PRESS STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, 19 September 2019
The attention of the Network Movement for Democracy and Human Rights (NMDHR) has been drawn on the worrying signs of politicians using tribal, divisive, and hate speech as campaign strategy in fragile post-conflict Sierra Leone. It is clearly evident that high placed politicians are using such kind of strategy as a means to convince voters during election campaigning activities.
Several videos are recently making rounds on social media where members of a particular political party are using tribal hate speech. E.g. the constituency 040 bye election in Falaba District was marred with several divisive and tribal hate speeches during campaigning period. We have also seen several messages of tribal and divisive speech during campaigning activities for the forthcoming bye elections in constituency 043 in Koinadugu District by referencing the Limba tribe and tagging them to a political party and as such alleging that the Limba tribe has suffered a lot under their rival political party and calling on them to vote on tribal line which we consider as derogatory to the Limba tribe and with such kind of negative political development for our democracy which has the potential to derail this country that is characterized as a fragile state into further conflict and or genocide.
NMDHR as a human rights and development organization is strongly condemning such kind of negative political progress as it undermines the peace and development of Sierra Leone.
We are also calling on the Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC) to come out openly investigate and condemn such actions of politicians that has a greater chance of disrupting the peace and democracy of this country.
We are also calling on the Inspector General of the Sierra Leone Police (IP) and the Office of National Security (ONS) to caution highly placed politicians to desist from using such kind of negative political strategy to derail the effort of the government and its citizens to transform this country into better society for peaceful coexistence.
We are also calling on all diplomatic missions to call on all political parties that are in the habit of using tribal hate speeches and divisive messages during election campaigning period which was a major root causes to the 1994 Rwanda genocide.
We are also calling on His Excellence the president Rtd. Brigadier Julius Maada Bio and his government to immediately solve this national threat to our fragile democracy.
NMDHR mission is to promote human Rights and Governance issues through training, dialogue, advocacy, lobby and campaigns to change the mindset of the people and increase people’s participation in governance so that development and peace can take place
– Abdul Karim Habib, Executive Director, NMDHR