By Allieu Sahid Tunkara
The eleven soldiers dismissed by the Defence ministry have vowed to seek justice with the Human Rights Commission.
The ministry of Defence Tuesday confirmed reports of their dismissal, citing charges of indiscipline and theft. Colonel Michael Samura, Director of Communications at the ministry of Defence, told Politico the men were dismissed on the 24th January, 2015 for offences ranging from mobile phone theft, indiscriminate firing out of lawlessness, defying orders and incitement. He said they went through the Commanding Officers Orders, which he described as a mini court martial, before they were dismissed.
The men were part of the Sierra Leonean contingent which served as part of the UN-African Union Peacekeeping Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) who recently returned after about two years tour of duty in the Al Shabaab infested Horn of African nation.
The Sierra Leonean troops who deployed in March 2013 under the tag Leobatt I were based in southern Somali region of Kismayo, considered as the hottest place in the country in terms of frequent clashes with the militant terrorists. The Sierra Leoneans where fighting alongside the Kenyan contingent. One of the dismissed men allegedly stole a mobile phone from a colleague Kenyan peacekeeper.
While admitting the mobile theft allegation, the men denied all the other allegations against them. They named the mobile phone thief as Sergeant Mansaray, a former colleague of theirs whom they said had since been administratively discharged from the army.
Former Lance Corporal Vandi Jaward said their mission in Somalia was supposed to last for 12 months but it lasted for 21 months, which he said was an unfair treatment to them. And that, he added, was what they openly complained about, hence the charge of incitement.
He alleged that on arrival from Somalia they were detained for ten days in the guardroom at the Wilberforce Barracks, with no food and they were denied family visits.
Jaward told Politico that he served the Republic of Sierra Leone Army (RSLAF) for 23 years and had never been investigated for any disciplinary offence.
Former private Dauda Bangura recalled that about six months ago, Chief of Defence Staff Major-General Samuel Omar Williams visited Somalia and showed up at their base to inform them about the decision by the army high command in Freetown to deduct US$200 from the monthly allowance of each of the 850 personnel serving in AMISOM. He said they were told that the deductions were to be used to procure arms and other military logistics.
Bangura said the CDS also told them President Ernest Bai Koroma did not have the money to support the army then. He said despite their opposition to the idea, the Defence ministry went ahead to deduct from their allowances for the 21-month period they served in the mission.
“The army leadership views our action as a challenge to authority and incitement because we opposed the deduction of the US$ 200 from our allowances,” Bangura stated.
He and his dismissed colleague soldiers who spoke to Politico narrated the deplorable condition they lived in Somalia. They also alleged having to eat poor quality food all this while. Bangura believes they might have also fallen under the radar of some of their seniors for their complaints against corrupt practices like misuse of fuel by some of them.
Those who spoke to Politico said they have all agreed to take the matter to the Human Rights Commission and also the Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the issue of corruption.
The Sierra Leone government has acknowledged the difficulties the men went through but said it wasn’t its fault.
President Ernest Bai Koroma, while addressing the troops at an official welcoming ceremony organized for them last Friday, referenced the issue, saying neither his government nor the military high command was responsible for their ordeal.
Asked about what further action the army high command intended to take against them, Colonel Samura said the army would take no further action against the soldiers as long as they have been dismissed from the job.
“As long as these soldiers have been dismissed from the army, they are not entitled to any gratuity or pension or any benefit whatsoever,” he said.
© Politico 05/02/15
