By Nasratu Kargbo
A group of campaigners in Sierra Leone has issued a solidarity statement regarding the ongoing situation in Palestine, stating that they stand with the people there in the face of assaults by Israel.
The statement was issued by the group on the 14th March 2024.
The campaigners in their statement explained that despite Sierra Leone being far away from Palestine, they are concerned about what they described as the ongoing genocide which they note speaks to Sierra Leone’s story and that they cannot look away.
They stated that their shared struggles with oppression and experience with war, embody the essence of their collective responsibility to stand in solidarity with those facing oppression, regardless of how far apart Sierra Leone is to Palestine.
“In Palestine and so many other places at this moment, we are reminded that the colonial project is still alive and the belly of the beast has never been this exposed. The lies, murders, and massacres televised” a part reads.
The statement explains that the level of atrocity the world has witnessed is yet to trigger a collective outrage, stating that “It is an indictment of humanity, we cannot keep playing small and allowing our suffering to keep us from standing with Palestine”.
They stated that neutrality in the face of injustice is dangerous, and is a convenient delusion that allows all to distance themselves from the harsh realities of oppression.
One of the Campaigners Wadi Williams who is a Sierra Leonean Activist and Politician said “Palestinian people endure a nightmare of systemic oppression. I was 17 when I first learned about it. I'm now 73, and Palestinians are still enduring indiscriminate violence and oppression. It is upon us to not dilute this reality."
Another campaigner, Feminist Activist Josephine Kamara stated "The same forces that once enslaved our ancestors are now fueling these atrocities, displacing us, exploiting us, erecting barriers and borders, facilitating land occupation, and deciding whose lives hold more value, basically calling the shots on who deserves to live or die... Don't get caught up comparing struggles; the real fight is against colonial legacies that breathe racism, patriarchy, and deeply entrenched poverty, which still force us to rely on our oppressors for aid."
The group in their statement also referenced Sierra Leone’s government position at the United Nations Security Council on the 24 January 2024, where the Chief Minister stated in his concluding remarks; “Sierra Leone condemns the rhetoric and rejects any attempts to remove Palestinians from the Gaza Strip or the West Bank either temporarily or permanently...Sierra Leone calls for accountability for all those responsible for violations of international law in particular International humanitarian law and those crimes of serious concern to the
International community”.
The group therefore called on the country’s leaders to move beyond mere words and stick to their commitments.
“We demand that, in holding Israel accountable, Sierra Leone ends all plans to open an embassy in Israel and a diplomatic Israeli mission in Sierra Leone.”
Copyright © 2024 Politico (18/03/24)
