Sierra Leone News: SDI Calls for End to Police Brutality
By Rima Turay
Society for Democratic Initiatives (SDI), a human rights organisation, has brought to attention of the Inspector General the alleged brutality perpetrated by Sierra Leone’s Police against the citizens of Sierra Leone when discharging their duties.
“Police brutality is wrong and has to be put to an end. This is an important issue to not just SDI but to the people of Sierra Leone,” SDI said in a letter to the police boss, Richard Moigbeh.
The rights organisation said, “The footages that emerged on social media of police brutality against students of Njala University, Bo campus who were refused to take their Second semester examination because they failed to complete their registration is appalling.”
“In most instances, the Sierra Leone Police have been caught on camera unleashing brutality and using lethal force against citizens when carrying out arrest and/or controlling processions or riots. SDI views this as a serious breach to the modes of operation of the police.”
Executive Director of SDI, Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai Esq. said today’s ideal is “democratic policing”. “This means, broadly, a Police force that is publicly accountable, subject to the rule of law, respectful of human dignity and that intrudes into citizens’ lives only under certain limited circumstances,” he said.
“In the circumstances thereof, SDI wishes to urge you, the Inspector General of the Sierra Leone Police, to initiate an immediate investigation into the incident that occurred in Bo on Tuesday, 6th August, 2019; and the body to investigate be thorough, impartial, and transparent, and that the outcomes are made public when completed.”
SDI said, “In particular, the investigation should examine compliance with the United Nations Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcements Officials. Under the U.N. Basic Principles, where the lawful use of force and firearms is unavoidable, law enforcement officials must exercise restraint and act in proportion to the seriousness of the offence and the legitimate objective to be achieved.”
Saffa Abdulai Esq said, “The U.N. Basic principles further provide that the international lethal use of firearms may only be made ‘when strictly unavoidable in order to protect life’.”
He said that the basic principles are not a summary of “best practice’’; they set out minimum standards which are intended to apply in all circumstances, including circumstances of adversity where police have limited resources and are beset by other challenges. (Practical guidelines on how incidents such as this should be investigated are contained in the United Nations Principles on the Effective Prevention and investigation of Extra-legal, summary and Arbitrary Executions and the U.N. Manual of Effective prevention and investigation of extra-legal, summary and Arbitrary Executions).
SDI recognizes the responsibility of the Police to uphold law and order, and in no way condone violence by individuals or groups of individuals against the Police. “Those who assault police officers or others should be prosecuted appropriately. Unlawful actions by some individuals, however, cannot justify excessive use of force by police officers when carrying out arrest and/or controlling violence,” it said.
In addition, SDI urges the Inspector General of Police to hold accountable, both through disciplinary measures, through criminal prosecution any officer and their commanders found responsible for excessive use of force.
“Pending the outcomes of the said investigation, it is also very important that police hierarchy send a clear message to the general public that the Sierra Leone police Force will not tolerate excessive use of force by its members under your watch,” he said.
SDI said, “The incident at Njala, Bo Campus serves to undermine the urgency and importance strives put in place to reform the Sierra Leone Police into a Force for Good, particularly as it relates to effective and transparent disciplinary and accountable mechanisms.”
SDI recommended that there should be robust engagement between Sierra Leone police and the communities they serve around the policies and priorities of policing; police actions should be guided by rules and policies that are transparent and formulated with input from the public; the Police should develop and use sound metrics of success that encompass all of the goals of policing, including community trust; and the police should ensure they adhere to conventions and treaties signed by the government of Sierra Leone on behalf of its people.
