FREETOWN UNDER FIRE: POLITICAL VIOLENCE CREATES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 FREETOWN 000099

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR AF/W (JHUNTER/ESPRUILL)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/16/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM SL
SUBJECT: FREETOWN UNDER FIRE: POLITICAL VIOLENCE CREATES
CHAOS IN THE CAPITAL

Classified By: Ambassador June Carter Perry for reasons 1.4 (b/d)


1. (C) Summary: APC and SLPP members clashed on the evening
of March 13, and despite a calmer weekend, Freetown erupted
with violence on March 16 as political battles continue to be
waged. Party events on March 13 led to SLPP Headquarters
being stoned, and several vehicles owned by SLPP leadership
burned out. Tempers calmed over the weekend, but flared again
on March 16, and the SLPP headquarters once again allegedly
came under fire by a mob of APC supporters. Sierra Leone
Police (SLP) officers deployed to control the scene used tear
gas and may have fired live ammunition. The downtown area is
now cordoned off, with many businesses and government
buildings closed. Ambassador met with SLPP leadership on
March 16 to discuss their concerns, and has communicated with
other members of the diplomatic corps. The UN Executive
Representative of the Secretary General is hosting a meeting
on March 17 with Chiefs of Mission to discuss the situation
and possibly begin mediation between the parties. End Summary.

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MARCH 13 EVENTS
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2. (SBU) On March 13, the mayor of the Freetown City Council
(FCC) unveiled a newly refurbished clock tower in the city's
east side. The FCC is almost exclusively APC, and crowds of
party supporters attended the unveiling and then followed the
mayor back to his office, which is adjacent to the SLPP
headquarters. The crowd allegedly chanted anti-SLPP songs and
threw rocks at SLPP supporters standing around the party
headquarters. These supporters allegedly responded by pelting
stones at the crowd, escalating the violent clashes between
them. Some reports indicate that several people were injured
in the melee, and the two vehicles parked in the SLPP
compound were torched. During the clashes, the SLPP radio
station repeatedly announced that their headquarters were
under attack, essentially urging supporters to join the
crowds and come to their aid. The radio station claimed that
two people were killed (Note: This is unsubstantiated, and
have not been repeated. End note). SLPP supporters allege
that the SLP did nothing to stop the attacks and even
provoked the crowds to further violence. On March 16 the
Minister of Information, APC member I.B. Kargbo alleged that
SLPP Secretary General J.J. Saffa used the radio station to
call on the military to intervene, since, in his view, the
SLP were not doing their jobs.


3. (C) Emboffs visited the SLPP headquarters site on March
14, at the behest of Party Chairman John Benjamin. The damage
to the building had not been exaggerated: many windows had
been shattered by stones, and the husks of the vehicles
remained in the compound yard. Windows in some nearby
buildings had also been broken. Information shared by SLP and
the UN may indicate that the SLPP were not merely bystanders
in the evening's events, however; the SLP have intelligence
suggesting that SLPP supporters heckled the APC members at
the mayor's office, and then threw petrol bombs at the crowd
outside the headquarters, igniting their own vehicles in the
process. SLP told a high-ranking UN advisor that they did as
much as they could to contain and stop the altercation, with
35 officers injured in the process, and that arrests were not
effected because their efforts were solely focused on
stopping the fracas. SLP allege that they have intelligence
suggesting that SLPP members, including high-ranking
officials, actually planned the event to discredit and
destabilize the APC government.

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MARCH 14: PARTY RADIO SUSPENDED
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4. (U) On March 14, Vice President Sam Sumana, standing in
for a traveling President Koroma, used executive powers to
suspend the APC and SLPP radio stations. He stated that the
suspension would last until Koroma returned from him trip to
India and addressed the situation (Note: Koroma returned to
Sierra Leone the night of March 15. End note),and further
said that the government will not tolerate any form of
violence in the country. The Information Minister supported
the Vice President's decision on March 16, saying that it was
a governance decision to restore peace and tranquillity to
the nation, rather than a politically-motivated one. The
minister went on to say that the suspension is only
temporary, that a full investigation into the events of March
13 will be undertaken immediately, and that those responsible
for the violence will face justice.


5. (U) Though party radio stations are often careful not to
be gratuitously inciteful, they do call on their respective

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supporters to assist when clashes occur, worsening already
tense situations. The Vice President thus suspended the
stations out of fear that they would be used to instigate
further incidents. However, the Sierra Leone Association of
Journalists condemned the ban, saying that it is "an attempt
to suppress press freedom," and called for an immediate and
unconditional lifting of the suspension. The Independent
Media Commission, the independent parastatal that registers
media outlets, monitors freedom of the press, mediates
complaints, and investigates actions taken by or against
journalists that are controversial or unlawful, allegedly
informed the Vice President that only they have the power to
suspend the stations. The Vice President countered that he
used constitutional authority as acting Head of State in
light of security concerns. As of March 16, the stations
continue to be off the air, though the parties are using
other stations to reach their constituents.

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MARCH 16: SITUATION WORSENS, BUT CONTAINED
--------------


6. (U) On March 16, violence erupted again at the SLPP
Headquarters during the morning rush hour. The building was
allegedly vandalized by an unidentified group believed to be
APC supporters. SLPP leadership allege that the SLP guard,
which has been protecting the perimeter of the SLPP
headquarters compound since March 13, allowed looters to
enter the building. These looters set fires in various
locations, attacked SLPP party members, raped seven women,
and destroyed office equipment. The SLPP Secretary General
gave a radio interview in the morning, asking all SLPP
supporters to defend the party against the attack, and
claiming that the SLP had failed to fulfill their
constitutional responsibility.


7. (C) Reports from various contacts indicate that the
looting and vandalism did take place, with SLP officers
finally regaining control of the building around 1400 hours.
The SLP used tear gas to disperse the crowd, and contacts
reported mobs of people running from the gas throughout the
downtown streets. Contacts also reported shots being fired,
though emboffs have yet to confirm how and where this took
place. With most of downtown cordoned off by a police
blockade, and businesses and offices closed, the heart of
Freetown is quiet as of 1730. Whether this calm will remain
overnight and into March 17 is unknown, particularly if the
blockades are lifted. It is currently unclear if tomorrow
will be "business as usual," and some contacts have said that
they will not re-open their businesses until the President
issues a statement and mediation between the parties begins.

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EMBASSY RESPONDS
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8. (C) Ambassador met with Foreign Minister Zainab Bangura on
March 16, and indicated her concern about the situation and
reiterated the need for unity between the majority and
opposition parties. Bangura responded that the problems are
being instigated by SLPP "thugs," but that she strongly
believes that Sierra Leone is one country and must be
governed as such. She also stated that the radio stations are
conduits for parties to insult one another, and that the
opposition should focus on the 2012 elections rather than
verbally attacking ministers and other members of government.
Ambassador stated the importance of having independent,
politically-neutral radio stations, especially in a country
known for its commitment to human rights and democracy.
Bangura ended her comments by saying that APC supporters want
the President to take SLPP members to task for their
perceived disinterest in unity, and made an oblique reference
to the fact that they could take matters into their own hands.


8. (C) Also on March 16, Ambassador met with SLPP party
leaders, including Benjamin, Saffa, and Regional SLPP
Chairman for the Eastern District, Ambassador Foyah. The
leaders placed the blame for the various incidents on APC
members and leaders, as well as saying that the SLP had
deliberately been derelict in their duties. They also stated
that the Vice President had been their primary government
interlocutor, but that his orders to the SLP to control the
violence had been ignored. They claimed that they had been
aware of the potential for the March 16 attack the previous
day, reported it to the SLP chain of command, but still had
minimal assistance. They warned the Ambassador that, though
violence is not their party's policy, various factions across
Sierra Leone could take retaliatory action. Saffa stated that
SLPP Members of Parliament are threatening to withdraw from
government, and that they will no longer attempt to interface

FREETOWN 00000099 003 OF 003


with government and APC leaders without the presence of an
international mediator. Benjamin told Ambassador that they
are appealing to the international community, as guarantors
of Sierra Leonean peace, to address this situation.


9. (C) Ambassador responded that Sierra Leone is a model in
the region as a peaceful, stable democracy. She warned
against a descent into violence and a withdrawal from
democratic institutions, saying that governments must strive
for unity for the good of their nations. Reminding them of
the poor conditions in Guinea as a result of their recent
coup, she said that a similar occurrence here could lead to a
suspension of good-willed donor support. She let the SLPP
contingent know that she had spoken with the Foreign Minister
about the March 13 incident, and that she would follow-up
with the UN Executive Representative of the Secretary
General. She advised that an international group could
mediate the parties' dispute, and the SLPP representatives
agreed that this would be welcome (Note: The UN is hosting a
meeting of COMs and party leaders on March 17. End note).

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COMMENT
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10. (C) Sierra Leonean party politics is rife with vitriolic
rhetoric and finger-pointing. Emboffs observed the damage at
SLPP headquarters, but it is unlikely that the SLPP are
wholly innocent victims in this latest round of party
clashes. Though one cannot condone the vandalism and alleged
violence against the SLPP, there is a strong likelihood that
they provoked their rivals. The SLPP are already spinning
these attacks against them as propaganda against the APC and
their ability to govern, even though the facts of the two
incidents and the subsequent government response remain
unclear. Though party interactions are frequently negative,
this incident represents a serious and significant decline in
their relationship. Without international community attention
and mediation, this situation threatens to spin dangerously
out of control, reducing a peaceful country to its previous,
unfortunate state of war. Post issued a warden message to all
AmCits, urging them to stay away from political events and be
mindful of current tensions. Further septel reports will be
provided in the coming days. According to UN sources,
President Koroma is slated to address the nation - a move we
believe is critical to demonstrate his leadership and
ameliorate the current state of affairs. End Comment.
PERRY