By Kabs Kanu
Fearing a backlash from the people and possible international forces for blatantly rigging the June 24 elections for which he is in hot waters with the international community, President Maada Bio is said to have made a secret visit to neighboring Guinea to seek assurance from military junta leader, Mamadu Dumbuya, that his territory will not be used to launch any reprisal attacks on him in Sierra Leone.
Supporters of the embattled Sierra Leonean leader did not deny the allegations on social media. Rather, one of his defenders, Mr. Fouad Ayoub gave the following explanation : “The meeting was about strengthening security ties across the borders between sierra leone and Guinea.The same will happen between sierra leone and Liberia. Nothing about advice or what ever .An experienced soldier like Bio doesn’t need advice, on the contrary, he can give Doumbuya advice.”
BIO AND MAMADU DUMBUYA DURING A PREVIOUS ENGAGEMENT IN GUINEA
President Maada Bio is enduring sleepless nights these days since local and international elections observers and concerned Western nations , mainly the National Elections Watch (NEW ) of Sierra Leone, the U.S-based Carter Centre, the European Union Elections Observer Group, the ambassadors of the U.S, Britain, France, Netherlands etc. raised an outcry that the June 24 elections lacked transparency and credibility. The Carter Centre and the EU have asked the Elections Commission of Sierra Leone ( ECSL) to release the votes by polling stations .
Sierra Leoneans are also fuming over what they have described as daylight robbery by the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and the opposition All People’s Congress ( APC ) has not only rejected the results but vowed not to cooperate with the Bio government in all sectors of governance. It is in the light of all these headaches President Bio is facing that he has feared that there could be some reprisals and has gone to Guinea secretly to beg the Guinean head of state not to comply with any move to use Guinean territory for any subversive activities against his government.
But many Sierra Leoneans are wondering whether that will solve the problems President Bio has created in Sierra Leone, including incurring the wrath of international stakeholders and moral guarantors and facing the likelihood of international sanctions. Other Sierra Leoneans are also ridiculing President Bio that instead of proving that he is a man and a soldier by retaking the disputed land, Yenga, which the Guinean leader has seized from Sierra Leone, here is he going to the very Guinean junta leader to beg him for security.
It must be noted though that the opposition APC has stated nowhere that they will seek violent means to redress their grievance with the electoral fraud. What the APC said was that they will seek every legal channel to have the results overturned.
Even the international community will not be happy to know that Bio went to Guinea to beg for security . They want him to do the right thing in Sierra Leone, not begin to draw neighboring countries into his madness.
“President Bio is only afraid of his shadow because of the evil deed he has perpetrated, Ibrahim Sesay said on Facebook. “President Bio is a coward. His only strength lies in oppressing and killing innocent civilians. ”
