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Anger over inflation, freedoms mark start of S. Leone presidency
FREETOWN, July 26, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Sierra Leone’s president, Julius Maada
Bio, has encountered strong headwinds since he took office in April, buffeted
by mounting concern over inflation and freedom of speech.
Condemnation has been such that on Monday, police bluntly cautioned the
public against making “misleading, disrespectful and inciting statements”.
These “have the tendency to create tension, chaos and instability in our
society,” it said in a statement, which was in capital letters.
“The public is advised to desist from these acts,” it quoted police chief
Richard Moigbe as saying.
“Violators would be expeditiously made amenable to the law. You have been
warned.”
The stark notice — which caused an uproar among campaigners, journalists
and social media users — comes as authorities have cracked down on a wave of
protests and dissent.
During an election campaign marred by ugly verbal exchanges and sporadic
violence, Bio promised to fight graft, to review mining concession agreements
and to provide free universal education at the primary and secondary levels.
– ‘Near-collapsed’ economy –
The former British colony is recovering only gradually from a decade-long
civil war and an Ebola outbreak which killed thousands. Investors are
returning, albeit slowly.
“The new government is doing well on tax collection, electricity and the
fight against corruption,” said Andrew Lavalie, who heads the research body
Institute of Governance Reform.
A report commissioned by the government and published last month said
“rampant corruption” in the former administration had led to the “near
collapse” of the country’s economy.
While that government projected the economy to grow by 6.1 percent in
2018, Bio’s administration said the outlook had fallen to 3.7 percent, mostly
because of the closure of several iron ore mines.
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In its first months, the government took measures aimed at restructuring
the economy and boosting development, from reducing government spending to
providing free education.
Fulfilling one of his campaign promises, the straight-talking retired
brigadier declared in May that all primary and secondary school-age children
would start receiving free education in September.
Easing the financial burden on the heavily indebted country, the World
Bank agreed to fund $40 million (34 million euros) of the programme.
Sierra Leone also signed a major agreement to create the African
Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) — billed as the world’s largest in terms
of participating countries — joining 48 other countries.
To fight corruption in one of the world’s poorest countries, five
officials of the previous government were arrested in the past month.
“This is a war against corrupt officials,” Francis Ben Kaifala, the new
anti-graft boss, told reporters in Freetown in early July.
– Protests –
But opposition has grown nonetheless, as a rise in fuel prices announced
in the new budget earlier this month prompted the first protest since the new
president came into power — a march soon aborted by police, who arrested its
leader.
The fuel price hike was announced on July 13 as part of a wider budget
released as Bio clocked 100 days in office.
Then on Monday, opposition leader Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray was
questioned after criticising the government in an interview.
“Intimidation over free speech cripples our combined efforts to move this
country forward, democratically,” Peter SaSellu, who chairs the Institute for
Good Governance, said in a statement after the incident.
Leading rights group Amnesty International has warned that the Bio
administration failed to restore the right to demonstrate and to prosecute
police officers who killed protesters under the previous regime.
Protesters still require permission from the police to assemble — a right
infrequently granted in recent years.
– ‘We go to bed without food’ –
And on Freetown’s run-down streets, residents complain of living standards
staying stubbornly low — or worsening.
Inflation in May stood at over 15 percent, according to the government.
“Prices for rice, flour, sugar and even pepper in the market have gone
beyond our reach, we sometimes go to bed without food,” Hawa Bangura, a
single mother of three, told AFP.
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