By Alpha Abu
The long drawn out debate on the cybercrime bill has finally been concluded with the Sierra Leone House of Parliament approving its passage into law, after several months of protracted debate. The bill was passed on Tuesday 23 June 2021.
Speaking to Politico, the Minister of Information and Communication, Abdul Rahman Swaray said the enactment of the Cyber Security and Crime Act 2021 was a fulfilment of President Julius Maada Bio’s desire to lead a digitally connected Sierra Leone where the people are able to compete in a digital economy effectively. He pointed out that available statistics also indicate that 87 percent of citizens are connected by mobile voice and 25 percent by the internet, and that with the existence of a largely youthful population, there was a need to create “a safe digital space for them to transact, relate and live’’.
He explained that Sierra Leone under the previous administration had signed up to the Malabo Accord that calls on African leaders to legislate on cybercrime and data protection, and cited the ECOWAS Directive on cyber which the country should have implemented but didn’t.
The Minister asserted that the enacted law now “makes Sierra Leone compliant with international conventions and protects its citizens in cyberspace”. He acknowledged being central to the entire process by virtue of his position, and that the present government recognized the importance of a digital economy.
Minister Swaray stated: “I am happy that I was able to build consensus for the passage of this bill”. He recalled the early days of what he said was the most problematized bill but said they were able to dialogue, negotiate and explain in detail to stakeholder groups to build a consensus across the divide, to support it. He said as a Ministry they are grateful to Parliament for enacting what he calls “a progressive legislation”.
“My colleagues and I at the Ministry of Information and Communication are very proud of this achievement and we look forward to enacting more enabling legislations like the data protection bill which we are currently working on with the NCRA (National Civic Registration Authority) and the Ministry of Internal Affairs,” he said.
The road to the enactment of the cyber law was highly polarised with some opposition politicians, civil society activists, media, and legal practitioners expressing concern of its likely infringement on freedom of speech and other rights of citizens. Government officials and sections of the public, on the other hand, were concerned about the misuse of the cyberspace which they believed could violate the privacy and security of individuals, and undermine the peace and stability of the state.
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