Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08FREETOWN417
2008-08-25 16:39:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Freetown
Cable title:  

PARTY FRACAS ENDS IN VIOLENCE FOR JOURNALISTS

Tags:  PHUM PGOV PREL SL 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO8124
RR RUEHPA
DE RUEHFN #0417/01 2381639
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 251639Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY FREETOWN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2137
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 FREETOWN 000417 

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR AF/W (JHUNTER)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/25/2018
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL SL
SUBJECT: PARTY FRACAS ENDS IN VIOLENCE FOR JOURNALISTS

REF: FREETOWN 237

Classified By: Charge Glenn Fedzer for reason 1.4 b.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 FREETOWN 000417

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR AF/W (JHUNTER)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/25/2018
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL SL
SUBJECT: PARTY FRACAS ENDS IN VIOLENCE FOR JOURNALISTS

REF: FREETOWN 237

Classified By: Charge Glenn Fedzer for reason 1.4 b.


1. (U) Summary: An altercation between SLPP and APC
supporters took a nasty turn on August 13, resulting in
damage to the SLPP Headquarters and the Freetown City Council
Offices, looting, and injuries. Sierra Leone Police (SLP) on
hand for crowd control allegedly intensified the situation by
firing tear gas canisters into the crowd and SLPP building,
and for refusing to protect reporters at the scene. The
crowds later moved to State House, where APC and SLPP leaders
met to discuss an end to the violence and rancor between
them. According to reports from various sources, protesters
outside State House were beaten and chased by the SLP and
members of the President's security team. Journalists
observing the situation were also injured, and many had
cameras, money, and phones stolen by members of the security
forces and protesters. Though party politics have continued
to play out in this post-election period via small-scale
protests and skirmishes, this is an unusual and troubling
event that will have larger implications for inter-party
relations and media freedom. However, immediate action to
investigate the incidents and prevent their recurrence is a
positive sign that, regardless of party affiliation, Sierra
Leoneans are ultimately committed to peace. End Summary.


2. (U) On August 13, SLPP and APC supporters clashed during
a political procession celebrating the inauguration of
Freetown's newly elected mayor. Supporters of the Mayor, an
APC member, marched past the SLPP offices on their way to
take up residence at the Freetown City Council building.
Exchanges of insults between party members denigrated into
physical clashes, with the SLPP alleging that APC members
stormed their headquarters and looted office supplies. Unity
Radio, the SLPP station that broadcasts from the site, urged
SLPP members to immediately come to their aid, stating that
supporters should observe the "APC brutality." The SLP
arrived on the scene and controlled the situation by
cordoning off the location and firing tear gas into the
crowd, which eventually dispersed.


3. (U) In the afternoon, senior members of the SLPP were
invited to State House to discuss the incident with the
ruling government. As party leaders met, supporters from both
sides demonstrated at State House, chanting for peace and
unity. Journalists on the scene reported that State House
security requested that the demonstrators move some distance
away from the main building, and were attacked by security
and SLP officers while doing so. Journalists also found
themselves under attack, allegedly by the security forces and
SLP for either being members of the SLPP party or for
recording their malfeasance. Seven journalists ultimately
came forward, claiming to have been injured and robbed. They
claim this happened even after they made clear that they are
members of the press.


4. (C) The details surrounding both events are blurred. At
the behest of SLPP Secretary-General Jacob Jusu Saffa, CDA,
Poloff, and Information Assistant visited the SLPP
headquarters on the afternoon of August 13 to observe the
damage allegedly caused by APC members and SLP forces.
Evidence of a struggle was clear, including small drops of
blood on the floors, broken windows, and tear gas still
present in the air. SLPP claims that the police fired tear
gas canisters at the windows, however, weren't categorically
proven. Though quick to show Emboffs canisters next to broken
windows, it wasn't conclusive that the damage and canisters
were fresh, with some evidence that the damage was staged
prior to Emboffs arrival.


5. (U) Circumstances surrounding the altercation at State
House is also unclear. Sources close to SLP leadership stated
that the heavy-handed nature of their use of force is at
least partially being blamed on slurs and provocations from
the "peace-loving" crowd. Reports also vary widely on who
carried out the majority of the violence: the SLP or the
State House security team, a controversial group comprised of
ex-combatants with questionable reputations. Partisanship on
all sides is skewing reports, making it a challenge to
determine the facts and where the majority of the blame
should fall.


6. (U) Despite this murkiness, action is being taken to
address the situation. The APC and SLPP released a joint
statement on August 13 condemning the violence and calling
for non-violence and political tolerance. The Human Rights
Commission issued a press release, requesting that political
parties behave responsibly and security forces act in
accordance with their Code of Conduct. The SLP have set up an
investigation team comprised of representatives from its

FREETOWN 00000417 002 OF 002


Complaint Discipline and Internal Investigations Department
and the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists to consider
the alleged attacks against journalists specifically. The
team will submit its findings to the Attorney General no
later than September 15, 2008.


7. (U) An unintended impact of this event may be the closure
of the two parties' radio stations. Earlier this year
(reftel),controversy was sparked the Minister of
Communications silenced the SLPP station, Unity Radio, for
failing to register or install its equipment according to
published guidelines. Though this situation devolved into a
finger-point exercise between the APC and SLPP, solutions
were ultimately found that allowed Unity Radio to resume
broadcasting with great fanfare and bipartisan support. That
incident, however, coupled with this most recent event and
the broadcast of inflammatory party rhetoric has led some to
question whether Sierra Leone is mature enough to support
partisan media. Radio is a particularly powerful tool in
Sierra Leone, and members of civil society have noted in
press interviews that it has been used in other African
countries, like Rwanda, to encourage lawlessness and war.
Given the heated and overblown reporting from Unity Radio
during the August 13 incident, which was directly responsible
for drawing larger crowds to the scene, it is possible that
ethical, responsible reporting may not be the mission or
objective of either Unity Radio or We Yone, the APC station.
One potential alternative to the closures being advocated by
the press and party leadership is to eliminate call-in talk
shows, which many believe would stop much of the inflammatory
language. Further discussions on the fate of the radio
stations is expected over the next few weeks, with the
involvement of the Independent Media Commission as well as
the Political Parties Registration Commission.


8. (U) Comment: This incident is yet another in a spate of
small-scale partisan disturbances across the country.
Attention is increasingly being placed on these incidents,
which can no longer be ignored or downplayed as isolated
acts. The joint press release is a good sign that party
leadership from both sides will work actively to support a
message of peace, though how such a message will be absorbed
by their membership is questionable. The attacks on
journalists by security forces is a cause for concern, but is
tempered by the immediate response to investigate the event
in conjunction with an independent organization. The incident
as a whole throws an unflattering spotlight on party politics
and security practices, but the willingness on all sides to
take positive action to address concerns represents progress
in a country where the effects of its brutal civil war are
still highly visible. End comment.
FEDZER