POST ELECTION ATMOSPHERICS IN BO - SOME TENSIONS

UNCLAS FREETOWN 000634 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/W E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL SL SUBJECT: POST ELECTION ATMOSPHERICS IN BO - SOME TENSIONS APPARENT ¶1. (SBU) Summary: An October 16-19 visit to Bo by Embassy officers provided insight in to the dynamics of local adjustments to the new political reality. Some conflicts between APC and SLPP supporters have occurred in Bo, most recently on October 15 when APC supporters threw stones at the homes of SLPP supporters. Local council members and the police downplayed the incidents in discussions with Emboffs, but conversations highlighted that communication between the SLPP council members and the police is weak. Local government officials and police officials all reaffirmed their commitment to the peaceful political process, but more than verbal commitment will be needed. The international community will need to stay engaged. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) During an October 16-19 visit to Sierra Leone's second largest city, Bo, emboffs met with members of the city council, the district council, the paramount chief and a senior police official. The Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) has long dominated the councils and the paramount chief is a SLPP member. The loss of power by the SLPP in national elections has meant the local leaders are facing new challenges. All the officials reiterated their acceptance of the election results and the desire to work with the government of the day. One negative development has been that supporters of the victorious All Peoples Congress (APC) have been "provoking" SLPP supporters. The day before the visit by emboffs, APC supporters threw stones at the homes of SLPP members. In separate meetings, the city council member, district council member and paramount chief all expressed concern about the stone throwing and other incidents. (Comment: the paramount chief campaigned openly for the SLPP during the elections. End comment.) When asked what action was being taken by city or district councils to address and end such incidents, the officials stated that neither the city council nor the district council had taken or planned any action. The council members expressed their hope that such incidents were only a passing phase and would soon fade away. The Paramount chief, when he learned that poloff would meet with the police, asked that the emboffs raise the issue with the police. ¶3. (SBU) Emboffs later met with the Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Police, the most senior police official in the area. The AIG confirmed that some incidents involving APC supporters had taken place, but he downplayed their significance. He reaffirmed the dedication of the police to be unbiased and mentioned visits by police leaders from Freetown to reinforce this message. He characterized the APC partisans involved as young men, and suggested that limited economic opportunities contribute to the unstable situation. ¶4. (SBU) Another change in attitude is an increased interest in tapping the Embassy's Special Self Help fund. The Paramount chief has been aware of the SSH mechanism for some time, but no applications have been submitted from his office. He is now showing increased interest in the program. The FSN dealing with the SSH opined that now that the chief finds himself in the opposition, he may be more interested in SSH funds as there is more uncertainty surrounding funding from government channels. ¶5. (SBU) Comment: The request by the Paramount chief that Emboffs raise the question of local disturbances with the police makes it appear that local officials have a weak working relationship with the police. It is interesting that communication would be channeled through outsiders. This underlines the ongoing need for the international community to stay engaged in supporting democracy in Sierra Leone, if for no other reason than to facilitate communication between the players on the ground. End comment. PRATT