shadow over the aspirations of a people who yearn for justice and freedom. (Photo above: Scores of unarmed victims of August 10th peaceful deminstrations, all shot dead in cold blood with impunity).
As the courts are overrun by the wielders of power, it is time for the International Court of Justice to take note.
Under the leadership of President Julius Maada Bio, Sierra Leone was promised a “New Direction.” Yet, what transpired has been a journey towards darkness, where the very fabric of justice is torn asunder.
The abolition of the death penalty from Sierra Leone’s law books seemed a beacon of progress, but it now appears a guise for unchecked power and vengeance.
The recent spate of killings, shrouded in the cloak of coup d’état, has left families shattered and communities reeling. Who ordered the executions at the Pademba Road Correctional Center?
Where are the prisoners who allegedly vanished during the massacres that saw gun-toting ruling SLPP party agents – Lawrence Lahai Leeman, Fatmata Sawaneh present in the early hours of that unfortunate morning?
Questions abound, but answers remain elusive, buried beneath a veil of silence and complicity.
From Tombo to the halls of power, from Evangelist Hassan to Captain John Conteh, lives have been snuffed out without remorse or accountability. Investigations stall, reports vanish, and justice becomes a distant dream.
The police, once guardians of the peace, now serve as instruments of oppression, executing the will of President Bio with impunity.
Yet, amidst this darkness, where are the voices of dissent? The Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone, civil society, parliamentarians, and the judiciary – all seem paralyzed by fear or indifference.
The international community, too, stands silent, turning a blind eye to the cries of the oppressed.
Even within the corridors of power, dissent is stifled. Government ministers and diplomats, once champions of justice, now bow to the dictates of power, forsaking their moral duty to speak truth to power.
Our Human Rights Advocates once revered, now stand accused of complicity, betraying the very people they swore to serve.
To the Sierra Leone Police and the Military, we issue a solemn warning. History will judge you not by the orders you follow, but by the lives you extinguish in the name of power. Your brothers and sisters, your fellow Sierra Leoneans, are not your enemies.
The day of reckoning will come, and you will be held accountable for your actions.
It is time for the international community to heed the cries of Sierra Leone. The United Nations, the Commonwealth, the African Union, the European Union, ECOWAS and all development partners must break their silence and stand in solidarity with the oppressed.
Justice delayed is justice denied, and the people of Sierra Leone can wait no longer.
In the face of tyranny, let us not falter. Let us raise our voices, demand accountability, and reclaim the promise of a nation where justice reigns supreme. The time for action is now, for tomorrow may be too late.
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