The Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), in a release dated July 4, 2022, condemned "an alleged assault of a journalist by soldiers of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF), in Waterloo," 18 miles from the capital Freetown.
According to SLAJ, their colleague, Maada Jessie Jengo, senior producer and presenter of Voice of Peace and Development (VOPAD) Radio, FM 96.5 in Waterloo, Western Rural District, was alleged to have been beaten by military personnel while heading to his office.
The President of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), Ahmed Sahid Nasralla, said, "The actions of those soldiers are totally unacceptable in a democracy. An attack on any journalist is an attack on press freedom. I, therefore, urge personnel of the RSLAF to respect the Memorandum of Understanding we have with the security sector to protect and support one another’s role in our democracy. "
It could be recalled that, since the repeal of the Criminal and Seditious Libel Law in 2020, Sierra Leone has made significant strides in press freedom. Sierra Leone has moved 29 places higher from 75th position out of 180 countries. The passing of the Independent Media Commission Act, 2020, and the addressing of minimum conditions of service of journalists and other media workers, along with media pluralism,
The increasing pace of arrests, harassment, intimidation, and detention of journalists in the country before the repeal, prompted the executive of SLAJ to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Security Sector in November 2021, as a foundational importance for the two to realising press freedom.
In a press release, the Sierra Leone media condemned the police and the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) for allegations of arrests, harassment, intimidation, and detention of journalists nationwide.
According to the media release, the journalist (Maada) was on his way to his office on Saturday, July 2, 2022, at around 13:00pm to 14:00pm at the Five-Five fuel station in Waterloo.
The journalist alleged that they ran into a black jeep with registration number ANK 156 carrying four soldiers, including a high-ranking officer. He said the jeep was parked in the middle of the road, denying access to them, which led them (himself and the rider) to make a comment against the action of the soldiers.
He said the officer disembarked the jeep and started beating both of them. He said he bore the brunt of the assault after the bike rider managed to escape, leaving him at the mercy of the angry soldiers.
The journalist said though he pleaded with the soldiers to stop beating him, they allegedly seized his phone and recorder, and during the process, he lost the sum of one million six hundred thousand Leones.
The attack on Maada Jessie Jengo, senior producer and presenter of Voice of Peace and Development (VOPAD) Radio, FM 96.5 in Waterloo, is the sixth journalist that has been allegedly beaten, harassed, intimidated, and or detained within and outside the country while on duty, working travel, and or for issues relating to the digital space, by the Sierra Leone Police, military personnel, or politically exposed persons (PEP), between January and July 2022.
In February this year, Alusine Antha of Eagle Africa was allegedly beaten while covering a land dispute in Waterloo. Solomon Maada Joe, of Radio Bo, was detained by police in February. Gibril Gottor, a TV reporter and his family, were reported to have survived an attempted murder in April 2022.
In May 2022, Chernoh Alpha Bah, publisher of the Africanist Press, was reported to have received a death threat and charges of treason, while Sorie Saio Sesay, producer of Radio Okentuhun in Kamakwei, was arrested and detained for 6 days by the police, and Maada Jessie Jengo, of Voice of Peace and Development, was allegedly beaten by military personnel in Waterloo, while on working travel.
According to SLAJ, the journalist, Maada Jessie Jengo, had made a formal report at the Waterloo Police Station and obtained a medical report on the same day of the incident. The release said the journalist is currently responding to treatment but complains of bodily pains as a result of the kicks and punches from the soldiers.
The Sierra Leone media expressed disappointment that even though the journalist was clearly identified by his T-shirt, the soldiers reportedly went ahead to assault him in the manner they did.
It went on, "SLAJ is calling on the security sector (the RSLAF and the SLP) to respect citizens’ fundamental human rights."
SLAJ President, Ahmed Sahid Nasralla
Amazing