Renowned Sierra Leonean author Ishmael Beah has strongly criticized the Office of National Security (ONS) for its targeting of international observers in the hours leading up to the announcement of the presidential election results on 24 June.
Beah expressed deep concern over the escalating situation following the elections, particularly the government's issuance of a press release from the national security sector that specifically targeted independent election observers. He highlighted that international actors, including the United States, Germany, Ireland, and the European Union, had recognized the important work of these observers.
According to Beah, this approach mirrors the government's tactics used during the August protests to suppress the rights of Sierra Leonean citizens to voice their concerns and protest peacefully.
Furthermore, Beah criticized the government's utilization of a vaguely worded cyber security law to label protesters as "terrorists and insurrectionists." He noted that this law has even been used to arrest bloggers who merely expressed their opinions.
Beah's condemnation of the Office of National Security comes in response to their press release targeting a local elections observer group called National Election Watch (NEW). The ONS disputed the authenticity of a report made by NEW, which had been mistakenly regarded as accurate by development partners. The joint communique by six development partners, stating that the 24 June elections lacked transparency, was influenced by the analysis provided by NEW.
Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL) announced the re-election of the incumbent President Julius Maada Bio as the winner of the presidential election, contradicting the earlier statement by NEW that the election would proceed to a runoff.