By Kabs Kanu
Three hundred and three political prisoners arrested for demonstrating against President Maada Bio have been announced missing in custody .
MAADA BIO HAS MUZZLED EVERYBODY IN SIERRA LEONE ?
Chief Minister David Moinina Sengeh says the SLPP Government can only account for 15 of the total of 318 persons arrested by the government during the past year for joining demonstrations against President Bio.
Our citizens were announced missing in custody and not a cough was heard from the opposition, civil society, media, professional bodies or intellectuals. What could be more pitiful for our nation ?
I can assure everybody that if it had been the SLPP in opposition and 303 people in APC custody had gone missing, the whole world would have heard about it. SLPP would have agitated until they reached the doorsteps of the UN, ICC, White House, and British Parliament.
303 people out of 318 arrested for demonstrating against President Bio are missing from government custody and not even Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the Sierra Leone Human Rights Commission and the inter- religious council have muttered a word.
What has happened to the people’s children and family members ? Why are they unaccounted for ? Government has given no satisfactory explanation. When you consider the dreadful human rights records of this SLPP Bio government, this is something to worry about. What has this brutal and bloody SLPP government done to these missing political prisoners ?
So far, the only organization that has asked questions is the London and U.S- based Sierra Leone Advocacy Movement ( SLAM ), which is now the opposition, civil society and intelligentia wrapped up in one. At a time when Maada Bio appears to have muzzled everybody in the country, including the Army, Police , judiciary, Parliament, the intelligentia , civil society , the christian and muslim councils , the media and even the U.S. Ambassador and the international community, SLAM has come in as a big blessing to Sierra Leone because it is the only organization that is now concerned about the human rights disasters playing out in Sierra Leone under President Maada Bio.
SLAM is fighting for democracy, electoral justice, freedom, human rights, constitutionality, rule of law, return to civility and transparent and accountable governance.
The great thing that has happened recently is that the intelligentia ( the “Book People ” ) and the concerned citizens of Sierra Leone living in the diaspora have joined together to form SLAM.
I will bring you more information about this new pressure and Advocacy group that is the only hope now for Sierra Leone.
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