Sierra Leone is at the edge of another war due to the repressive, oppressive, anti-people politics, human rights abuses and trampling of the rights of the people by the Maada Bio government ruling the country like a junta.
Since the sit-home strike and anti-government demonstrations during the past two days, the police and the army have been out on the streets arresting not only those found demonstrating but they have also been going to different communities around the country and pulling people from their homes and brutalizing and arresting them for reasons best known to themselves. There are many videos floating on social media depicting these flagrant violations of human rights by President Maada Bio’s security. The most frightening development now is that the security raid people’s homes wearing masks . If they are legal security officers out on legitimate state business, why are they wearing masks ?
There is no reason for the arrests and the excesses of the security. The demonstrators have committed no crime. They are rather exercizing their rights to demonstrate their dissatisfaction with the government for refusing to release the voters data for the forthcoming elections.
Presidential aspirants, civil society, the media , religious leaders , the people and the international community should demand the immediate release of these demonstrators. We repeat that they committed no crime. Staging demonstrations is not a crime. Why should this president and his government keep taking advantage of our people ? Is that right ? Maada Bio is hideous human rights abuser, who does not believe in democracy, the constitution or the rule of law. If he is sure to win the elections, why is he repressing the opposition and citizens ?
The question on every lip now is, What is Maada Bio looking for in our country ? Has he not learned from the examples of Samuel K. Doe, Bokassa, Mobutu , Ghaddafi and others that oppressing your people, suppressing their rights and abusing them always lead to state disintegration , chaos and collapse ? Sierra Leone is being systematically disintegrated by President Bio and the country is heading for another war.
We call on the president and his hoodlums in the Sierra Leone Police and army to release all arrested demonstrators now, without any further delay.
