By Hawanatu Kanneh
A press statement from Sierra Leone Women and Politics Group (SLWPG) states among other things that women in Sierra Leone are very angry over the arrest and detention of female politicians and are calling on the police and the government at large to immediately without precondition release these women it has in custody and to allow them a fair trail if at all they are suspected of any wrong doing.
Below is he full test of the press statement:
___________________________________________________________________________
PRESS STATEMENT
We, the Sierra Leone Women and Politics Group (SLWPG), have learnt yet again about the harassment, arrest and detention of some of our members and other women in politics today the 13th day of December 2021 in Freetown Sierra Leone, by the Sierra Leone police. Those involved are Madam Femi Claudius-Cole; a former Presidential Candidate and Leader of Unity Party and Chairman of Sierra Leone’s Consortium of Progressive Political Parties (CoPPP), Madam Finda Diana Konomanyi; a former Minister of Government and Chairperson of the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) Party’s Eastern Regional Executive and other women supporters. They were arrested and detained for simply expressing their opinion on an ongoing national issue; the midterm census, which no doubt has provoked reactions by people of all political shades as well as members of the International Community.
SLWPG unreservedly condemn all forms of harassment and intimidation of every woman due to her political affiliation but in particular, we abhor the conduct of the Sierra Leone police and the government in continuously using the police and their surrogates against women politicians in the country. We are immensely concerned about this administration’s desire to shot down women’s political space in this day and age and we are sending a message of provoked action and determination that we are prepared to fight back and we will unless there is a reversal of trend.
Sierra Leone Women and Politics Group calls on authorities in Freetown to unconditionally release Femi Claudius-Cole and her colleagues immediately and to stop the political harassment and intimidation of women politicians. We also want to remind the government and the Sierra Leone Police that the women of Sierra Leone have not lost their voices and their tact. As women, we know our rights and the limits of the exercise of authority. We will respect the law but we are also capable of defending our God-given and constitutional rights as citizens of Sierra Leone. As a group, we resent the feeling of androcentric and the historic malevolent misogyny that has kept Sierra Leonean women so far beneath our male counterparts. While we have consistently shown respect for law and order, we can no longer accepted subjugation at the feet of uncompromising and unreasonable exercise of authority.
Please take notice that should you refuse to release all the female detainees held in connection with the census speeches on Tuesday 14th December instant, we will take further actions.
We are, also concerned about the video clip making rounds on social media by a Sierra Leonean singer, Mr. Alhaji Amadu Bah (LAJ), directed at the station manager of 98.1 Radio Democracy, Mrs. Asma James. We find the video unacceptable, disrespectful to not only to Asma James, but to the entire women of Sierra Leone. While there is an apology by him, the effect cannot be erased so easily. Cyber bullying is unacceptable and against the law.
