Sierra Leone Launches UN Security Resolution On Youth, Peace and Security

Sierra Launches UN Security Council Resolution 2250 on youth, peace and security

On 28 February 2017, the Youth Partnership for Peace and Development (YPPD) in Sierra Leone in close partnership with the Civil Society Platform for Peacebuilding and Statebuilding organized a launch event of the UN Security Council Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security, to honor this landmark resolution in an official ceremony. The Resolution was officially launched by Anthony A. Koroma, Commissioner, National Youth Commission. The event brought together well over one hundred and twenty representatives from the government, civil society organizations, youth activists, academics, some CSPPS members such as Cordaid, Search for Common Ground, United Network of Young Peacebuilders, as well as UN agencies, such as UNDP to discuss challenges and opportunities for greater youth engagement in the country's future. CSPPS was represented in this meeting by Peter van Sluijs, Coordinator of the CSPPS Secretariat and Senior Strategist at Cordaid.

Being on the crossroads since the country's civil war, Sierra Leone has had several processes unfolding as part of repositioning her place on the global and governance stages. While most of these processes are looked at as key opportunities for holistic growth and engagement, a lot seems disconnected as to answering questions like how central young people are in seeking joint and collective solutions to dealing with major drivers of conflicts, violence and fragility in general. Launching the UNSCR 2250 is a significant bold step in not only raising the profile and meaningful involvement of youth in peace and security, but further generating wider policy and stakeholder interest while building on commitments to solidify structures for holistic engagement with young people for a peaceful Sierra Leone.

Going beyond the launch, it is obvious that the debate no longer centers on how critical young people are when it comes to peacebuilding, conflict prevention and violent extremism; but rather how we are collectively answering the very question of what differently we can do for them (youth) to take the center stage in building and consolidating Sierra Leone's hard-earned peace. While acknowledging government of Sierra Leone's efforts in putting the necessary regulatory and institutional frameworks, it is our hope that the national launch of the Resolution will be an opportunity to doing more, particularly in harnessing the very demographic dividend that youth presents.

The launch further serve as a significant step in setting up an Inter-Agency Coordination Platform for Youth Peace and Security in Sierra Leone and by extension, the very significant beginning to cushioning rising election tensions emanating in the lead up to the 2018 national polls. The wider CSPPS Country team in Sierra Leone has actively supported the event and will ensure follow-up in context of their work on New Deal and PSGs, but also as part of the overall national effort in placing youth at the center of peacebuilding and statebuilding.

Chaired by Prof. Memunatu Pratt, Head of Department, Peace and Conflict Studies at the Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, the Launch event was concluded with a set of recommendations to governments aimed at attaining the fullest implementation of the UNSC Resolution 2250 and the SDG16 from a Sierra Leonean youth perspective. Some of these key recommendations included:

·         That there is need for forming an Inter-Agency Platform as an immediate post-launch structure that will lead the coordination of UNSCR 2250 at the national level.

·         The urgent need for the Development of a National Program of Action that will serve as road map for the implementation of the Resolution.

·         Active and continuous engagement of state and non-state actors to deliberately mainstream youth into their programming and implementations.

·         Engaging young people to take the lead in preventing conflict and promoting peace in their respective communities.

·         Constant and robust media engagement to raise awareness about the resolution.

Given Sierra Leone's youthful population, it is obvious that we cannot afford to miss the opportunity of leaving youth behind in patters of peacebuilding and their empowerment while building their capacities for development.

"There can be nothing for us without us. On behalf of the young people of Sierra Leone and partners, we welcome the promises, but we urge government to fulfill them and do more", Musa Ansumana Soko, lead convener and Executive Coordinator of Youth Partnership for Peace and Development concludes.

Njala University Students Plan Big Demo Tomorrow

                       Njala University Students Plan Big Demo Tomorrow

Njala University College students are planning a big demonstration tomorrow to express dissatisfaction over the continued strike action staged by their lecturers.

This situation has left the students stranded insofar as their education is concerned. For five months now, they have been out of lecture room as a result.

The seeming inaction by the authorities concerned has left the students with no option but to stage what they refer to as a "peaceful demonstration".

Accordingly, the students plan to direct their demonstration at State House in Freetown and have vowed not to leave there until His Excellency President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma who happens to be the Chancellor of the University of Sierra Leone, address them on the way forward.

It remains unclear how peaceful and successful the demonstration will be, but what is clear is that the Sierra Leone Police sometime last year placed a stiff ban on all protest actions around State House.

Meanwhile, members of the public have condemned the way and manner in which government has handled the Njala situation thus far.

Legal Aid Board Frees Detainee

LAB secures discharge of ‘violent’ youth

As the Legal Aid Board prepares to provide legal assistance to indigents and children engaged in election related violence, it has successfully secured the discharge of a twenty-five old from Wilberforce in the West of Freetown charged with violence.

The Legal Aid Defence Counsel Hadiru Daboh secured the discharge after drawing the court’s attention to the failure of the complainant to attend court sittings for seven consecutive adjournments. What’s more, the complainant has not furnished the court with any reasons for his absence. Magistrate I.S. Bangura agreed with the Defence Counsel and discharged the matter. He noted that discharge would not stop the prosecution from reinstating the matter in future.

The accused, Alpha Kanu who plied his trade as driver and apprentice at the Wilberforce lorry park got involved in a fight with his boss Michael Aruna in February 2017. He was arrested and taken to the Congo Cross Police station following a complaint by his boss. According to Alpha Kanu, his injuries were ignored by the police even though they were more serious. He spent fifteen days at the Congo police station before the matter was charged to court.

The Executive Director of the Legal Aid Board, Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles described the discharge as a test case which has been won.  ‘We will be representing accused charged with election related violence,’ she said. ‘This case has, in some way, prepared us for the task ahead in terms of approach and legal arguments.’

According to Carlton-Hanciles there are lessons to be learned. ‘The complainant is not interested in justice, he is only interested in having the accused locked up which he succeeded in doing,’ she said.  ‘We have too many such cases inour justice system, we have to find a way of punishing those who undermine the justice delivery system in this manner. I have a feeling we will have a lot of such cases in the election period, wherein people take matters which could be resolved in the community to the police to have their opponents lock up. We will be very ruthless with people who use the justice system to witchhunt or punish their opponents.’ 

Canadian Navy and High Commissioner visit Sierra Leone

Royal CDN Navy and High Commissioner visit Sierra Leone

For Immediate Release

Royal Canadian Navy ships and Canadian High Commissioner visit Sierra Leone

For immediate release: On March 19^th, 2017, two modern Royal Canadian Navy ships, the HMCS Summerside and Moncton, will berth in the heart of Freetown. The Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels will take part in Neptune Trident 17-01, the overarching Royal Canadian Navy deployment to West Africa, and includes engagements with West African nations to support joint training and foster relationships in the Gulf of Guinea region.

Personnel and crew will also participate in Obangame Express 2017, an at-sea maritime training event led by U.S. Naval Forces Africa. The Maritime Group will work with regional partners to support joint training, which aims to delay, disrupt, or destroy criminal or enemy forces or supplies en route at sea. The operation, Obangame Express 2017, is designed to improve cooperation among participating nations in order to increase maritime safety and security in the region. Obangame means "togetherness," and comes from the Fang language of southern Cameroon and other parts of Central Africa.

“This is an exceptional opportunity for the Royal Canadian Navy to work in cooperation with global partners in joint training activities to promote Canada's ability to successfully work together with partners and allies on multinational operations and missions,” said Harjit Singh Sajjan, Canada’s Minister of National Defence.

That same theme, Obangame (togetherness), can be applied to the visit of Commanders and crew of Summerside and Moncton as they engage with Government of Sierra Leone officials, girls and boys, orphans, youth, school-going children, men and women of Sierra Leone. Between March 19^th and March 25^th, the Captain and crews of the Royal Canadian Navy ships will help out and play with children at an orphanage in Cline Town, read to children in Aberdeen and visit historic sites in Freetown. Navy personnel will be joined by Her Excellency, Heather Cameron, the Canadian High Commissioner to Sierra Leone, as they continue to demonstrate the togetherness of Canada and Sierra Leone.

“This month marks the 225^th anniversary of the Nova Scotians arriving from Canada and the establishment of Freetown in 1792. This is likely the oldest contact between Canadians and Sub Saharan Africa, and it is an honour to be in Freetown with two Marine Coastal Defense Ships of the Royal Canadian Navy – both of which have sailed to Freetown from Halifax, Nova Scotia.”

“2017 is also the 150^th anniversary of Canada’s confederation, when 4 provinces, including Nova Scotia, voluntarily came together to found a country called Canada. In this 150^th year, we are proud to celebrate Canada’s identity; our ethnic, linguistic, cultural and regional diversity; our beautiful environment; and, our rich history and heritage. Our anniversary celebrations focus on the themes of diversity and inclusiveness, reconciliation with our Indigenous peoples, youth engagement and leadership, and the environment.”

H.E. Heather Cameron, High Commissioner of Canada to Sierra Leone.

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Background

In 1792, 225 years ago, more than 1,000 former slaves from the U.S. and settlers left the shores of Nova Scotia, Canada, to return to Sierra Leone as free men and women. They settled in the nest along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean beneath the enclave of hills known as “Lion Mountain”. And, in commemoration of their return to West Africa, named their new home, “Freetown”.

Under the British protectorate, they built homes, schools and churches. They named roads, cultivated the soil, traded and built what is now a thriving metropolis. On March 11^th, 2017, the Mayor and dignitaries celebrated the founding of Freetown by these same settlers under the majestic Cotton Tree before the historic law courts on Siaka Stevens Street.

And so began the strong, rich relationship between the east coast of Canada and the west coast of Sierra Leone. The ancestors of those freed slaves and settlers blossomed and in 1961 formed the Republic of Sierra Leone, independent of Britain; a sovereign nation under the warm sun along the pristine coastline. In 1961, Canada and Sierra Leone established formal diplomatic relations and the connection between the two countries flourished.

The special affinity between the two countries is reflected today in a positive working relationship, which allows Canada and Sierra Leone to cooperate on a broad spectrum of issues, including the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission. Canada was the 6th largest donor to the UN Peace-Building Fund, pledging $35 million through 2012. This support has included Canadian training, equipment and programs for police and Sierra Leonean peacekeepers. Canada has chaired the Sierra Leone PBC Country configuration since February 2009. Canada was highly involved with the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL), which concluded its work in 2013, contributing $18 million over the life of the Court and chairing the Court’s Management Committee, presiding over one of its trial chambers.

Canada was one of the earliest responders to the Ebola crisis, and committed more than $130 million to help address the health, humanitarian and security implications of the crisis in West Africa. In 2014-2015, Canadian development assistance, estimated at $21.73 million for Sierra Leone, essentially targeted humanitarian assistance and health.

Canada also contributed in-kind efforts to end the Ebola outbreak, including the deployment of two rotating mobile laboratories (provided by the Public Health Agency of Canada - PHAC) and lab teams to Sierra Leone from June 2014 to May 2015); support to the deployment of health experts and emergency response personnel to UN agencies in the affected countries; the donation and delivery of more than $18 million worth of items of personal protective equipment to the WHO and, the donation of an experimental vaccine to the WHO. Based on an interim analysis of the vaccine during trials in Guinea, the E-Bov vaccine proved effective in protecting people exposed to Ebola, the vaccine is now being used in Sierra Leone.

In November 2014, Canada launched the “Join the Fight against Ebola” campaign, which led to the recruitment of seven Canadian healthcare workers and the deployment of 58 delegates through the Canadian Red Cross, to help manage existing Ebola Treatment Centres in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea (including 36 delegates who were specifically deployed to support response efforts in Sierra Leone).

From December 2014 to June 2015, the Department of National Defence also deployed Canadian Armed Forces healthcare and support staff to work at the UK’s Kerry Town treatment centre, where they provided medical care to 90 local and international healthcare workers.

Stephen Douglas

Journalist/Media Development Consultant

(currently based in Freetown, Sierra Leone)
Phone: +232 (0) 78 508 995

Skype: stephen.douglas63

"Quality journalism enables citizens to make informed decisions about their society’s development. It also works to expose injustice, corruption, and the abuse of power. For this, journalism must be able to thrive, in an enabling environment in which they can work independently and without undue interference and in conditions of safety."

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Land Conference Communique

COMMUNIQUE ON LAND GOVERNANCE FOR AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY BENEFIT

The Kingtom Communique

Adopted at the National Conference on Land Governance for Agricultural Development and Community Benefit held at the Senior Police Officer’s Mess, Kingtom, Freetown on 11^th – 13^th July 2016

 We the participants,

having discussed issues pertaining to land governance for food security, agricultural development and community benefit and considering the critical nature of land tenure in Sierra Leone and the connections between land ownership, livelihood especially for the poor and marginalized and failure to protect and promote human rights;

acknowledging the respective roles of the multiple stakeholders (state, private sector, Development partners, civil society, media, traditional leaders); and being desirous of supporting nation building, protecting and promoting tenure rights, peaceful co-existence, national development and for government to be accountable; demanding that

relevant laws, policies and strategies promoting economic growth, peace,  prosperity, food security  and poverty alleviation; ensuring that

the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (VGGT), the implementation of the National Land Policy and ensuring that issues on land natural resources and the environment are fully provided for in any future new  Constitution.

 Do identify the under-mentioned issues:

1.      That the vast majority of the people depend on land for livelihood, mainly through smallholder agriculture and mining.

2.      That land ownership in Sierra Leone is fraught with a lot of difficulties and confusions; existing challenges ranging from inequitable land access and large-scale land acquisition to lack of geo-spatial and cadastral information system, conflicting interest of land use for public and private purposes, and corruption.

3.      That evidences of injustice in the land sector arising violations of women’s tenure rights, marginalisation of other vulnerable groups, criminalisation of land rights defenders, informal and unplanned settlement of land disputes, non-transparent processes and agreements that do not reflect the value of land for land-owning families and land users, environmental degradation and deforestation could be a recipe for violent conflicts if left unaddressed.

4.      That the act of determining land lease prices by government for community and family land, and the 50% tax levied on lease fees is considered unfair and irrational.

5.      Evidence of power imbalances and weak capacities to claim rights as most communities do not benefit from investments in land while at the same time losing the basis of their livelihood.

6.      The Cabinet approval of the current National Land Policy (2015) is commendable but concerted action and engagement by the civil society, administration and local authorities is required for the realisation of justice and equity in land tenure.

7.      The effective implementation of the new land policy shall require new institutions and mechanisms for effective and meaningful participation of man and women in Sierra Leone.

To this end, we demand the following:

1.      That there is a need for harmonization of efforts among relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA) and other stakeholders in developing and implementing land related policies with clearly defined roles and responsibilities.

2.      Strengthening the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for the Responsible Governance of Tenure of land, Fisheries and Forest [VGGT] in the context of national food security.

3.      That non-citizens ownership of land in Sierra Leone be limited to leases not exceeding 25 years and renewal every 10 years, subject to approval of  community members land owning families.

4.      That a National Land Commission and decentralized land committees be established that ensure representation of civil society, land owners, land users, women and youth.

5.      That certain outdated land laws be repealed by Parliament in order to engender fairness and equity in the ownership and use of land in the country.

6.      That Land management and use should be within the context of promoting poverty alleviation, food security, livelihood and engendering national economic development.

7.      That special emphasis be placed by the government and other relevant stakeholders on addressing issues affecting women and other vulnerable groups in land acquisition, ownership and access.

8.      The role of civil society is acknowledged as facilitating agent for meaningful and peaceful participation of communities affected by large scale land investments.

9.      That Government demonstrates strong political will in the implementation of the National Land Policy and effective natural resource governance.

10.  The state shall facilitate and not hamper or criminalise civil society efforts to monitor the implementation of the VGGT, but strive to maintain cordial community-investor-state relations through dialogue and non-violent engagements.

11.  That awareness raising, sensitisation and monitoring of land documents/instruments be supported by the state and development partners for effective and efficient land governance.

12.  That Government commits to invest more funds to support the speedy implementation of the National Land Policy as well as to facilitate the enactment of a new land law for Sierra Leone.

In conclusion

We the participants of this National Land Conference commit ourselves to increase collaboration and coordination in order to give a voice and power to our people-for the benefit of Sierra Leone.

We encourage everyone with this line of our National Anthem:

LAND THAT WE LOVE,
OUR SIERRA LEONE

When a Catholic Father Honours His Vows

Special Feature

When a Catholic Father Honours His Vows

By Abdul Kandeh Turay

Growing up as a kid in Italy, little Maurice could hardly imagine that his life would one day make a meaningful impact on the lives of many in a small African country called Sierra Leone.

He had to abandon his comfortable life in Europe to come to a war torn country in Africa at a crucial time when many were packing their bags to leave, citing security concerns.

Till today, the Catholic Priest, Maurice Boa, has no regret choosing to come down to Sierra Leone to serve humanity and God Almighty.

I really wanted to tap from the reservoir of experiences Father Maurice Boa has gained over the last two decades, especially the most touching ones bordering on humility and human relations.

He has spent 21 years working to impart knowledge in the lives of Sierra Leoneans, young and old. I lured him into an exclusive interview without formal protocols of a prior notification about my visit. It was the first time for me to meet with the catholic priest in his modest office at the Murialdo Institute compound, Kissy, in the east end of Freetown.

“At the beginning when I came to Sierra Leone the problem was the war”, he began to recall the genesis of his life in Sierra Leone.

Maurice started helping amputee victims since 1997 in Murray Town and Waterloo in 1999.   

The high level of cruelty displayed by the rebels during the war touched him personally, for which he set himself on a mission to help out.

He met the first set of amputees in Makeni and later in Waterloo where he said he had his first baptism of a very terrible and bad experience.

He told horrible tales of a child whose hand was cut off with machete when rebels entered the church where they were taking refuge.

Worst of it and to his greatest surprise, the rebels burnt a plastic bag and dropped the melting fire into the eyes of the little girl at the time.

“She is a woman now of 25 years attending the Freetown Teachers College (FTC)”, he said quietly.

Another one, the catholic father said, was when he sat down one day with a little girl whose arm was completely amputated. Father Maurice’s emotion was charged with sorrow as the girl narrated her ordeal that she can’t forget what happened to her. Every day she looked at herself, her body reminds her of that cruelty. 

“I have forgiven them”, the catholic father repeated exactly what the girl told him. That of course he remembered to be a touching experience in his life for a girl to forgive those who chopped off her hand.

It became incredibly difficult for Father Maurice to come to terms with the girl’s courage to forgive her perpetrators irrespective of the cruelty she suffered in their hands. The girl, he explained was 13 years at the time. But thanks to God, he told me, 

“She is now doing fine, and is in school”.

Till today, after 20 years of working in Sierra Leone, amputees still continue to benefit from accommodation, education and medical facilities in most of the homes the Father built for them. 

He is currently constructing a pediatric hospital at Waterloo for the children whom he considered to be the most vulnerable and easy to die. The Murialdo Home which till now since the war provides social services including education for amputees is among the numerous projects Father Maurice can be seriously proud of.

According to Father Maurice, the Murialdo Home at Low Cost, Kissy, “Is the first home for amputees in the country”.

On the achievements recorded by the home so far, Father Maurice informed that the home has groomed hundreds of amputees, some of whom are in universities and two presently in Italy pursuing further studies.

Apart from the amputees, he is also helping the deaf, dumb, blind, leaper and orphans. For the orphans, the catholic priest is presently assisting 134 Ebola orphans in Waterloo in addition to giving micro finance credit to youths.

The Roman Catholic priest noted that his overriding goal is to make amputees become self reliant or less dependent on others for their survival.

The priest has spent his entire adult life in Sierra Leone working as a philanthropist and educator, alongside his mission’s agenda.

Maurice’s love for humanity is a passion that builds up in him, and one that has made him become a noble and notable servant of God, serving the needy and socially marginalized in society.

He is a blessing to thousands of kids who lost either arms or limbs to heartless individuals.

“Presently I’m helping Ebola orphans with the help of my friends in Italy”, he concluded.