By Kabs Kanu
The United Nations is finally reviewing and taking on the present situation in West Africa and Sierra Leone, as the country tethers on the edge of another war, thanks to the blood-stained dictatorship, repressive and undemocratic rule of President Maada Bio, who even stole the General Elections on June 24, 2023 and also staged a bogus military coup attempt on November 26, 2023 to destabilize the country further, punish the opposition and undermine the tripartite inter party dialogue.
PHOTOS BELOW: DR. FULLAH PRESENTING THE NATION’S COMPLAINTS TO THE UN , FLANKED ON THE LEFT BY KABS KANU AND RIGHT BY IMRAN TURAY : SECOND PHOTO SHOWS THE GROUP AT THE UN
The UN announced yesterday that it will be holding a briefing on the security situation in WEST AFRICA, including Sierra Leone, on Thursday January 11, 2024. There are reports that the briefing will be followed by a closed door meeting on the tripartite peace dialogue . However, we have not had any confirmation on the closed door meeting . But there is definitely a briefing on the security situation in West Africa.
This is a very significant development that was applauded all over the nation and the diaspora as it has now become obvious that the UN is joining the U.S, Britain, European Union and the Economic Community of West African States ( ECOWAS ) to be seized with the dangerous situation boiling in West Africa and in Sierra Leone. During the past five years since President Bio came to power and started committing his atrocities , Sierra Leoneans have been complaining about what they perceive as the inaction of the UN, though in actual fact, the UN Special Representative in Sierra Leone had been proactive during the situation under review.
Cognisant of the fact that the UN needed to take a more constructively engaged and robust interest on the Sierra Leone situation under President Bio, the Concerned Sierra Leoneans Worldwide, based in the UK and headed by human rights crusading lawyer, Dr. Alfred Venod Fullah, decided to send a high-powered delegation to the UN in November to engage the UN Secretary General directly. The meeting was made possible by Sierra Leone’s former Minister Plenipotentary to the UN, Leeroy Wilfred Kabs- Kanu , who contacted the Office of the UN Secretary General to seek an audience with him. As God would have it, the Secretary General agreed to meet with the group through his deputies since he will be out of the country. Tuesday October 24 was set up for the meeting at the UN between the UN Secretary General and the Concerned Sierra Leoneans Group.
The Concerned Sierra Leoneans trip to the United Nations turned out to be a success. Led by Dr. Fullah, the UK group traveled to New York and hooked up with former Minister Plenipotentiary Kanu and the U.S. members of the Concerned Sierra Leoneans and they stormed the UN on Tuesday October 24, 2023. Also, in the delegation were firebrand human rights advocate, Imran Turay , famous journalist and Editor of the ORGANIZER newspaper in the UK, Abu Shaw, activist Ishmael Hedd , Fatmata Turay, Salamatu Kamara ( aka SAL ) and two others who want to be anonymous because of threats by the Bio government on them and their families.
The Concerned Sierra Leoneans had a very successful meeting with a team set up from his office by the UN Secretary General, who listened keenly and patiently ( And even took copious notes ) to an hour-long presentation by Dr. Fullah, who detailed all the human rights abuses , acts of oppression and suppression of opponents and peaceful citizens, killings of innocent people, trashing of Parliament, the judiciary, the audit services and governance institutions , stealing of elections, tribalism and provocation of the opposition and other tyrannical and lawless acts by President Maada Bio. Former diplomat Kabs Kanu warned the UN that time was running out as the early warning signs of war, established by the UN, had all been manifested in Sierra Leone. He advised the UN not to repeat the mistakes made in the 90s in Liberia, RWANDA and Sierra Leone when they ignored the early warning signs and intervened when it was too late, leading to needless loss of millions of lives and colossal infrastructural destruction. Mr. Imran Turay broke down and wept while explaining what his’ and other families are suffering from the hands of Maada Bio and the SLPP.
At the end of the meeting, the UN Secretary General’s representatives thanked the Concerned Sierra Leoneans for their meticulous presentation and they assured the delegation that the UN will look carefully into their complaints . They told us that they were neutral and any investigation conducted will be done objectively and in fairness to all parties.
It must also be emphasized that the Concerned Sierra Leoneans complaints were not the only ones received by the UN for them to reach this decision to take up the matter. The UN has its own team on the ground in Sierra Leone and the Special Representative had been vocal in stressing adherence to the principles of good governance and the rule of law. The punitive actions taken against the Maada Bio government by the U.S. Congress in imposing a travel ban and delaying the MCC Compact grant as well as condemning the rigging of the elections must have played a big part also. Then also, the ongoing rift between President Bio and ECOWAS over the treatment of former President Ernest Koroma contributed in convincing the UN that they had to act.
However It must also be emphasized that the UN is a neutral and impartial organization and contrary to what many are saying on social media, whatever briefing is held on Sierra Leone will not be to renounce, denounce or blame President Bio for anything. What could be discussed would be the security situation in the country. The only good thing, however, is that the fact that Sierra Leone will be discussed is a manifestation of the fact that the UN is going to be engaged thereafter with what is going on in the country.
The security briefing on West Africa will be carried live on the UN web TV.
UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) – Security Council, 9528th meeting.
