The June Protest… Not A Coup But A Ploy To Destabilize The State
By: Lansana Fofanah
President Julius Maada Bio's tenure as Head of State of Sierra Leone would go down as one of the most challenged governments in terms of peace and stability in recent history.
Since his first election victory in 2018, his administration enjoyed a relatively short period of political and economic stability. Even the transition period was challenged by tensions emanating from the Government Transition Team Report which archived the status quo in all government ministries, departments and agencies; that was followed by chaos surrounding the election of the Speaker of Parliament, and the chaotic parliamentary procedures leading to the establishment of the Commissions of Enquiry which was followed by a series of protests machinated by the opposition APC in 2019 as the ACC made initial probes into the activities of the past APC Government.
Before these events, the incoming government had to put up with a massive attempt by outgoing APC Government officials to vandalize or loot state-owned vehicles allocated to them while they were in office.
The government continued to face uprisings and insurgencies all in an effort to destabilize and make the State ungovernable from 2018 to 2019.
President Bio's government therefore struggled to restore investors' confidence in a broken economic nation with low investment appetite due to corruption, bad governance and lack of transparency.
Businesses eventually started to stabilize and flourish; a few large scale manufacturing companies resumed operations, jobs and investment opportunities slowly started booming. But the growth was again suddenly halted by the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 when the first case was announced in March.
COVID-19 restrictions again became grounds for violent protests in the fishing village of Tombo, when the ventriloquist Adebayor called on youths to destroy state property, including the health center and the police station.
With a series of protests particularly in the strongholds of the opposition APC, then came the August 10, 2022 failed coup, which led to the death of six police officers and a number of Sierra Leoneans in broad daylight.
After the unfortunate August 10 attack, the international community and the nation were briefed by the government as to what unfolded.
It was expected that nothing of such incidents would have occurred again after a series of condemnation by global leaders.
Alas! Then came the November 26 2023 failed coup which for the first time in all those protests saw the involvement of key military personnel.
It only took the saving grace of God and the proactiveness of His Excellency President Bio to thwart the November 26 coup as the country's armory was looted and hardened criminals freed from the Pademba Road prison.
Those actions left many questions unanswered looking at the security sector reforms Sierra Leone went through with support from development partners after the country's civil war.
To show their determination and relentlessness again, another protest notice is making the rounds on social media for June 19 by faceless protesters.
While the government has assured to leave no stone unturned should anyone dare to disturb the peace again, we should be looking at a holistic approach and the strengthening of the security apparatus beyond any protest which for now is questionable.
While I have never seen nor heard around the world where a date is announced to overthrow a legitimate government, this happens to be the case in Sierra Leone, where every protest stage escalates to an attempted coup.
Sadly, despite the police using the law to call on those wanting to stage any kind of protest to approach the leadership of the force for better planning, none has ever come forward because, their motives are not to protest but to disturb the peace of Sierra Leone.
While all those attempts have failed, they have achieved their goal of destabilizing the country by diverting resources meant for development projects to beef up security, thereby creating panic and discouraging investors and development partners.
Violence in any form must not be condoned by any political party, tribe or regions as it has the tendency to destroy any progress the country has made, and Sierra Leoneans are not ready for that.
News 24 publication.
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