The Africanist Press publishes the following statement from the Lunsar Advocacy Group in the United States of America to express our solidarity in the ongoing defense of the rights of Professor Sheikh Umarr Conteh who is currently detained without charge in Sierra Leone. Read the full statement below:
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter” ——Martin Luther King Jr.
On April 30, 2020, a riot broke out in Lunsar, Marampa Chiefdom, during which time the youths of the town went on a rampage against Paramount Chief Koblo Queen II. To get a clear understanding of what triggered the riot, the public should be informed about the long- standing feud between the chief and the residents of Lunsar, primarily the youths, who abhorred the cavalier attitude of the chief towards his subjects. This tension brewed to a near boiling point when the SL Mining Company (SLMC) started its mining operations, provided employment for the youths, and averted what would have been an explosive conflict between the chief and the youths.
However, within a short a period of time, the Sierra Leone government stopped the operations of the SLMC because of irreconcilable disagreement on the terms of the mining contract the company had signed with the previous APC government. This, once again, resulted in the unemployment of the Lunsar youths. Consequently, the latent acrimony between the youths and chief became fractious. Many alleged that the chief was not working in the interest of the town. They accused him of self- aggrandizement, and this accusation was at the totem pole of the frustrations against the chief. Things came to a tipping point when rumors were making the rounds that the chief was planning to allow a phone company to install a 5G pole in a village close to Lunsar. Sadly, pernicious rumors were disseminated amongst the youths that 5G is a purveyor of COVID-19 and other cyber sickness. To this end, one of the self-ascribed youth leaders, Ibrahim “bulgur” Kabia, sent a threatening audio to the chief promising to burn his house if the 5G pole were installed. The Chief went to the police station and lodged a complaint. Ibrahim “bulgur”was later arrested and detained by the police.
The incarceration of their leader angered the youths, so they stormed the police and forcefully freed him. After a scenic, prolonged, and wild uproar and confusion, a riot broke out which later culminated to the senseless loss of lives and the wanton destruction of properties, including the chief’s house and the burning of his expensive vehicles. At this point, the Chief had to run for his life. During the height of this riotous brawl between the police and the youths, we were reliably informed that Professor Sheikh Umarr Kamarah, the community director of SLMC, a darling of the residents of the town because of his oriented- progressive initiatives, made gallant efforts to calm down the situation.
After the riot was calmed down by the reinforcement from Port Loko and Makeni, summary arrests were made to find out the chief organizers of the riot. However, the youth leader in fact escaped, and he is still on the run. All the same, an unwarranted arrest of many innocent people ensued that left many tongues wagging in the town. Many thought that the mass arrests lacked acuity, and the case itself had demonstratively taken a political bent.
A month later, the Sierra Leone police issued a warrant of arrest in the newspaper for Professor Sheikh Umarr Kamara and seven others and declared them “wanted men.” The whole turn of events, including the warrant of arrest and the “wanted man” status, caught the professor by utter surprise because he was living quietly in his house in Makeni in plain sight. He could not understand the reason behind such vicarious victimization by the police. To avoid further embarrassment, the professor went to the CID in Freetown on his own volition and availed himself to the authorities to find out what all the force was about. At the CID, he was subjected to intense interrogation for two consecutive days. He had hoped that he would be released after the interrogation, but it did not happen. At the moment, he is completely under arrest.
According to the 1991 constitution, in reference to this particular case, the government cannot detain anybody for more than 10 days without charging him or her. It is a complete violation of a person’s human rights. We the members of the Lunsar Advocacy Group living in the USA are kindly asking the government to do the right thing by allowing The Rule of Law to be the guiding principle while adjudicating this case.We are of the firm belief that for any government to succeed it should have the courage, decency and strong moral sense in the dispensation of justice.
Credit: Lunsar Advocacy Group, USA