The dying daylight hours of Saturday witnessed unpleasant scenes in the diamond-rich district of Kono with the outbreak of a violent confrontation in Koquima between supporters of the ruling All People's Congress and the main opposition Sierra Leone People's Party as the latter held its campaign in the dirtsict. The orgy left dozens badly injured and property worth millions of Leones destroyed.
ccording to eyewitnesses, police fired tear gas to disperse angry youth of both parties but that did not dampen them.
The district chairman of SLPP, Hamed Tamba Pimbi told Politico that crowds of his party's supporters were violently attacked by those of the APC as they arrived at APC Attaya Base in Koquima. He alleged that the opponents had arrived at the Attaya base apparently prepared with heavy stones which they used to pelt at them.
Pimbi alleged that the attack was well orchestrated by the APC District Secretary General, Tamba Richard Fillie and Ali Kalay commonly known as Ali Belay-Belay and known to be a staunch supporter of the APC especially of the vice president Samuel Sam- Sumana.
He maintained that Ali passed them at a place called Gun Point and drove to Koquima where he alleged he alerted their supporters to go on the attack. Pimbi said that on their arrival they saw stones coming from the Ataya Base ‘”to which we also retaliated to protect ourselves’. He described Ali as the ‘’blue-eyed boy’’ of the VP who he said always plans violence for the APC in the District.
He accused the SLPP of inciting violence “to gain sympathy from the international community and the public”. He maintained that they as a party denounce and condemn any acts of violence and accused SLPP supporters of demolishing their Ataya Base, looting the home of the APC chairlady in the area and breaking windows of the hokes of their supporters in Koquima.
Ali Belay-Belay said he did not orchestrate any violence against the SLPP. He told Politico that during the SLPP rally “I only went to there with the Local Unit Commander of the Motema Police Division on a private issue not clad in any party colour”. He alleged that on his return to his house at Old Yengema Road, he was put under siege for several hours by students supporting SLPP allegedly led by Numu Jabbie, the SLPP constituency chairman of constituency 20. He furthered that his house was damaged and the attackers used obscene languages against his mother and the mother of the Vice President, allegations which the SLPP constituency chairman denied.
Jabbie said that the students that were rallying with them were bonafide supporters of the SLPP party ‘’and they have their constitutional rights to belong to any party of their choice which they have demonstrated” . The Crime Officer at the Tankoro Police Division Inspector Abdulai Kemokai told Politico that they had received reports from 27 people from both political parties. He said the offences range from wounding to looting and destruction of property. He assured that when investigations were completed arrests would be effected and suspects charged to court.
A day after the violence, the Political Parties Registration Commission in Kono convened an emergency meeting of political parties and other stakeholders and condemned both political parties and accused thme of undermining the peace process in the district.
Karifa Tarawalie who is the mediation and programme assistance for PPRC said that before the campaigns the political parties had made a commitment to the commission that they would respect the call for peaceful elections. He described as “ugly” and “shameful” the fact that Kono was regularly in the news for political violence. He called on the police to bring to book all those involved, to set an example for others.
Mohamed Bangapoma Bangura, the district coordinator of the Office of the National Security (ONS) said that “we outrightly and unequivocally condemn the nacked aggression and violent act of the two parties.” He also condemned the use of children for perpetrating violence and use of abusive languages on authorities on the street during rallies.
(c) Politico 30/10/12
