Human Rights in Sierra Leone February 2015

I have been asked about the Kono arrests recently and in particular the continuing detention of at least two Kono women since the first round of arrests took place.

Such activities have been called into question by various agencies as far back as the 19th November legal seminar in London: “Human Rights During Ebola”.  Numerous human rights issues were raised as can be seen in my blog at http://sahrfasuluku.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/yesterday-i-went-to-human-rights-during.html . These need to be openly discussed, and addressed in favour of local communities. Thomas Jefferson in his famous quote warned that people should not be afraid of their government.

One of the most significant questions of 2014-2015, which was raised at the above seminar and will resonate for years to come until it is finally and satisfactorily addressed is: “WHETHER THE LAWYERS AND JUDICIARY OF SIERRA LEONE WERE CARRYING OUT THEIR PRIMARY ROLE  AS PROTECTORS OF THE CONSTITUTION, THE LAW AND HUMAN RIGHTS?”

Needless to say this question must also be urgently extended to PARLIAMENT. Have Parliament and the Judiciary both challenged and insisted at every stage that the executive show to a very high standard that what it was doing was necessary, that its actions were the least restrictive and that there were no less restrictive alternatives that could have been equally effective in allowing them to reach their legitimate aims?  Did Parliament and the Judiciary challenge the government to disprove claims that they were encroaching on rights more than necessary to achieve their legitimate aims?

Re current detainees and arrest lists: Can anyone provide an accurate update of the names of those arrested, when, those still detained, the conditions  of their detention and names on arrest lists?

Newspaper Report of wildlife attack on villagers in Kono 20 February 2015

Still looking for further confirmation of this report by Samba, A (20 February 2015) " 'Baboons' Kill Town Chief in Kono" Awareness Times http://news.sl/drwebsite/publish/article_200527208.shtml (accessed 26 2 15). 

If confirmed I sympathise with the family and community of the aforementioned chief.

However I am concerned to note the tone of the report which seems to take great joy in the eradication of all of these wild animals. Firstly, while safety is an issue, to my understanding you do not confront a pack of dangerous wild animals, as they are likely to attack you if you do. There are ways to handle such situations that do not involve putting villagers in harm’s way. There are also ways to reduce the risk to communities without destroying our few remaining natural resources. However I see the extermination knee-jerk reaction in many rural communities around the world, which will inevitably lead to the extinction of already endangered species. We would not consider destroying the sea because it caused a natural disaster, nor would we consider destroying the air because it created a hurricane that wrecked thousands of homes. We would not destroy a river because someone drowned in it, in fact we would still view it as the bringer of life. We accept these aspects of nature without any ill will towards them, even when they are not alive. Although the tragedies are hard to understand,  we accept these reminders that we are not bigger than nature, which is another way of saying we are not bigger than God. So why is it that we are so easily prepared to eradicate other aspects of nature (flora and fauna) that are equally as important and deserve the same value if not more because they possess life itself. Is the only reason because we can exercise dominance over them but have no power over the rest of nature?

Secondly, as man encroaches further and further into the natural environment and destroys more and more forests and bush cover, animals are displaced from their natural habitats and relocate to other areas in search of food and habitat. This brings them into new areas they hitherto did not frequent and increases human-wildlife conflicts. The theory has already been proposed by many that this shifting pattern of displacement and relocation may have caused the ebola outbreak, due to increased proximity to human villages of displaced colonies of bats and other animals, increasing the likelihood of contagion. One trend I personally observed was farmers irresponsibly starting uncontrolled bush fires that travelled many, many miles beyond their own gardens, laying waste to miles of unfarmed hills and valleys as far as the eye could see leaving them bare of any cover. This phenomenon causes; loss of soil fertility and structure, loss of soil bioactivity, erosion of fertile soil due to exposure affecting soil and food security; negative effects on watersheds and ground water tables affecting water security; changes in microclimates; and destruction in the balance of all local ecosystems. It is no surprise that it also forces  animals to relocate into tighter and tighter areas, eventually coming into conflict with humans. Responsible and enforced environmental supervision is necessary not just for conservation of wildlife but for our own sustainable development and to encourage another highly lucrative mutually beneficial but neglected industry in Sierra Leone; Ecotourism.

Finally on an ethical note; Do we not have a responsibility as stewards to preserve the flora and fauna that God put on this Earth? To leave this Earth, its creatures and ecosystems as intact or better than we found them?   And if so, should we not be looking at sustainable prevention of conflicts between man and his environment (eg; restoration and replanting of destroyed forest and bush cover, to ensure animals are not competing with humans for survival space?).  

Tragedies such as the death of this town chief can be prevented with forward thinking.  Or is it the policy in Sierra Leone to eradicate all our natural resources completely, including the little remaining wildlife and natural environment that we have left?