By Allieu Sahid Tunkara
As dismissed soldiers of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) take their case to the Human Rights Commission (HRC), officials there have assured thorough investigation of their concerns. But the military command has ruled out any possibility of any redress outside the forces.
The aggrieved former soldiers, eleven of them, were dismissed for incitement, indiscriminate firing and theft, among other offences they allegedly committed while serving in the United Nations-backed African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
In March the men filed their complaint with the Commission through the Complaints Registry desk, where they were requested to submit their dismissal letters.
Ishmail Bayoh, Public Information Officer at HRC, confirmed to Politico that three men representing the group went to the complaints registry of the commission where they made their report. But he said they failed to submit copies of their dismissal letters.
The HRC spokesman said the letters were “important documents” that would greatly assist the commission in their investigation effort.
“For the commission to investigate the matter there must be documentary evidence,” he said. Bayoh made reference to investigations conducted by the Commission in 2010 when some soldiers were thrown out of the army on the grounds of alleged chronic illnesses and mental deficiencies, as a result of the 1991-2003 civil war. The outcome of those investigations, Bayoh said, resulted in most of them being reinstated into the army, whilst others found to be permanently ill received their benefits.
Refused to sign
The dismissed soldiers confirmed that officials of the complaints registry did advise them to submit their dismissal letters before they could take action. But they said the military authorities instead gave them redress forms which they were told would enable them get their dismissal heard in a military tribunal.
“We took these forms to Colonel Abu Conteh, the former commanding officer of the RSLAF troops in Somalia, but he refused to sign them,” said Tamba Moiwo, one of the dismissed soldiers, as his colleagues nodded their heads in approval.
The men were dismissed in February, shortly after they returned from Somalia after serving about two years in a mission that was intended to last for a year. This is part of Sierra Leone`s contribution to global peace, which has seen the country contributes troops and police officers to restive countries like Darfur in Sudan, Haiti and East Timor.
But the Somalia mission has proven controversial, both in terms of the performance of the troops and also the sudden interruption of the mission by the ongoing Ebola epidemic.
When the World Health Organization declared the outbreak an International Health Emergency, it disrupted international travel schedules to and from Sierra Leone. ‘Leobatt One’, the first contingent of the RSLAF deployment, was left stranded in Somalia and so they could not be replaced by Leobatt Two. Eventually, the Somalia government, giving the excuse of fear of transmission of the virus, asked the AU to stop Sierra Leone`s participation.
Meanwhile, in the battle front, the RSLAF troops were already fed up, with some reports indicating that some of the troops where demanding to be returned home.
Among the men who were asking to be returned were those dismissed, hence the charge of incitement. But the dismissed soldiers themselves told Politico the reasons forwarded for their dismissal were more than that. They cited the controversial deduction of US$200 from their allowances, which they said they opposed vehemently. They also said they complained of constant food shortage.
“While in Somalia, we set traps to catch birds which we eat because there was no food,” said Moiwo.
Roasted birds
The dismissed soldiers showed Politico video clips taken by one of their colleagues which showed they were supplementing their diets with wild birds. In one of the videos, three soldiers of the RSLAF are seen roasting birds they`d caught from traps.
The men also alleged that their commanders on the peace enforcement mission used to sell fuel out to people they said could as well be the Al-Shabab terrorists they were set out to fight.
The men further told Politico that the ensuing situation left them feel vulnerable to frequent terrorist attacks, which they believe might have led to the death of one of their colleagues.
To back up their claims of theft, the dismissed soldiers said one of their former commanding officers in the mission, Major Sam Moses Kpaika, was currently being investigated by military police officers for alleged fuel theft.
Colonel Abu Bakarr Conteh, Commanding officer of the RSLAF peace enforcement troops in Somalia, confirmed reports of the ongoing investigation over alleged fuel theft. Even the Col himself is serving as a witness, he told Politico.
But Col. Conteh said the dismissed soldiers met their fate in accordance with army regimental discipline.
“Discipline is the bedrock of any professional army,” he said, alluding to the “indiscipline” of few soldiers who “caused mayhem” in the country in 1997 which resulted in the execution of 24 senior military officers.
“We no longer tolerate such a situation in the army,” the Col. stressed.
Back to the present situation, he admitted though that three of the dismissed soldiers met him in his office with redress forms and asked him to sign them. He said he refused to sign the forms because they were not filled correctly and that they contained no column for him to sign. But Col. Conteh said although the soldiers had been dismissed, they had the right to go anywhere to seek redress. But, he added, this must be within the army structures.
“Military issues have to be dealt with by the military,” he said.
Only option
About the allegations around food shortage while at base in Somalia, the Col admitted it and said even he himself ate birds.
He revealed that Major Kpaika, the man under investigation, who is currently at the Ministry of Defence, was been investigated for allegedly exchanging four drums of fuel with native Somalis for toiletries, food and other logistics. Col. Conteh appeared to be defending Major Kpaika, citing the difficult situation they found themselves in. But, he said, the act wasn’t in line with army regulation.
He was just returning from the Joint Police Unit (JPU) where he gave evidence on the matter, he said, before this interview.
He blamed the situation on lack of experience in enforcement mission by the RSLAF. “This is the first time the army has deployed troops in peace enforcement mission,” he said, explaining the difference between peacekeeping, as they did in Darfur, and peace enforcement, as they were doing in Somalia.
Colonel Michael Samura, Director of Media and Communication at the Ministry of Defence, told Politico that the army does not issue termination letters to ‘Other Ranks’ upon dismissal. He said it`s only army officers from the rank of 2nd Lieutenant who were entitled to such a “privilege.” He also said the dismissal of the soldiers was in line with Army Orders Act of 1965 which conferred immunity on the army from appearance in any court or any commission established by law.
The only option for the dismissed soldiers, he said, was to seek internal redress within the army.
“The soldiers have 90 days to do so,” he added, and then condemned all their claims, especially the one regarding overstaying in the mission. He said as long as a soldier is deployed anywhere for any period, they are liable to overstay as circumstance might require.
© Politico 14/04/15
