Sierra Leone was not honoured in this year’s US Democracy summit organized by the president of the Republic of America Joe Biden.
The December 2021 Summit will kick off a year of action by participants to make democracies more responsive and resilient, and to build a broader community of partners committed to global democratic renewal
The aim is to show how democracies can deliver on the issues that matter most to people: strengthening accountable governance, expanding economic opportunities, protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms, and enabling lives of dignity.
The summit also will show how open, rights-respecting societies can work together to effectively tackle the great challenges of our time, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, and growing inequality. The U.S. government will announce commitments in areas such as bolstering free and independent media; fighting corruption; defending free and fair elections; strengthening civic capacity; advancing the civic and political leadership of women, girls, and marginalized community members; and harnessing technology for democratic renewal. The United States will also hold itself accountable to these commitments on a global public stage.
Following consultation, coordination, action, and delivery of results in subsequent months, the President will host an in-person Summit approximately one year later. During the second Summit, we can take stock of the progress made and forge a common path ahead.
Democracy and human rights are under threat around the world. Democracies, whether in transition or established for decades are confronting serious challenges from within and outside of their borders. Public distrust and the failure of governments to deliver equitable and sustainable economic and political progress has fueled political polarization and the rise of leaders who are undermining democratic norms and institutions.
Across the globe, weak state capacity, tenuous rule of law, high inequality, and corruption continue to erode democracy. At the same time, authoritarian leaders are reaching across borders to undermine democracies, from targeting journalists and human rights defenders to meddling in elections, all while sowing disinformation to claim their model is better at delivering for people. Hostile actors exacerbate these trends by increasingly manipulating digital information and spreading disinformation to weaken democratic cohesion.
As President Biden has said “we have to prove democracy still works and can improve people’s lives in tangible ways. To do that, democracies have to come together, to rejuvenate and improve our open, rights-respecting societies from within; to stand together in defending against threats from autocracies; and to show we can address the most pressing crises of our time”.
The Summit will also provide an opportunity to reflect, listen, and learn, as well as to plan and act, so that we can build a shared foundation for global democratic renewal
Summit for Democracy: Invited Participants
Albania
Angola
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Bahamas
Barbados
Belgium
Belize
Botswana
Brazil
Bulgaria
Cabo Verde
Canada
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Democratic Republic of Congo
Denmark
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Estonia
European Union
Fiji
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Grenada
Guyana
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Kenya
Kiribati
Kosovo
Latvia
Liberia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Malta
Marshall Islands
Mauritius
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Mongolia
Montenegro
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Niger
Nigeria
North Macedonia
Norway
Pakistan
Palau
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Republic of Korea
Romania
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
Sao Tome and Principe
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
South Africa
Spain
Suriname
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Timor-Leste
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tuvalu
Ukraine
United Kingdom
Uruguay
Vanuatu
Zambia
Ban Timber Logging in Koinadugu & Falaba Districts
– CSOs Demand
The Activists for Democracy and Human Rights (ADHR) a Civil Society Organization which advocates for the promotion of Democracy, Good Governance, and Human Rights by democratic instruments in Sierra Leone and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has called on the government of Sierra Leone to do the needful and ban timber logging in Koinadugu and the Falaba Districts.
Edward Marah, Executive Director of ADHR made this call in a press release dated 20th November 2021, saing that they are saddened that timber logging in Koinadugu and Falaba Districts has not in any way benefited both districts rather than enriching individuals’ pockets at the detriment of the people. Millions of logs have left both districts leaving the people in tears and disbelief.
Our findings are that timber logging has brought untold suffering for the people of Koinadugu-Falaba Districts and has caused climate change, deforestation, deaths, soil erosion, fewer crop yields, floods, and increase in greenhouse gases, destruction of roads, theft, housing challenges, Teenage pregnancy, prostitution and a host of problems for the indigenes of both districts.
Timber logging and deforestation in both districts have also caused the extinction of animals and plants due to their loss of habitats. 70% of land animals and plant species live in forests. Not only do timber logging and deforestation threaten species known to us, but also those unknown.
The trees of the rainforest in both districts that provide shelter for some species also provide the canopy that regulates the temperature has also been destroyed with more drastic temperature variation from day to night much like a desert, which could prove fatal for many inhabitants in the coming months and years.
A large number of forests are cleared away, allowing exposed earth to wither and die and the habitats of innumerable species to be destroyed.
The indigenous communities of Koinadugu-Falaba depend on the forest to sustain their livelihoods are also under threat. The level of immediacy is exponentially greater for the indigenous people.
The timber trade is causing extinction which government has a responsibility to address along with the causes of environmental change so that future generations can rely on the vital services provided by the district ecosystem through forest preservation.
ADHR calls on the government to immediately launch a robust tree planning program in Koinadugu-Falaba to increase the forest area and should give every village a patch of forest to manage as its responsibility. This is an effective way of preserving forests, for if villagers own the trees around them they usually manage them well, to preserve their benefits for the future.
ADHR also calls on the government to fulfil its commitment made to reforest the country at the just-concluded climate change conference to protect and promote our environment.
ACTIVISTS FOR DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS
PRESS RELEASE
TIMBER LOGGING/DEFORESTATION TAKE AWAY KOINADUGU-FALABA HAPPINESS
Activists for Democracy and Human Rights (ADHR) a civil society organization advocating for the promotion of Democracy, Good Governance and Human Rights in accordance with democratic instruments in Sierra Leone and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has called on the government of Sierra Leone to do the needful and ban timber logging in Koinadugu and the Falaba Districts.
We are saddened that timber logging in Koinadugu and Falaba Districts has not in any way benefited both districts rather than enriching individuals’ pockets at the detriment of the people. Millions of logs have left both districts leaving the people in tears and disbelief.
Our findings are that timber logging has brought untold suffering for the people of Koinadugu-Falaba Districts and has caused climate change, deforestation , deaths, soil erosion, fewer crop yields, flooding, increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, destruction of roads, theft, housing challenge, Teenage pregnancy, prostitution and a host of problems for the indigenes of both districts.
Timber logging and deforestation in both districts has also caused the extinction of animals and plants due to their loss of habitats. 70% of land animals and plant species live in forests. Not only do timber logging and deforestation threaten species known to us, but also those unknown.
The trees of the rainforest in both districts that provide shelter for some species also provide the canopy that regulates the temperature has also been destroyed with more drastic temperature variation from day to night Much like a desert, which could prove fatal for many inhabitants in the coming months and years.
As large amount of forests are cleared away, allowing exposed earth to wither and die and the habitats of innumerable species to be destroyed.
The indigenous communities of Koinadugu-Falaba depend on the forest to sustain their livelihoods are also under threat.
The level of immediacy is exponentially greater for the indigenous people.
The timber trade is causing extinction which government has a responsibility to address along with the causes of environmental change so that future generations can rely on the vital services provided by the district ecosystem through forest preservation.
ADHR calls on the government to immediately launch a robust tree planning program in Koinadugu-Falaba to increase the forest area and should give every village a patch of forest to manage as its own responsibility. This is an effective way of preserving forests, for if villagers own the trees around them they usually manage them well, so as to preserve their benefits for future.
ADHR also calls on the government to fulfill its commitment made to reforest the country at the just concluded climate change conference in order to protect and promote our environment.
NO SPACE FOR TIMBER LOGGING ABUSE IN KOINADUGU AND FALABA DISTRICTS
END.
Edward Marah
Lebanese Threatens to Kill
By Feima Sesay
Allieu Jaffar a Lebanese national has been dragged to court before Magistrate Mark Ngegba of court No.2 for allegedly using threatening
Languages to wit ‘kill’ one Ibrahim Sahid Akkad.
The accused who made his first appearance in court was arrainged on two counts of threatened language contrary to section 3 of the public order act 1965 and public insult and provocative.
The charge sheet states that the accused on Monday 7 November 2021 by way of telephone call made use of threatened words against the complainant to wit “I will kill u and broke ur body”.
The charge sheet further that the accused at police headquarter in Freetown in view of the public and the complainant insulted the complainant for r him to commit breach of peace.
Led in evidence by lawyer Ngvao, the witness Ibrahim Sahid Akkad recognized the accused and recall on 7 March 2021.
He said the accused called him on phone and when the call was answered, he started shouting on me telling me that he will broke my hand and body and will kill me if I interfere on his business.
The witness said he left the phone on listen to the accused using insulting languages on him but didn’t answer because his wife and children were at home.
He said after the accused has finished insulting him he put the phone off and the accused called him again # but didn’t pick his call.
The witness said he then called his lawyer who instructed him to mae a report.
He said on the following day he went to police headquarter at George Street to make a report and he was advised again by his lawyer to make statements at CID HQ.
He said at CID his lawyer and the police officers were trying to settle the issues and they told both of them to sign documents to keep the peace but the accused refused to sign and there he started using insulting languages at him again by calling him a thief and he made statements to the police.
Cross examination by defense counsel Pateh Bah the witness said the incident happened on Sunday and he made report on Monday.
He said during the phone call the accused call him Buk Haram and after the accused has finish insulting him he called his lawyer who instructed him on what to do.
At this juncture, Pateh Bah made an application for bail on behalf of the accused that he is resident in Freetown and he has reliable sureties.
The accused was granted bail by the Magistrate in the sum of fifty million Leones and one surety in like sum.
Surety must be employed and bail must send approved by the Deputy Acting Register.
The matter was adjourned to 6 December 2021.
