By Millicent Senava Mannah
In order to respond to numerous allegations made a rights based organization, the Campaign for Human Rights for Rights and Development Sierra Leone (CHRDI-SL), the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces convened a Press Briefing on the 6th of January 2022 at the Ministry of Information and Communications Conference Room.
Assistant Chief of Defence Staff, Operations and Planning in the Ministry of Defence, Brigadier General Ronnie Harleston, informed newsmen that the 20 reported Sexual Harassment cases and over 200 Gender Based Violence cases as stated by CHRDI-SL is indeed absolutely not to the knowledge of the hierarchy of the military as an institution.
He furthered how they have instituted an investigative panel, maintaining that at this material moment they don’t have evidences or proofs related to all the allegations made against the military.
Brigadier General Ronnie Harleston maintained that as a statutory institution the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces is governed by laws underscoring how sexual exploitation has no place in the RSLAF.
He underscored that there is nothing like unregulated tribunals within the Army and that the individuals at the Five Battalion (Wilberforce) who disclosed monies were paid to unregulated tribunals by commanding officers and the Regimental Sergeant Majors is a misnomer and not correct.
He stated that they are guided by the policies of the Sierra Leone Armed Forces Act that spells out conditions binding all military personnel as well as consequences for violations, adding whenever there are breaches appropriate penalties are meted out.
The Assistant Chief of Defence Staff of Operations and Planning further disclosed how they also have a traditional justice mechanism which administers various forms of discipline like the Mammy Queens, chiefs whom, he said, are part of their governance structure going forward to also state how they do levy fines and take disciplinary actions at certain levels.
He highlighted that corruption and impunity have no places in the RSLAF maintaining that the allegation made by CHRDI is not correct.
“There is an ongoing investigation about the 290,000 dollars mentioned by CHRDI to have been misappropriated and we are calling on everybody to wait patiently for the outcome of the ACC investigation,” he appealed.
He continued that the Gender Equal Opportunity was tasked with varying activities like the implementation of Gender Mainstreaming agreed upon within the RSLAF which includes the setting up of a Gender Equality Opportunity Office.
The Budget Accountant of the Ministry of Defence, Mr. Kamara, said the budget for the Ministry of Defence like those of other MDAs in the country is subject to procedures, revealing how the Military prepares its budget and sends it to the Ministry of Finance for approval.
Other senior military personnel present also made certain clarifications stating that most of the allegations raised by the rights based organization border around hasty generalizations.
It could be recalled that inter alia the Campaign for Human Rights and Development International (CHRDI), stated that it has uncovered credible evidence of corruption, sexual harassment, and serious human rights violations in the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF).
According to CHRDI they documented over 20 sexual harassment recorded cases and over 200 gender-based violence (GBV) cases across several military barracks in the country.
It was further indicated that the organization interviewed several individuals at the 5 Infantry Battalion, stationed at Wilberforce, who provided details on how money ends up in the pockets of unregulated tribunals held in the military barracks, headed by Commanding Officers (COs) and Regimental Sergeant Majors (RSMs).
According to Abdul Fatoma, the Chief Executive of CHRDI : “We find it extremely disturbing to uncover such serious allegations of corruption and impunity among top level RSLAF staff, which clearly undermines the country’s efforts to combat sexual-based violence and corruption”.
He continued that their findings point that corruption and mismanagement within the RSLAF remain endemic stating how that has led to less transparent military budgeting, spending and procurement.
“Our investigation found out that a grant of over $290,000 USD (two hundred and ninety thousand US dollars) received by RSLAF in 2010 from the Norwegian Government, through the Government of Sierra Leone/Ministry of Defense (MoD) to promote gender equality and protect army personnel from sexual harassment/assault, has been mismanaged and is currently under investigation by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC),” he stated adding that since May 2020, the ACC has been investigating an offence alleged or suspected to have violated the Anti-Corruption Act, 2008.
Fatoma continued that while that investigation is yet to be concluded, the Gender and Security Sector Reform Project continues to suffer from multiple alleged corruption and gross mismanagement.
It was also stated that in late July 2021, the Head of Gender and Equal Opportunities (GEO) wrote a letter to the Bank asking for an opportunity to regain access to the remaining $49,619 USD from the initial grant from the Norwegian Government.
Fatoma said according to their sources, the donors are unsatisfied with the implementation of the project, particularly with the several allegations of misappropriation and mismanagement of the project funds.
It maintained that while the project appears to be under criminal investigation by ACC, the MoD recently sent a letter to the Accountant General’s office to nominate four (4) senior MoD staff to serve as signatories to the remaining funds for the Gender and Equal Opportunities project.
“Our findings also revealed troubling incidences of corruption at the 34 Military Hospital at Wilberforce barracks, Freetown. Documents in our possession show that the X-ray machine at the 34 Military Hospital has been inoperable (since 2017) and, as of the date of this press release, it has not been repaired. Documents with reference number JFCCR/4030, show that 21 staff members of the MoD / RSLAF, and one representative of the supplier for the X-Ray machine formed an expert verification team which met to evaluate whether the X-ray films were correct or not, but issued no statement on their findings,” Fatoma highlighted.
He said they also found out that MOD and RSLAF personnel have been collecting over $36,000 USD (thirty six thousand US dollars) for quarterly payments from the State for X-ray films. However, whilst charging the Government for X-ray films, the 34 Military Hospital was sending military patients to private hospitals for X-ray scanning at the patient’s personal expense.
“We also observed that the medical storage facility is too small and despite the several recommendations that have been made to expand the facility, there has been no progress,” it was also alleged.
The rights based organization stated that they believe that for far too long, women have been subjected to gender-based discrimination and violence in the workplace and when no one is held accountable; it creates a hostile environment for all survivors, and sends a message to criminals that they can act with impunity.
“Violence against women in the Army should be stopped. Proactive steps should be taken at all levels to end sexual harassment within RSLAF, as many of these women do not only serve their country with the same level of sacrifice as men do, but they also serve their families and, in many cases, they are the primary caregivers to children and the elderly in their household. Serving women in the RSLAF/MoD should be given the respect and recognition they deserve. We have evidence that despite the Government’s efforts to address sex-based abuses, a lack of accountability for official misconduct and mechanism to hold perpetrators accountable persisted at all levels of the Army, contributing to widespread impunity.
