Sierra Leone: The Most Peaceful Country – Global Peace Index

As Global Peace Index Report Ranks Sierra Leone Most Peaceful Country …

The Global Peace Index (GPI), which measures the relative position of nations’ and regions’ peacefulness and ranks 163 independent states and territories according to their levels of peacefulness, has released its 2018 report ranking Sierra Leone among the most peaceful countries in the world.

Addressing party stalwarts at the party HQ over the weekend, National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Cornelius Deveaux, attributes this feat to the remarkable leadership of former President Dr Ernest Bai Koroma whose tenure (2007-2018) is the most peaceful period in the country’s history since independence in 1961.

“The All Peoples Congress notes with extreme satisfaction that, while the average level of global peacefulness declined for the fourth consecutive year, the Global Peace Index report 2018 ranks Sierra Leone as the most peaceful country in the West African subregion; the third most peaceful country in Sub Sahara Africa and the 35th most peaceful country in the world”, the National Publicity Secretary told grieving youth leaders still mourning the death of an APC zonal chairman killed recently by supporters of the ruling SLPP.

In Congratulating Sierra Leoneans for achieving this feat, the APC spokesman continued to say “the party wishes to bring to the attention of the SLPP Government that such an enviable ranking was possible because of good governance and respect for human rights, alongside an increased level of societal safety and security, the non existence of domestic conflict and non militarization of the operations of government under the then APC government of Dr Ernest Bai Koroma, and particularly in the last year”.

The party, he said, is deeply concerned that the spate of constitutional breaches and human rights violations in tandem with the deteriorating level of societal security and safety, the worrying signals of domestic conflicts and the militarization of the operations of government by this SLPP regime pose a serious challenge to Sierra Leone maintaining this enviable ranking in the 2019 and other subsequent reports.

The National Publicity Secretary of the opposition APC, Cornelius Deveaux, also pointed out the mismatch between the words and actions of the President as the most significant to peace and stability in Sierra Leone.

He pinpointed the ominous silence of both the SLPP government and party in condemning acts of intimidation and violence perpetuated by their supporters and members against their peers in the APC, since President Bio was declared winner of the March 31st 2018 run off election in questionable circumstances by NEC, noting that NEC is still yet to publish that election results as prescribed by the Public Elections Act 2012.

The APC also views the nonchalance of the SLPP Government to make public the findings of the ONS led inter party reconciliatory team, which was established to look into issues of post election violence, as a deliberate cover up, he explained.

“In recognition and honour of this enviable ranking, the need for Sierra Leone to remain peaceful is overarching; the APC, therefore, wishes to remind the SLPP government of it’s constitutional obligation to ensure societal safety and security and to require both the SLPP government and party to, without any equivocation, condemn and treat as serious the various acts of intimidation and violence being perpetuated, on both innocent citizens and affiliates of the APC, by its members and supporters,” the APC spokesman admonished.

This call, he stated, enjoins the Sierra Leone Police to speedily conclude ongoing investigation into series of human rights abuses and threats to societal safety and security and to bring to book those responsible for the killing of the APC Sheriff Drive Zonal chairman.

He concluded by imploring the SLPP government to govern Sierra Leoneans with the dignity and respect they deserve, noting that the unbridled acts of intimidation and violence are waning the pat

Source: Adebayo Johnson/Starr Radio UK Sierra Leone