By Foday Moriba Conteh
Mabel Akuwa Roberts, a prominent political activist and founder of the civil society group Voice of the Voiceless, became one of several opposition-aligned figures who reported escalating harassment and intimidation during a period of intense political tension in Sierra Leone.
Known for her outspoken criticism of the government of President Julius Maada Bio and her advocacy on behalf of marginalized communities, Roberts had steadily gained national attention. Through her organization, she mobilized young people, many of whom were affiliated with the opposition All People’s Congress (APC), to speak out on issues of governance, hardship, and human rights abuses.
In the lead-up to the August 10, 2022 protests, Roberts was among several activists accused without formal charges of inciting unrest. The protests, sparked by economic grievances and growing frustration with the government, were met with a brutal crackdown by state security forces. Human rights groups documented multiple civilian deaths, including reports of close-range shootings, and the use of force against unarmed demonstrators.
During and after the unrest, Roberts reported multiple threats to her life and livelihood. Allegedly targeted by supporters of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), she experienced what family members and colleagues described as politically motivated intimidation. Her home was reportedly visited several times by unidentified individuals in plain clothes. In one instance, community members claimed that ruling party sympathizers threatened her publicly, accusing her of “undermining state stability.”
She was also accused without legal basis of sponsoring youth involved in the August protests because members of her organization where alleged spotted in the protest. She was invited by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Sierra Leone Police and was released after 24 hours. While the Sierra Leone Police did not formally charge her, her name circulated in government-aligned media and unofficial lists of “agitators,” increasing public suspicion and endangering her safety.
On several occasions in October 2022, the Sierra Leone Police stormed Roberts’ residence in an attempt to arrest her reportedly acting on what insiders described as “orders from above.” These raids often occurred in the early hours of the morning and were carried out with aggressive force. However, due to timely tips from neighbors and sympathizers, Roberts narrowly escaped arrest, further escalating her fear for personal safety and deepening concerns among civil society groups about the politicization of law enforcement.
On several occasions, she received threatening messages from unknown individuals and was also attacked multiple times at her workplace.
A close associate of Evangelist Samson, the late chairman of the APC-aligned group TAGMEN who was shot and killed by security forces in Makeni few days after the same protests, because he was label as one of the instigators of the protest. Roberts had worked with him on advocacy campaigns through their respective organizations. Their collaboration and joint public appearances were often used by critics to label her as a “political instigator,” despite her assertions that her activism was peaceful and rights-based.
Since then, Roberts has remained a polarizing figure in Sierra Leone’s civic space. To some, she represents the voice of the voiceless; to others, a challenge to the status quo. What remains undeniable is that the events of 2022 marked a troubling chapter in the country’s democratic landscape where the line between activism and criminalization became increasingly blurred.
Civil society organizations have since called for greater protections for human rights defenders and an end to politically motivated harassment. As Sierra Leone continues to grapple with balancing national security and civic freedom, the experience of Mabel Akuwa Roberts serves as a cautionary tale of how dissent can be dangerously misconstrued as disloyalty.
