The All People’s Congress (APC) has formally written to the Inspector General of Police, William Fayia Sellu, raising concerns about what it views as government meddling in the detention of its members. The party members were arrested on October 15 during a peaceful meeting with international moral guarantors at the APC headquarters in Freetown.
In the letter, the APC expressed frustration over the continued detention of its supporters, pointing out that the 72-hour legal holding period has already elapsed. The APC alleges that the government is pressuring the police to prolong the detention without cause, which, according to the party, violates established legal protocols.
The APC warned that this situation is in direct conflict with the Unity Agreement, particularly Resolution 4, which aims to facilitate the release of political detainees and prevent further politically driven arrests. The party emphasized that the agreement was not limited to those detained before its signing, but also intended to prevent future politically motivated detentions. The letter suggested that recent arrests undermine these efforts and accused the government of manipulating law enforcement to create a false narrative of seriousness around the arrests.
The letter also indicated that there are attempts to press charges against the detained individuals, which the APC believes is a deliberate strategy to escalate tensions. The party criticized this as a move that could disrupt national reconciliation and tarnish the efforts being made to restore peace and unity in Sierra Leone.
In an appeal to the police, the APC urged the Inspector General to resist any political interference and take independent action by releasing the detained members. Copies of the letter were sent to key international stakeholders, including development partners, the Peace Commission, and the Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC), emphasizing that continued detention of their members is contrary to the spirit of national unity.
The APC concluded by cautioning that any further escalation would damage the prospects of peace in the country, urging both the police and government to honor their commitments to the Unity Agreement.
