By Kemo Cham
Sierra Leoneans must cast aside their differences and unite against the common enemy – Covid-19, the United Nations warned last week, as political tension mounts amidst spiraling cases of the ongoing viral pandemic.
The UN’s appeal comes in the wake of a string of events commencing with one of the deadliest prison riots in the country’s history that led to the death of 12 people and destruction of parts of the century old prison facility – Pademba Road Correctional Center.
That followed the detention of controversial opposition politician, Sylvia Blyden. And in the north of the country, at least one person died when youths engaged in running battle in the mining town of Lunsar.
All this comes at the backdrop of efforts by the government to scale up its response to the anti-covid-19 response, with the presidential declaration of a second three-day nationwide lockdown (May 3 to 5).
Sierra Leone recorded its first case of the virus on March 31. Despite prompt measures put in place by the government even before that first case, the virus continues to spread across the country.
“More than ever, preventing the spread of COVID-19 should be the overarching priority for institutions and individuals alike, which demands consensus and unity of purpose among all sections of Sierra Leonean society,” the office of the UN Resident Coordinator said in a statement.
As of Wednesday, May 6, the total confirmed cumulative positive cases was 225, above neighbor Liberia, which recorded its first case of the virus two weeks earlier than Sierra Leone did, with 166 cases, according to WHO figures.
In the last two weeks, new Covid-19 cases have rapidly increased in the country, across eight of the 16 districts and covering all five geographical regions of the country.
Sierra Leone was the last West African country to record a case of the virus. This was largely because it was one of the few to institute measures in place long before the virus appeared in Africa.
The prison riot on Wednesday led to a huge fire outbreak within the compound, leading to the destruction of major facilities, according to preliminary investigations by the government. Twelve (12) people - 11 prisoners and a prison guard – lost their lives to the incident.
The government described it as an attempted prison break.
It happens just days after the first case of Covid-19 was confirmed in the prison facility.
Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, who visited the scene of the incident, promised a thorough investigation.
The UN, while calling for a prompt investigation into the cause of the incident, said the Sierra Leone government must adhere to its commitment under international conventions and treaties, including the Nelson Mandela Rules, to protect and respect the human rights of all persons deprived of their liberty. It also called on political parties and other stakeholders to engage in “meaningful dialogue”.
“To this end, the United Nations in Sierra Leone calls on all the political parties, their followers, security agencies and the population at large to promote respect for human rights while eschewing acts of incitement and other actions liable to lead to violence and distract from the all-important fight against COVID-19,” it stated.
The human rights watchdog, Amnesty International, drew a parallel between the prison incident and the Covid-19 pandemic, noting that besides concerns among prisoners for their protection against the virus, they were also concerned about getting enough food after the prohibition on visits as a result of restrictive measures put in place by prison authorities.
“[The] riot shows that prisoners are becoming increasingly desperate at the government’s inaction to protect their right to health. There must be a prompt, thorough, impartial and effective investigation into the reasons that led to the riot and the heavy-handed response from prison guards who used live ammunition,” Marta Colomer, Amnesty International West and Central Africa Deputy Director, was quoted in a statement.
The incident also happened after the announcement of a presidential pardon for 235 prisoners. But it hadn’t materialize. Amnesty urged the government to fulfill that promise.
“We are calling on the Sierra Leone authorities to put their promises to release hundreds of detainees into action – unless overcrowding is eased and conditions of detention improved, there is a risk of further riots and infections. They should release all those held in pre-trial detention and consider the release of other prisoners at risk, such as older people and those with underlying medical conditions,” the Amnesty deputy director said.
But it’s the detention of Ms Blyden, a member of the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC), that has dominated the political discourse in the country in the last one week.
The Sierra Leone Police is yet to explain the reason for her arrest.
The spokesman for the Police did not respond to call or text message requesting for a comment by Politico.
But reports from other sources indicate that Blyden might have been detained in connection to her social media activities, which have been interpreted by the authorities as bordering on incitement.
Blyden, according to other sources, may have been fingered for her persistent comment on the indictment of the detained former Defense Minister and top official of APC, (Rtd) Major Alfred Palo Conteh, who is facing treason charges for carrying a loaded gun into State House.
The APC has said that the Pademba Road incident was orchestrated by the governing Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) as a ploy to eliminate senior members of the opposition party in detention.
The party accused the elite presidential guard as been behind the shooting in prison, in connivance with other arms of the security forces, whom it said “rained live bullets on the prisoners and Prison Officers,” leading to the losses of lives.
Besides Conteh, there are about three other prominent APC members detained in prison for diverse offenses. They include former Freetown Mayor, Herbert George Williams and Abu Bakar Daramy of the party’s Western Area branch.
The APC also alleged that the home of Major Conteh was raided following the prison riot and the occupants, including his wife, harassed or arrested.
The party warned that the harassment and intimidation of its members had reached unbearable level and that it could no longer guarantee the country’s development partners that it could restrain its members seeking for justice and the protection of their fundamental human and basic rights.
“The leadership of the APC wishes to make it known to President Julius Maada Bio and the SLPP Government that the APC will hold them singularly and collectively responsible if anything is amiss to our Comrades and of course for the innocent lives that were lost during the skirmishes,” the statement signed by the party’s National Secretary General, Osman Foday Yansaneh, said.
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