By Chernoh Alpha M. Bah
Last week, we informed you that Sierra Leonean politicians have created a new anti-terrorism law that contains unconstitutional provisions designed to curtail citizens’ fundamental civil rights. The proposed legislation would have been voted into law on Thursday morning (January 23), but the vote, which was deferred for Tuesday morning (January 28), has again been postponed for Thursday morning (January 30).
If enacted, the proposed legislation would be the most anti-democratic law ever made in Sierra Leone since 1961. The provisions of the law are far more dangerous than the Public Order Act of 1965, and its seditious libel provisions, enacted by Sierra Leone’s second prime minister, Albert Margai.
Once passed into law, the Counter Terrorism Act 2024 would criminalize free speech and expression in any way the state deems appropriate. It also gives the state authority to designate any published material, including media, books, pamphlets, video, and audio content as “acts of terrorism” if the state suspects or believes that the published material directly or indirectly constitutes activities, views, and opinions that would incite or instigate an individual or group to commit a “terrorist act.”
On the whole, the proposed legislation contradicts the 1991 Sierra Leone Constitution, especially provisions relating to civil liberties and fundamental rights, including the existence of a free press. Chapter 3, Sections 15–30 of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone makes freedom of the press an entrenched part of the constitution; protecting citizens against violations of their fundamental human rights, including freedom of expression, freedom of conscience, and freedom of assembly.
As you already know, I have been the principal target of a state-sponsored anti-democratic campaign for five years now because of my investigative reports on financial crimes and corruption in Sierra Leone. For five years now, Sierra Leone’s Office of National Security (ONS) has tried to criminalize me and the Africanist Press, describing our journalism as “threat to national security” in Sierra Leone. I have endured all kinds of cyber harassment and death threats, including online censorship, from Sierra Leonean politicians and their allied groups.
In the last two years, international human rights groups and press freedom organizations have continuously raised concerns for my safety; calling on US diplomats and Sierra Leonean authorities to stop the organized harassment and threats against me. I have also personally sent numerous appeals to US State Department officials calling on them to intervene and help stop the continuous harassment we’ve endured from Sierra Leone government officials and their allied groups. Despite these appeals, the harassment and threats have not stopped and they have, instead, escalated. To date, we are not aware of any steps taken by the State Department in response to these appeals and statements.
It is possible Sierra Leonean authorities have ignored the appeals of international human rights groups because of the strong political and economic ties that existed between the US and Bio’s administration.
In the four years of the Biden-Harris administration, Sierra Leonean politicians enjoyed unparalleled support from Washington, including endorsing incumbent president Julius Maada Bio’s second term despite questions surrounding the disputed June 2023 elections.
During the period of the Biden-Harris administration, US-financed corporations acquired strategic control of critical infrastructure and service-related contracts in Sierra Leone’s energy, telecommunication, mining, health, and transportation sectors. Between June 2021 and July 2023, the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) alone approved over US$750 million in debt financing for Sierra Leone mostly for unvetted infrastructure contracts awarded to US-financed corporations registered in Turkey, Lebanon, London, and Kenya. In early May 2024, for instance, DFC announced a US$412 million loan to the US-backed company, Milele Energy and its corporate partner, TCQ Power Limited to supposedly “boost Sierra Leone’s energy sector.” DFC also provided US$150 million loan in support of a non-advertised infrastructure contract awarded to the Turkish-based Summa Group to expand and privately operate Sierra Leone’s only international airport on a 25-year concession.
Most US-financed contracts in Sierra Leone were acquired without compliance with the country’s finance and transparency laws, including the fulfillment of competitive bidding and public tender processes and procedures. We have questioned this lack of transparency in the operations of US-funded corporations in Sierra Leone for your years now. Yet, our concerns and evidence were ignored by USAID, and other agencies.
In addition to vested economic interests, Sierra Leone was also a critical part of US security operations in West Africa in the four years of the Biden-Harris administration. A few months ago, the Michigan National Guard signed a State Partnership Program (SPP) with Sierra Leone’s Armed Forces as part of an ongoing US regional security and intelligence program in the subregion.
Deputy mission chief of the US Embassy in Freetown, Jared Yancey, recently described the US security partnership with Sierra Leone as “groundbreaking,” saying it is “specifically tailored to the unique environment and doctrine of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces.”
This is why we believe that the United States, as a leading partner of the government of Sierra Leone, has an obligation to ensure that its continuous engagement with the government of Sierra Leone includes safeguarding the fundamental rights of Sierra Leonean citizens, including the right to free speech and academic freedom.
We would continue to seek your help in asking your elected representatives and diplomats to denounce the ongoing threats to free speech and academic freedom in Sierra Leone.
We have published a further analysis of Sierra Leone’s proposed anti-terrorism law and its implications for free speech and academic freedom in Sierra Leone.
We still count on your support in defense of free speech and academic freedom in Sierra Leone. We all have a collective obligation to stop the growing anti-democratic appetite of Sierra Leone’s political elites before it consumes the freedoms of defenseless citizens, including journalists, intellectuals, and academics .
To what I understand in Sierra leone the U S embassy and the British embassy are contributing a lots into this they have the power to stop all this from riged elections to drugs with some government officials with clear evidence video tape pictorial evidence of the drug lord to our guinea embassy no press release