Sierra Leone: APC Engages International Community as Situation Remains Horrific says Yansanneh
Responding to media interviews in Freetown on how to strengthen peace and unity among Sierra Leoneans devoid of regional origin or tribe, the Secretary General for the All Peoples Congress [APC], Ambassador Osman Foday Yansanneh maintained that they have made tremendous effort in engaging various international organizations including the United Nations [UN], ECOWAS, European Union [EU], British, Irish, Americans, Ghana and the Mano River Union [MRU] with statement and letters forwarded to them but yet still, the situation remains deteriorated and horrendous.
According to Ambassador Osman Yansanneh, they informed the international community when there were several killings of the APC supporters at Mile Ninety One, Tonko Limba and Lumley. He further highlighted that the Lumley Market Chairlady was incarcerated at Pa Demba Road and died shortly after her release as a result of an alleged tutored when she was imprisoned. Locally, the SG said they have also met with the Eminent Women and Religious Council of Sierra Leone but no positive result yielded.
Why bringing a huge contingent of armed Police at our party headquarters and firing tear gas sinister to cause mayhem among dwellers and passersby at the Brookfield’s community without informing the leadership of the APC about their forceful and unjustified behaviors [Paopa], he queried and mentioned that they are not happy as party over the spate of violence across the length and breadth of the country.
He recalled that the thirty six petition matters filed by the main opposition against the SLPP Members of Parliament was left in the corner but maliciously pursued the APC sixteen petition Members of Parliament with impunity. He expressed serious concerns over the manner in which the Sierra Leone Police who are expected to serve the purpose of protecting lives and properties allegedly taken the law in their hands.
According to Ambassador Yansaneh, he received a report last Friday that a huge number of armed Police officers have not only surrounded the APC headquarters office or stopping supporters from entering the office but they were also shooting tear gas sinister, caused panic at Brookfield’s community and harassing civilians.
He discussed that upon receiving message that Police has taken over the APC headquarters office on Brookfield’s, they met with the Inspector General of Police, Richard Moigbeh, his Deputy, FUK Daboh and other stakeholders to take prompt action after stopping him from entering the precinct of the High Court of Sierra Leone to hear the final judgment which was not in their favor. According to Ambassador Yansaneh, the Police said the intention of the APC sympathizers was not to demonstrate solidarity to their deposed MP’s but to mount a demonstration. As a result, the Police stopped the peace Friday which supporters were trying to observe. “I called on the IG as the Sheriff for his prompt intervention to prevent the court from ruling on that day but their voices were not heard and the party headquarters office was underseiged”, he told media practitioners and disclosed that he was prevented by the Police from talking to the Africa Young Voices [AYV] Television Journalists to tell the world what was happening within Brookfield’s vicinity.
The Deputy Secretary General for the APC argued that the thirty six deposed MP’s were democratically voted for by their supporters and officially declared as winners of the envious seats. He informed the public that the APC encouraged supporters to wear the party colour which is red and white on Thursday and Friday to extend solidarity with their representative. He challenged that nobody has the right or power to stop them from displaying their party colour. He said the sporadic shooting of tear gas sinister against their supporters was a clear indication that the Sierra Leone Police were dared to kill innocent civilians. He said the Police should be impersal and the IG must be independent irrespective of regional origin or tribe and further discussed that the APC petitioned MPs were declared as winners of the poll by the National Electoral Commission [NEC].
Karmoh Kabbah informed the public that the intention of the SLPP Government was to kill or destroy the APC party forever but he said it is not easy to kill or silent the APC. He continued that the action of the court and the SLPP Government was a complete disregard for the rule of law. He lamented that the Police rushed to manhandle them as what they did to the APC Publicity Secretary, Colenous Deveaux in their attempt to send strong through AYV.
The Deputy Chairman and Leader for the APC, Minkailu Mansaray queried as to why the Police targeted the party headquarter office instead of the court vicinity were the controversial ruling took place. He encouraged supporters to remain calm, law abiding and stay united for the good of the party.
He maintained that the APC was ready to support Government if they see them as partners in development and emphasized on how the APC MPs have been contributing constructively in Parliament on issues of national interest.
“They denied us the speakership of Parliament by brutalizing us with contingent of armed OSD personnel right inside the well of Parliament”, he told listeners adding that they walked out of Parliament because they were jeopardized. He proffered that the country’s political landscape is not stable because he said, the winner, President Bio has failed to show magnanimity to the looser after winning the election. He affirmed that immediately President Bio was announced winner of the race, the APC executive paid visit to his house for peace talks.
He raised that the Government made no response over the brutalized APC supporters who were evicted from Kono and Masingbi and concluded that even stakeholders are afraid to say the reality as a result of the tense political environment.
By Abdulai Mento Kamara
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