The security sector has condemn the solidarity protest staged by youths in Makeni on Wednesday. In a press release signed by the National Security Coordinator Brig. Gen. John Jah Tucker, the sector said the incident was an act of lawlessness.
“The security sector wishes to express its utter dismay with regards the incident that occurred in Makeni hovering on the planned engagement between the Anti-Corruption Commission and former President Koroma”, the sector said. It also noted with clear manifestations, the lawlessness and inciteful behavior of a cross section of the youths, their sponsors, and cohorts in restraining the ACC and other law enforcement officials from having constructive engagements with the former president.
“The security sector wishes to emphasize that it has the constitutional mandate for the maintenance of law and order and that any further action that serve as impediment to this effect will be viewed with utter dismay and punitive actions will be instituted to forestall such. It must be noted that there is still a ban on secret societies and hence their use as occurred in Makeni will not be countenanced….”, the release added.
Meanwhile, some of the youths who protested said they were peaceful and never interrupted any lawful process. They told Mountain Waves they believed their action was not lawless because they did not attack any individual plus they did not destroy any public property. On the issue of using secret societies which are banned under the State of Emergency, some of the youths said there have been larger gatherings across the country for political reasons and theirs was just a selected few who wanted to show solidarity to the former president.
Another youth said Makeni has gone through a lot within a short period of time. “Protests, arrests, killing allegedly by security officials and other unfair treatments has forced us to be constantly demanding for our rights and also showing solidarity to former President Koroma”, he said.