VZCZCXRO7768
RR RUEHPA
DE RUEHFN #0434/01 3071813
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 031813Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY FREETOWN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2968
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 FREETOWN 000434 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/W (JHUNTER) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/02/2019 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM SL
SUBJECT: OCTOBER POLITICAL ROUND-UP - FREETOWN 
 
REF: FREETOWN 392 
 
Classified By: Political/Economic Officer for reasons 1.4 (b/d) 
 
¶1. (U) Summary: October highlights include an investigation 
into acts of political violence and intolerance, concern over 
the Bankole Thompson Commission of Inquiry report on the 
March riots, intra-party tensions, and new commercial 
interest in Sierra Leone from the Iranians. The country 
hosted a Brazilian delegation, and hopes to improve its 
fisheries sector through help from the World Bank and the 
possible termination of the EU ban on Sierra Leonean fishing 
exports. End Summary. 
 
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POLITICAL VIOLENCE INVESTIGATED 
------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) President Koroma established an Independent Review 
Commission to establish the facts relating to incidents of 
political violence and intolerance that occurred during the 
month of March 2009 in Gendema (Pujehun District), Freetown 
(Western Urban) and Kenema (Kenema District). The committee 
will determine the roles and responsibilities of political 
parties, law enforcement agencies or any other persons or 
groups in inciting or carrying out acts of violence. The 
committee will also recommend measures to be taken and 
mechanisms to be put in place to effectively prevent the 
occurrence of any such incidence in the future. 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
POLICE DENIED SLPP WOMEN PERMIT TO DEMONSTRATE 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶3. (C) The Women's wing of the opposition Sierra Leone 
People's Party (SLPP) application to the Inspector General of 
police for permission to stage a peaceful demonstration on 
October 6 was denied. The wing planned to protest the Bankole 
Thompson Commission of Inquiry report, which determined that 
the charges of rape related to the March political riots at 
SLPP headquarters were untenable in law (reftel). The police 
reportedly refused the request because of other events taking 
place in the area that day, but the SLPP claimed that it was 
a deliberate APC conspiracy to prevent their voices from 
being heard. The demonstrations were intended to be carried 
out in the four regional headquarters towns, to urge the 
government and the international community to ensure justice 
for victims of the March 2009 rape incident. Comment: The 
delayed SLPP response to the report was vitriolic and 
inaccurate. For example, the SLPP stated that the Commission 
stated categorically that rapes did not occur on March 16, 
though the report only said that charges of rape were 
untenable in law - likely because neither the victims nor 
witnesses could identify the alleged perpetrators, the 
evidence was scant and contradictory, and the current rape 
law provides no latitude with which to prosecute individuals 
who encourage or support others to commit acts of sexual 
assault. The SLPP claim to have the interests of all rape 
victims at heart, but have politicized this report so much 
that they have failed to accurately criticize real issues of 
concern: for example, the report said that charges of rape 
could not be proven in a court of law, but did not state that 
this does not mean that rapes did not take place. Some legal 
advocates for gender-based violence victims worry that the 
report relied too heavily on medical evidence, which is 
unsophisticated in this country, and that future cases could 
be thrown out of court if medical evidence presented is 
inconclusive. While the APC government has seemingly buried 
the Commission's suggestion to continue the police 
investigation and potentially prosecute individuals under 
different laws, the SLPP have buried meaningful issues in 
their attempt to demonstrate that the Commission's 
determinations are a result of a political conspiracy against 
them. Both parties have lost their opportunity to use this 
case as a means to add meaningfully to the discourse 
surrounding gender-based violence that needs to be had in 
this country. End Comment. 
 
------------------------------ 
IRANIAN TRADE FAIR IN FREETOWN 
------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (C) On October 18 the ARIAN Trade and Investment Group 
started a three-week trade exhibition in Freetown. The 
Manager of ARIAN Trade and Investment Group said his 19-man 
delegation from Iran brought more than ten exhibition goods 
to organize the trade fair. Dr. Mofidi said Sierra Leone is 
an ideal investment destination, but advised that the country 
needs to partner with international businesses in order to 
increase its exports. He said an Iranian delegation will 
shortly visit Sierra Leone to help develop plans for the 
 
FREETOWN 00000434  002 OF 002 
 
 
setting up of a variety of industries. Comment: The Iranian 
focus in Sierra Leone has largely been cultural and 
spiritually-oriented to date: post is unaware of any 
Iranian-owned businesses currently operating in the country, 
or Iranian investors. This visit signifies a potential change 
in the bilateral relationship between Iran and Sierra Leone. 
End Comment. 
 
---------------------------------------- 
SLPP GRIPPED BY CONSTITUTIONAL IMBROGLIO 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (C) Following their loss in the 2007 Presidential 
election, the SLPP decided to re-energize the party by 
revising its constitution. The revised draft, now publicly 
available, stipulates that members of the national executive 
are ineligible to contest for the position of Presidential or 
Vice Presidential Nominee. It also gives enormous power to 
the Executive, including over candidates and elected 
officials. There is now a call by Dr. Abass Bundu (former 
foreign minister, former Executive Secretary ECOWAS, 
Constitutional lawyer, consultant and leader and presidential 
candidate of the now defunct Peoples Progressive Party) for 
the revised constitution to be handed over to the Political 
Party Registration Commission PPRC to prevent current party 
leadership from tampering with it. Dr. Bundu has threatened 
to sue the party if it fails to submit the revised 
constitution to the PPRC. National Party Chair John Benjamin 
accused Bundu of mischief, calling the threat "most 
unfortunate." The Deputy National Chairman said the Party 
will not submit the revised constitution to the PPRC because 
the process by which it was adopted was "flawed." Discussions 
about how to revise the constitution continue. Comment: Some 
within the SLPP fear that Benjamin will keep the current 
constitution to enable himself to stand as the presidential 
candidate in 2012. Though Benjamin has claimed in media 
reports to be uninterested in the position, his failure to 
move the revised constitution suggests otherwise. The SLPP 
has been wracked with in-fighting in recent months, despite 
gaining new members from the still-dissolving PMDC party. 
Benjamin has proven to be an unpopular and ineffective leader 
for the floundering party. End Comment. 
 
------------------- 
BILATERAL RELATIONS 
------------------- 
 
¶6. (U) Ambassador Bockarie Stevens signed a 15 million dollar 
agreement to support the Sierra Leonean fishing industry on 
October 2. Ambassador Stevens signed the loan agreement with 
the World Banks, International Development Association 
(IDA), which will strengthen the capacity of the government 
to target certain economic threats, like illegal fishing, 
while increasing the local value-added to fish products. The 
funding was approved under the West Africa Regional Fisheries 
Program. 
 
¶7. (U) The government hosted a delegation from Brazil on the 
14th and 15th October in Freetown. This followed President 
Koroma's State Visit to Brazil at the invitation of President 
Lula in August 2009. During that visit, both presidents 
committed themselves to strengthening the economic 
cooperation and diplomatic ties between the two countries, 
including the establishment of resident missions in both 
countries and promoting investment by Brazilian firms in the 
Sierra Leonean economy. The 22-member delegation was led by 
Brazil's Vice Minister of Commerce, Ivan Joao Ramalho, and 
included officials from both the government and private 
sector. The delegation engaged public and private sector 
officials in the country with special interest in priority 
sectors such as agriculture, infrastructure, energy, and 
health. 
 
¶8. (U) An EU Inspection Team arrived at the end of the month 
to evaluate and examine whether the country's fisheries 
facilities meet the criteria for exporting fish and fishery 
products to the EU market. While speaking at a meeting on the 
Joint Maritime Committee (JMC), Minister Haja Afsatu Kabba 
said her ministry has complied with most of the EU 
requirements for fish exports, including water quality tests 
and the completion of a pre-questionnaire. She spoke about a 
five-year World Bank fisheries project on governance and 
deterring illegal fishing in Sierra Leone. Minister Kabba 
also commended a recent joint operation by the U.S. Coast 
Guard and the Sierra Leone Navy resulting in the capture of 
some illegal vessels in the country. 
FEDZER