By Ibrahim Alusine Kamara (Kamalo)
The SLPP Paopa government would not cease narrowing the democratic space of Sierra Leone by endangering the civil liberties of Sierra Leoneans through unfavourable laws. Now, the Sierra Leone House of Parliament has again passed into law the Anti-Terrorism Act 2024, which many view as more dangerous than the repealed Seditious Libel Law in the 1965 Public Order Act.
Like the Public Order Act that was tailored by Prime Minister Sir Albert Margai in 1965 to suppress free speech and political opponents, analysts say the Counter-Terrorism Act 2024, which Parliament has just passed into law on 11th March 2025, contains sections and clauses that criminalize free speech, academic freedom, free press, opposition and dissent.
Many believe the new law would do more harm than shape the nation’s good, and Sierra Leoneans cannot still come into grips why an Anti-Terrorism Law could be of essence in real time when the nation is in no way, not even a little bit, threatened by terrorists’ activities.
Suspicion, therefore, is such that the Counter-Terrorism law may have been crafted by the powers that be as a tool to silent opponents, thus eliminating democracy and turning the nation into one of worldly dictators.
The fear of the citizenry is especially mounted when shortly before the enactment of the law President Bio was on the air telling the world how he has failed to change things in Sierra Leone, blaming the failure on democratic tenets and norms.
Analysts opine the country’s curse is not from speaking truth to power, nor those who protest for their voices to be heard and concerns addressed, but the anathema comes from the fact that those entrusted public offices have turned themselves into real enemies of the state, plundering the sacred fruits of the general masses to satisfy their whims and caprices.
Therefore, while laws that incriminate protesters, critics, opposition and dissenting voices have always added insult to our fledgling democracy and not of essence for national peace and development, Sierra Leoneans’ expectation had been the enactment of stringent laws that halt corruption, economic mismanagement and drug trade – activities that are impoverishing Sierra Leoneans, and denting the country’s integrity internationally,
No true acts of terrorism have been recorded to have occured in post-independence Sierra Leone, except the 11-year brutal civil strife. It could be rather unfortunate that at a time when democracy should be heightened, laws and certain behavioursare put up to thwart its progress!
Anti-democratic activities are the main cause of much suffering in Sierra Leone today. Politicians bask on self-seeking overtures at the peril of national progress. The dire result is resources are lacking to roll out job opportunities, setting in not just unbearable cost of living, but lack of basic necessities, many of which remain luxuries, not right any longer.
By its contents, the Counter-Terrorism Law seems not being about national security, but political security for the ruling class, as it is a desperate attempt to muzzle opposition voices, independent journalists, and activists who expose government failures. Emphatically, it could be another tool for repression, suppression and oppression!
However, if things remain in a state of flux as it stands, it then follows that there is no hope in anything, as the future of Sierra Leone remains bleak, and our children and their children will ask what we in this generation were doing when the all the odds, bad and ugly were occurring!