Political Violence In Party Strongholds Threaten Peace

By Edwina Sia Janga

 

Despite the Peace Pledge signed by political parties, there has been reports of violence and intimidation in strongholds of the two main political parties (SLPP & APC), the latest being an arson attack on the residence of popular APC female political heavy weight in Kono, Diana Konomani.

 

Quite recently, there has been accusations and counter accusations by both political parties of violent attacks against their members. For the SLPP, they maintained that their supporters were attacked in the Mile 91 stronghold of the APC, resulting in a prominent ruling party official seeking refuge in Kenema. Opposition party supporters were accused of running battles with supporters of the ruling party in the Mile 91 region, and it took the intervention of the ONS Coordinator to resolve the matter, after holding talks with stake holders and the two MPs from the respective parties in the region.

As for the APC, they claimed that on the first day of campaign, as scheduled by the ECSL, their supporters were attacked in the stronghold of the SLPP, Bonthe, and the home of the President, displaying video footages of a bloodied supporter to substantiate their claims. They further claimed that one of their female aspirants was also attacked and wounded in another stronghold of the ruling party, Kailahun, and also audio messages on social media, backed by party official claims that their supporters in Falaba District were attacked by ruling party supporters on the alleged instruction of a prominent SLPP MP.

 

In Freetown, former Mayor, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, earlier this week, posted on social media that her driver was attacked by a notorious ruling party operative by the name of Arata, and her vehicle carted away. In her post, she maintained that she contacted the Inspector General of Police on the matter and her vehicle was retrieved, but discovered damaged. She even complained that the suspect was allowed to go scot free.

 

Some political analysts say that these incidents are worrying signs and should be quickly addressed to prevent escalation into full blown confrontation between supporters of both parties.  In their view, coming events cast their shadows before them, and this should concern everyone, as the elections are merely weeks away.

 

According to many Sierra Leoneans, they were expecting the political leaders to admonish their supporters to avoid incidents that could lead to violence. The peace Commission and other bodies have engaged traditional leaders to provide a level playing field for all political parties and not to discriminate against anyone, and political parties were advised to engage their supporters to exercise restraint. Many Sierra Leoneans are calling on moral guarantors to continue to engage the political parties and their leaderships on the need for maintaining peace and accept tolerance of each other, respect the campaign days of their opponents and admonish their supporters to show restraint.