HUMAN RIGHTS-SIERRA LEONE: POLITICAL GROUP CRIES HARASSMENT

By Lansana Fofana Reprint | | Print |

LANSANA FOFANA

FREETOWN, Mar 11 1995 (IPS) - THE PAN AFRICAN UNION (PANAFU), A POLITICAL GROUPING, IS ACCUSING THE MILITARY GOVERNMENT OF CAPT. VALENTINE STRASSER OF A DELIBERATE CAMPAIGN OF HARASSMENT DESIGNED TO SILENCE THE ORGANISATION, WHICH IS CRITICAL OF CONTINUED ARMY RULE.

“WE ARE AGAINST PERSISTENT POLICE HARASSMENT AND PERSECUTION OF THE UNION AND ITS ACTIVE MEMBERS, A MOVE WHICH WE CONSIDER AS A DELIBERATE ATTEMPT TO DISCREDIT OUR ORGANISATION AND ITS CREDIBLE MEMBERSHIP,” SAYS PANAFU SPOKESMAN RICHIE GORDON.

GORDON’S STATEMENT FOLLOWS WHAT CRITICS CONSIDER TO BE SYSTEMATIC POLICE HARASSMENT OF PANAFU, WHICH IS REGARDED AS THIS WEST AFRICAN COUNTRY’S MOST VOCAL AND ORGANISED POLITICAL GROUPING.

BACK IN 1987, DURING THE RULE OF FORMER PRESIDENT JOSEPH MOMOH, PANAFU MEMBERS WERE PICKED UP FOR DEMONSTRATING IN THE STREETS OF THE CAPITAL FREETOWN, AGAINST THE U.S. BOMBING OF TWO LIBYAN CITIES.

NOW THE 13-YEAR-OLD MOVEMENT IS ALLEGING THAT THE NATIONAL PROVISIONAL RULING COUNCIL (NPRC) MILITARY JUNTA HAS PUT PANAFU OFFICES UNDER CONSTANT SURVEILLANCE IS HARASSING ITS MEMBERS.

“OUR HEADQUARTERS AT DUNDAS STREET IN FREETOWN, HAVE BEEN SEARCHED AT LEAST THRICE, UP TO FOUR MEMBERS OF OUR GROUP REPEATEDLY DETAINED AND OUR OFFICES SEARCHED AT THE WHIM OF THE POLICE,” EXPLAINED ISMAIL RASHID, A MEMBER OF THE PANAFU PLANNING COMMITTEE.

GORDON HIMSELF WAS ARRESTED BY STATE SECURITY AGENTS LAST WEEK JUST AS HE WAS ABOUT TO ATTEND THE CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS OF RENOWNED SIERRA LEONEAN JOURNALIST AND PAN AFRICANIST, ISAAC WALLACE JOHNSON.

GORDON WAS DETAINED FOR FOUR DAYS AT THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS DEPARTMENT (CID) HEADQUARTERS AND HIS HOME SEARCHED FOR TWO HOURS BY PLAINCLOTHES DETECTIVES.

POLICE CLAIMED THE PANAFU OFFICIAL WAS THE CHIEF SPOKESMAN OF THE REBEL REVOLUTIONARY UNITED FRONT (RUF), THE MAIN ARMED FACTION THAT HAS BEEN FIGHTING SUCCESSIVE SIERRA LEONEAN GOVERNMENTS OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS.

GORDON, WHOSE PASSPORT IS BEING HELD BY POLICE, WAS PREVENTED FROM ATTENDING THIS WEEK’S ALL-AFRICA PEOPLE’S REVOLUTIONARY PARTY (AAPRP) CONFERENCE BEING HELD IN THE U.S.

GORDON, A MEMBER OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE AAPRP, HAS ALSO NOT RECOVERED PAN AFRICAN LITERATURE SEIZED BY POLICE.

“THIS IS RIDICULOUS. THE ACCUSATION IS AS BASELESS AND UNFOUNDED AS THE RECKLESS MANNER IN WHICH THE POLICE HANDLED THE WHOLE MATTER,” GORDON TOLD IPS.

GORDON HAS ALREADY BEEN JAILED AT LEAST SIX TIMES OVER HIS INVOLVEMENT WITH PANAFU, WHICH THE AUTHORITIES DUBBED “SUBVERSIVE ACTIVITIES.”

OBSERVERS BELIEVE OFFICIAL DISTRUST OF PANAFU STEMS FROM ITS POSITION ON THE FOUR-YEAR WAR WITH REBELS AND ITS CRITICISM OVER NPRC DELAYS IN IMPLEMENTING A TIMETABLE TO RETURN SIERRA LEONE TO CIVILIAN RULE.

THE GROUP INSISTS THAT A ROUND-TABLE CONFERENCE OF ALL WARRING FACTIONS BE CONVENED TO SEEK A LASTING PEACE TO THE CIVIL CONFLICT RAGING HERE.

EFFORTS BY THE NPRC TO ENTER INTO DIALOGUE WITH THE MAIN REBEL FACTION HAVE SO FAR FAILED TO END THE FIGHTING IN MUCH OF THE COUNTRY’S SOUTH AND EASTERN REGIONS WHICH HAS CLAIMED THOUSANDS OF MAINLY CIVILIAN LIVES.

“PANAFU BELIEVES THE CONTINUATION OF THE WAR WILL ONLY FURTHER THE DESTRUCTION (OF SIERRA LEONE) AND LEAD TO THE TOTAL DISINTEGRATION OF OUR SOCIETY, ITS ECONOMY AND INSTITUTIONS,” READS A STATEMENT RECENTLY ISSUED BY THE MOVEMENT.

THE STATEMENT URGES SIERRA LEONE’S BELLIGERENTS TO COMMIT THEMSELVES TO PEACE AND USE ALL MEANS AT THEIR DISPOSAL TO FURTHER THE PEACE PROCESS.

BUT THE AUTHORITIES DENY THERE IS AN OFFICIAL CAMPAIGN TO VICTIMISE PANAFU. ONE OFFICIAL SOURCE EVEN DESCRIBES PANAFU AS “A PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT OF WHICH SOME OF US (GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS) ARE MEMBERS”.

SOME SIERRA LEONEANS REMAIN UNCONVINCED. “THIS IS MERELY A CAMPAIGN OF HARASSMENT BY THE AUTHORITIES”, SAYS POLITICAL OBSERVER BRIMA SESAY.

“THE FACT THAT (THE NPRC) HAVE BEEN OVERSTRETCHED BY THE WAR AND THE FAILURE TO STICK TO THEIR TIMETABLE FOR RETURN TO DEMOCRATIC CIVILIAN RULE MAY BE THE REASON FOR THEIR BEING JITTERY,” SISAY ADDS.

THE RUF, LED BY CASHIERED ARMY CORPORAL FODAY SANKOH, LAUNCHED A LOW-LEVEL REBEL INCURSION IN 1991 WITHTHE STATED AIM OF PRESSURING THEN RULER MOMOH TO ACCEPT MULTI-PARTYISM.

MOMOH WAS DEPOSED IN 1992 BY ARMY CAPTAIN VALENTINE STRASSER, WHO PROMISED TO END THE REBEL WAR BEFORE RETURNING THE FORMER BRITISH COLONY TO CIVILIAN RULE.

BUT STRASSER’S NPRC HAS SO FAR FAILED TO DEFEAT THE RUF AND OTHER FACTIONS. THE WAR HAS INTENSIFIED TO ALARMING PROPORTIONS — DESPITE THE PRESENCE OF TROOPS FROM NEIGHBOURING GUINEA AND REGIONAL SUPERPOWER NIGERIA.