President of United States,
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC, USA 20500
December 14th 2021.
Dear Honorable President Joseph R. Biden,
PLEASE SAVE SIERRA LEONE’S BACKSLIDING DEMOCRACY
I was born and raised in Sierra Leone, I migrated to the U.S in 2007 through my wife, who’s older sister filed Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative) when she was 10 yrs. Old. It took 11years before her case was called, and at that point we had been married. Therefore, I and our son were considered an immediate family and the program makes provision for immediate family members like husband OR wife and children to accompany the primary beneficiary in migrating. This was how I and our oldest son who was 3 yrs. old at the time became immediately eligible to migrate to the U.S.
I am currently a Master Sergeant in the United States Air Force and very proud to serve the greatest country on earth, and it’s on that note that I want to use my little space to show PATRIOTISM to my country of birth by bringing your attention to the current undemocratic political climate in Sierra Leone. I don’t want to go into the terrible history and reputation that Sierra Leone is known for globally.
President Biden for you to have a clear picture of why our governance in Sierra Leone has deteriorated to this level of INCOMPREHENSIBILITY, permit me to paint the picture.
We have people like Ali Kabba who founded the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) and started the rebel war in Sierra Leone. Former President of Liberia Charles Taylor now serving a 50 yr. sentence at The Hague, in his trial at the Special Court in Sierra Leone on April 26th 2012 (for Crimes against Humanity) made it sacrosanctly clear that he met Ali Kabba at the MATABA in Libya. It’s hard to fathom how someone like Ali Kabba will be an active player in Sierra Leone’s politics today and recently as a few months ago was Sierra Leones Special Representative to the United Nations.
And President Julius Maada Bio, now President has been involved in two Coup d’état’s in Sierra Leones history. First, in 1992 and 1996 was a coup within the coup that he led. So, he enjoyed ruling by decree at the time, got his way with everything as a military leader, no resistance. Therefore, now that he is democratically elected, he is in a state of shock and awe that his dictatorial and autocratic style of leadership is been challenged by the citizens like myself.
This is just a mix of the actors we currently have in our governance structure in Sierra Leone at this moment and that’s the PREMISE of my letter today.
Our members of Parliament are not forthcoming in posing these challenging facts to the President, because the few that tried were met with state sponsored attacks, using thugs to cause physical and bodily arm and up to killing some of them when they dare to ask tough questions like these I am posing here today. Hon. Sherifu Carew was detained and immediately he was released he died two weeks later and we don’t know the cause of death to this day. Honorable Hassan Priest was hit with a vehicle in a drive by attack and almost lost his life. And members of Parliament are constantly fearful for their lives. After 9 members of parliament were unconstitutionally removed by the courts etc.
However, I will be remised if I don’t point out now that the CAUSES of the brutal rebel war 20yrs ago are manifesting again in 2021 through the Presidency of Julius Maada Bio. The Tribalization and Nepotization of our public institutions, One Tribe dominance in public institutions, The Judiciary is crooked, The Police force is not trusted, The National Election Commission is not to be trusted and the Political Party Registration Commission is not worthy of the peoples trust.
There has been a total collapse in the state and it’s safe to say at this point that Sierra Leone is a FAILED STATE. The President no longer listens to or encourages dialogue that will lead to a consensus thereby encouraging a participatory democracy. It’s his way or the highway, and that’s the very definition of DICTATORSHIP and AUTOCRACY. Forgetting that DEMOCRACY is the Power of the People, For the People and by the People as defined by President Abraham Lincoln.
Above all the OPPRESSION of the OPPOSITION is ripe and is posing a very present danger that could spark up a deterioration in the peace that President Ernest Bai Koroma worked so hard to protect and preserve. President Koroma’s policies created an enabling environment to promote our liberties; right to life, right to Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Civil Societies were allowed to thrive, now we know that 95% of the Civil Society Organization were from one tribe, and now that their political party is in power they’ve gone silent. We had more Newspapers, more radio stations, social media especially on WhatsApp was encouraged and no one was arrested by tracing their phone numbers to find their addresses.
And President Julius Maada Bio and his supporters enjoyed these LIBERTIES during President Koroma’s term. However, I/we cannot visit Sierra Leone at this very moment because I/we have a very strong social media presence reaching millions of Sierra Leoneans globally, teaching and promoting democratic rights and civil liberties, exposing their politics of thuggery, political violence and intimidation. Today I/we are considered enemies of the state and they are prepared to go to extremes to keep us quiet.
President Biden, your decision to NOT invite President Julius Maada Bio recently to the participate in the #DemocracySummit was a very welcoming gesture, the people of Sierra Leone for one’s felt like their voices are been heard by the leader of the free world, President Joe Biden.
M.C.C ‘s reputation is in disrepute today in Sierra Leone, the people have lost all confidence in the sincerity of the MCCU CEO, Ms. Ndeyi Fatu Sesay. President Biden we want you to look into the relationship of the current Acting CEO of the MCC, Mr. Mahmoud Bah and the vice President of Sierra Leone Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, PhD. The vice President of Sierra Leone over sees the MCC unit in Sierra Leone. Tribalism is said to be one of the causes of Africa’s demise, and these two gentlemen are from the same ethnic group.
We want to believe Mr. Mahmoud Bah is of sound character, hence the reason you appointed him. He is known to be a true professional and he will not compromise his integrity. I must note that amidst the numerous human rights violations as indicated in the States department human rights report of 2019 and 2020 on Sierra Leone, it’s ironic that the government still made 90% in Ruling Justly.
The people of Sierra Leone find the MCC report very appalling and disgraceful. The MCC has actually created a cushion for President Bio and his thugs to continue to flagrantly violate the Human rights, political rights and civil liberties of Sierra Leoneans every day. This is what they say to the opposition and patriotic citizens like myself, immediately we question their UNDEMOCRATIC ACTIONS, “We have passed the M.C.C your voices don’t matter anymore”.
However, we are all rooting for the funds from the MCC because it will bless Sierra Leoneans tremendously, if managed well.
PLEASE DON’T LET THE UNDEMOCRATIC ACTIONS OF PRESIDENT JULIUS MAADA BIO AFFECT OUR COMPACT ELIGIBILTY.
At the moment I am typing this letter, warrants of arrests are been issued for opposition leaders and supporters that questioned the legitimacy of the unprecedented mid-term census.
The M.C.C has failed Sierra Leoneans woefully, the score card is rot with nothing but sham and deceit.
Amidst, the killings of protesters across the country i.e.
Makeni Massacre,
Pademba Road Prison Massacre,
Tombo Killings,
Lunsar Killings,
Removing Members of Parliament through the Courts and replacing them through the courts and not through the ballot box. Today, thousands of citizens are not represented in the House of Parliament.
President Bio imposed a speaker of Parliament against the majority party in the house of Parliament.
A Minister in his cabinet (Kabineh Kallon an American Citizen) was caught destroying election materials on camera and he was never scolded or sacked. He is still serving. And MCC scored the government 90% on Political rights amidst such glaring evidence of impropriety.
Torturing protesters, mostly women that stand up for to protect their Unalienable Rights, Rights to Life, Right to Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. Yet the MCC gives 90% in Civil Liberties
Raping of women in the South Eastern part of Sierra Leone after the 2018 elections, because they supported the opposition party. Sata Lamin is one of the women that were raped. President Bio has never condemned, made a statement of any sort or provide medical care for these victims. Thinking of the Psychological impact and stigma such as act of barbarism would have on a woman, makes me sick to my stomach that President Bio does not think these women should be given justice and cared for.
Harassing opposition members and supporters,
Arbitrary arrests of citizens exercising their rights to free speech and Protests.
Rampant corruption coming from the Office of the President and the First Lady as seen on CNN and reported by www.africantpress.com.
An Anti-Corruption commissioner (Francis Ben Kaifala) whose role is to actually protect the President, First Lady and the SLPP government officials, but constantly creates this PERCEPTION of fighting corruption by harassing opposition members like former President Ernest Bai Koroma whilst shielding and giving cover to the ruling party members.
President Julius Maada Bio has caused so much atrocities against the citizens in our nation, his silence amidst these human rights violations is giving consent to his supporters to be very vicious against opposing voices because they know they are protected by the police and judiciary i.e. No Freedom of Speech/Expression as protected by Section 25(1) of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone, No Freedom of assembly/association (Section 26(1) of the 1991 Constitution. No civil Liberties, No political rights, killings, arbitrary arrests, Vigilante Mob Arrests, Intimidation, Human Rights Violations, and Police brutality.
On Dec 10th 2021 a female member of the opposition party Ms. Diana Finda Konomanyi, a former minister and currently the Regional chairperson of the eastern region for the All People’s Congress party in solidarity with a press release issued by the APC party not to participate in the unconstitutional and unprecedented mid-term census which has received resounding condemnation locally and internationally by the European Union and World Bank. President Bio had her invited to the Police headquarters and the followers that accompanied her including a leading opposition figure, Ms. Femi Claudius Cole were immediately detained and she spent a night in jail and they’ve now been charged to court for disagreeing with the government on implementing an unconstitutional mid-term census.
I must note that the supporters of these two women are still detained and they’ve been denied bail, this is the tactic they’ve employed since 2018 to eliminate voices and actions of dissent across the country, that’s why the Human Rights report of 2020 issued by the States Department made it clear that prisons in Sierra Leone are overcrowded. This is a pattern of continuous intimidation to keep opposition members silent. Sierra Leone is a BACKSLIDING DEMOCRACY and is on life support at this moment. Sierra Leoneans have been through a lot. The level of abject poverty is unimaginable, due the massive increase in corruption within this administration of President Bio, it’s beyond comprehension, the lack of the basics to life such as clean water, access to quality education, 1000 students from Limkokwing University (SL) were sent home for 2 yrs. because the government of President Bio failed to pay their tuition citing the Previous administration of President Koroma signed a bad deal. Which was a “bolonie” of an excuse. The people are ridden with Poor Health Care i.e. maternal mobility and mortality rate is amongst the worse in the world, and infant mortality rate is significantly high. 75% of young people are unemployed, that in itself is a recipe for disaster.
However, President Bio went ahead and concocted a sham tribunal to investigate the Auditor General (Ms. Lara Taylor-Pearce) just a month before she was set to release the 2020 Audit report.
Deforestation is on the rise only in the northern part of the country, the stronghold of the opposition, whilst President Bio is preserving parts of the south east like the Gola Forest. President Bio has made HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS of dollars from the EXCLUSIVITY he enjoys with exporting TIMBER to china etc. YES, he has sole rights to exportation of Timber in Sierra Leone. Therefore, when he tweets about climate change it should be taken with a pinch of salt, it’s the pot calling the kettle black.
He recently sold Black Johnson beach to the Chinese for $55 million dollars, alongside, Alie Kabba. For a Chinese funded fishing port. This is a human and ecological disaster. Ambassador David Reimer has visited that community and it’s such a beauty with precious and gorgeous landscape that nature provided. The community people and activists have pleaded with this President to ABORT the proposed sale and it has fell on deaf hears.
He recently LEASED all of our TERMINALS to the Turkish government for 25 yrs. i.e. KISSY, GOVERNMENT WHARF AND TAGRIN respectively. And this only came to light after an investigative journalist the Africanist press disclosed this heinous deal that lacked Parliamentary approval. The Parliament was circumvented and the President unilaterally made this decision when he visited Turkeys President during the IDEF 2021 Arms and Weapons Expo in August this year. Details in November 28th 2021 publications of the Africanistpress.com
President Joe Biden please SAVE Sierra Leone’s Democracy. For the sake of the destitute and vulnerable Sierra Leoneans. We are calling for a more PROACTIVE posture and approach, rather than been REACTIVE only after the FACT as made clear by the leader of the opposition party (All People’s Congress Party A.P.C), Hon.Chernor Bah in a recent session at the ECOWAS parliament in Nigeria.
President Biden, I am also kindly asking that all Sierra Leoneans serving in President Bio’s regime that hold American citizenships are stripped of their citizenships, after PROSECUTIONS and the due process of the law. The reasoning behind this request is to STOP diasporans from depleting the resources of Sierra Leone only to bring their LOOT to the U.S or engaging in undemocratic activities that they would not otherwise engage in the U.S. They continue to act with impunity because they have a place to bring their loot and hide after they’ve committed these crimes against humanity in Sierra Leone. I will be happy to provide details of all these individuals with dual citizenships upon your request.
President Biden I could go on and on. However, you are very busy man and I am not even sure you’ll read my letter on behalf of the wonderful people of Sierra Leone. If you do I am kindly asking for an invite to the White House to defend my stance. Or sent as a special enjoy to Sierra Leone to oversee the Human Rights activities in the country through the Embassy.
Mrs. Biden has visited Sierra Leone and I am sure she enjoyed the kind heartedness and gentle hospitality the people of Sierra Leone showed her.
God bless America and Democracies worldwide.
Yours Sincerely
Fornah, Ibrahim G
Chairman and Founder
Peoples Liberation Movement PLM
CC: M.C.C Acting CEO Mahmoud Bah
M.C.C Susan M. McCue Board Member
M.C.C Samantha Power (Administrator of USAID)
Sec. Antony Blinken
Amb. David Reimer (Sierra Leone)
President of I.C.C Piotr Hofmaski
Office of First Lady Mrs. Jill Biden
MCCU CEO Sierra Leone Ndeyi Fatu Sesay Koroma
Office of President Julius Maada Bio
Former President Ernest Bai Koroma
References:-
