President Koroma’s Final Warning to Violent Politicians in Sierra Leone: “Some of them here will have to face ICC too for I have invited the ICC to Sierra Leone”

The Sierra Leone People’s Party under Julius Maada Bio, has had an embarrassing reputation for its culture of political violence, highlighted by the most recent violence that was perpetuated by some wishy-washy SLPP thugs with the tacit blessing of the party’s flag-bearer during the last election in Freetown.

Now, we’re hoping the Land of Sierra Leone may become known for its crackdown on violent politicians and their accomplices in crime. Last week’s statement by the president to institute a zero tolerance on political violence could not have come in at a better time. His harshest but much needed statement to date is when he said, “the International Criminal Court has grabbed Charles Taylor… (Former President of Liberia); and Gbagbo is also facing the ICC… (Former President of Ivory Coast), he said, “Some of them here will have to face the ICC too…. for I have invited the ICC into Sierra Leone”.

What this nation wanted to hear Mr. President, is that you have what it takes to fight against political violence. The feisty utterances made by the president as he was addressing his supporters, at the Atouga Stadium last week, proves critics wrong and shows he is poised to weed out political violence in Sierra Leone.

Julius Maada Bio, mostly known in and around the country for his violent tendencies, and the role he played in the extra judicial killings of Bambay Kamara and others during his stint as the ring leader of the NPRC regime, is now just one of so many other names that will be looked at with some seriousness by the International Criminal Court.

We take no pleasure in the fact that those who were guilty of the extra-judicial killings might have to spend the rest of their lives in prison for their crimes. But we hope it serves as a lesson — and a deterrent — to anyone who thinks that the people of Sierra Leone are there to be abused and trampled upon with impunity and go free.

At a time of such urgency and impact, we as Sierra Leoneans – APC or SLPP – should pour our hearts and souls into violence-free politics. We should not – none of us, not Lansana Fadika and not any SLPP member – ever have to pour our blood. And every politician and journalist who hints otherwise, or worse still stays silent now, should have no place in our political system, and should be denied that place, not by violence, but by the ballot.

We must not be quick to forget what we went through for over a decade. Violence, or the threat of violence, has no place in our Democracy, because for whatever else each of us may be, we all are Sierra Leoneans.

© 2012, Christian Foday Sesay Jr. EIC. All rights reserved. Discuss this article on the Salone Forum Salone Forum

By Christian Foday Sesay Jr. EIC