Country Updates on Human Rights and Democracy 2017: Sierra Leone

 Sierra Leone

Overall situation

The progress which Sierra Leone has achieved in human rights and democracy since the end of the civil war is remarkable. However considerable challenges persist, largely due to poverty, governance issues and entrenched cultural perceptions. Since the end the Civil War in 2002, Sierra Leone has successfully held three peaceful multi-party elections and prepares for Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Council elections in March 2018. The human rights legal framework is satisfactory; the principal challenge continues to be implementation. The Sierra Leone Human Rights Commission (SLHRC) is an effective monitoring body. There is some concern regarding the government’s tendency to tighten control of civil society space, a more restrictive approach to freedom of peaceful assembly and dampening freedom of expression.

EU human rights and democracy objectives include promoting gender equality and protecting woman’s rights, supporting the integrity of electoral processes, protecting civil society space, freedom of expression, improving conditions in detention, abolition of the death penalty, enforcement of legislation against child labour and exploitation, reduction of poverty and improved access to justice, health and education.

EU action – key  focus areas

The EU Delegation and the resident Member States United Kingdom, Germany and Ireland are actively engaged in actions related to human rights and democracy. This is being achieved through regular political dialogue and related contacts with the government;  through support to human rights stakeholders, in particular the HRC and civil society; though development cooperation; through delivering of key messages on human rights, democracy and the rule of law  as part of public and private discourse as appropriate.

An Article 8 Political Dialogue meeting with President Ernest Bai Koroma took place on 29 May 2017. Human rights were a prominent part of the dialogue, with main focus on the upcoming 2018elections, freedom of expression, gender equality and woman’s rights, civil society space, abolition of death penalty. President Koroma visited the Brussels on 31 October 2017, and was received by President Tusk and Commissioner Mimica. Among the issues discussed were the preparation for the 2018 elections, as well as women’s rights, death penalty and freedom of expression.

In 2017 the EU and Member States were in permanent and very fruitful dialogue with the government at all levels and with electoral bodies and stakeholders on electoral issues. There was, however, limited progress on some issues that have been on the EU agenda with this government in 2017 too. Despite previous commitments to achieve progress on these issues, by the end of 2017, it became clear that there would be no further progress on FGM, abolishment of criminal libel, woman’s empowerment to participate in political life, death penalty.

EU bilateral political engagements 

EU and Member States are providing important support to the electoral process in Sierra Leone in preparations for the 2018 elections. In April 2017 a UNDP multi-donor programme “Support to the National Electoral Commission” was established, with funding from the UK, Ireland and the EU Delegation. The EU Delegation is supporting National Elections Watch (NEW), an umbrella CSO with over 300 member organizations to support activities before and during the 2018 elections. UK is providing support to Civil Society consortium to support inclusive, non-violent elections through monitoring hate speech, supporting participation of marginalised groups and increasing public awareness. To help manage this risk of violence in March 2018, the UK-funded International Security Advisory Team (ISAT) are training some Sierra Leone police in public order management.

The EU Delegation and UK supported – through a UNDP led basket fund – the constitutional review process, which aimed to increase inclusive democracy and national cohesion and align the 1991 constitution to international human rights norms. The Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) finalized its report and presented it to the President on 25 January 2017. The government elaborated the White Paper on the report of CRC and presented it to the Parliament at the end on November 2017, rejecting the majority of proposals, notably those on providing 30% quota on woman’s political participation and abolishment of the death penalty. As there was not enough time to take any action before the dissolution of the Parliament on 7 December 2017, the original timeline that envisaged a referendum at the end of 2017 was not be respected and further action will have to be determined by the next Parliament and Government.

EU financial engagements

The EU Delegation supported the local NGO Prison Watch and its work on improving the human rights situation in detention centres. The UK supported the Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone (HRCSL). Ireland provided support to The Human Rights Defenders Network – Sierra Leone.

Ireland provides focused support to gender equality and women’s rights issues, including gender violence, education of pregnant girls, women’s customary rights, women’s participation in governance.

The EU Delegation started an EIDHR project in 2017 led by the INGO GOAL in collaboration with World Hope International and the Sierra Leone Labour Congress to address human trafficking, child labour and decent work issues. 

UK supported an access to security and justice project in order to increase access to efficient, effective, impartial and accountable human security and justice, especially for the poor, vulnerable and those living in remote and marginalised areas.

Multilateral context

In January 2016 Sierra Leone participated in the second cycle of Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the Human Rights Council. Many of the recommendations returned to the issues already identified during the first review in 2011 that had not seen much improvement in the interim. Of 208 total recommendations the government this time noted 31: 6 on LGBTI issues which had been noted also during the first review cycle, but in addition to that also 18 recommendations regarding FGM/harmful traditional practices, 4 on education of pregnant girls and 3 on gender equality.