The Director of Public Relations and Information at the Ministry of Defence Lieutenant- Colonel Issa Bangura has warned members of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) to stay off coups.
Colonel Bangura also reminded army personnel that their constitutional mandate is protecting territorial boundaries and defending the constitution of the country.
He narrated his admonition to the soldiers during a radio interview on the 28th August 2023, citing a two-day seminar held by members of RSLAF to reorient their roles and responsibilities in order to preserve democracy and the rule of law in the country.
The symposium came after an alleged coup plot in which some members of the RSLAF were named as part of the faction of people who wanted to unseat the constitutional government. The alleged attempted coupists are currently under investigation.
He said that the seminar did not only target commanders in various units in Freetown but also the provinces, adding that the symposium was the first part of the roll-out integration message whereby members of RSLAF are reoriented about their roles in governance. “Coup is a source of impediment to democracy and development,’’ he said.
The seminar reiterated the importance of RSLAF to be loyal to the constitution as well as subordinate themselves to the civilian authority of the state.
He noted that there is no justification to stage a coup in the country because the constitution provides that “our mandate is to protect the constitution and that RSLAF is a symbol of national unity’’.
He said some members of the RSLAF misconstrue the concept “to protect the constitution’’ in different ways. He said if the military stages a coup, it will automatically disable the constitution and institute decrees. He said that in the event of dissolving the constitution or instituting a military regime, it will lead to loss of lives and property. “At that point you are no longer protecting the constitution but doing the opposite,’’ he said.
He said there are lots of implications to anybody wanting to stage a coup which literally involves destruction of lives and property, extensive human right abuses, extra-judicial killings, military rivalries, mistrust by the public and international isolation.
“Coup will discourage international partners and that will definitely lead to serious consequences on the government of Sierra Leone,’’ he said.
He acknowledged that while the challenges still exist in the military, he said they have an internal communication platform where the aggrieved soldiers can speak to issues that are of utmost concerns and therefore find solutions afterwards. He said that the seminar is an added advantage to the military in which he said the platform will encourage dialogue among themselves.
He further said that the symposium is part of the solution to the growing litany of challenges within the Army which include political affiliations and tribalism. He further admonished them that RSLAF is bound to work in concert with the other state securities, and by extension civil society at large.
“RSLAF is expected to be a neutral instrument of national power which is accountable to the civilian leaders devoid of any political sentiment. It should be proud to be the champion that flourishes democracy within the state. Also, it is expected to be apolitical,’’ he said.
In a bid to instill professionalism in military personnel, he said the symposium created awareness among RSLAF personnel on the whole to be content and also to be partisan- restrained. “We are expected to be solitarians and not politicians,’’ he said.
He therefore encouraged RSLAF to be rooted in loyalty and duty bound and that because there are deployments in all provincial headquarter towns, very soon the seminar will extend to all those districts when the resources are available.
He however noted that the message for the provinces would be centered on tribalism, which has emerged as a perennial challenge in the face of RSLAF.
