The wave of political violence in Sierra Leone in recent months, and the reluctance of the government to clamp-down on those alleged to be responsible for much of the political violence was the main topic of discussion yesterday, when women from the All Political Parties Women’s Association (APPWA) and Women’s Solidarity Support Group (WSSG) called a Press conference to express “profound disappointment about the continued senseless political violence” in certain parts of the country.
In total silence, the jam-packed hall at the YWCA, Brookfields listened as Yasmin Jusu-Sherriff supported the call for women to march in black to protest against the rising spate of violence in the country. She reminded the gathering that the world is still in recession and that the money that was made available to Sierra Leone to end the 10 years rebel war is no longer there.
“What happened last weekend at Fourah Bay is a disgrace; the state of the country is a disgrace, our political leaders are a disgrace and it is a disgrace we here are talking about violence, after the international community had spent so much money in this country in recent years,” Madam Jusu-Sheriff stated.
According to her, most of the money spent by the international community to end Sierra Leone’s fratricidal war was from poor people in other countries, noting that today; the world is in a serious economic recession with people in those developed economies losing their jobs. As such, she pointed out, there will be no more money this time round to usher peace if we allow our political leaders to take the country back.
Calling on women to send a very powerful message to political leaders that Sierra Leone cannot stomach another spate of political violence, she warned that we are in “slippery slope” and that the women should use “gender power” to change things in Sierra Leone.
“We should encourage women to register and to vote come election, but that political leaders should be warned that if the right actions are not taken to stop political violence, they will forfeit our votes during elections in November 2012,’ she warned sternly.
According to Ms Maud Peacock, in the coming days, women across the country will meet to march in black in protest against political violence. The march is a message to the political class that politics is not about war.
Barbara Bangura, in her contribution agreed that there are women who are also involved in political violence but assured the gathering that it is matter that is receiving the full attention of the Women’s Solidarity Support Group, WSSG-a coalition of Women’s organizations and individuals.
By Winston Ojukutu Macauley
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