A young man has died in a shocking orgy of political violence in a northern town of Sierra Leone where by-election was being held on Saturday 6th March 2021, in Ward 192 constituency 057 Kambia District in the Samu Chiefdom.
According to sources the young man is alleged to have been shot by security forces after fighting broke out between supporters of both the ruling SLPP and main opposition APC parties.
The by-election which took place yesterday, Saturday 29th March 2021, was called by the National Electoral Commission (NEC), after the death of a sitting local councillor representing the opposition NGC party.
The violence which marred yesterday’s polling – prompting the NEC to cancel the election, has exacerbated the political row between the ruling SLPP and the main opposition APC, with the later accusing the SLPP of murder. (Photo: Young man dead in election violence in Sierra Leone).
According to reliably sources, police are in the manhunt for Kelvin Kamara for provoking the violence which lead to the death of an APC youth. An eye witness account revealed that Kelvin Kamara went to scene to rescue his mother who was the APC chairlady in the ward and party observers, as she was been manhandled by irate SLPP youths. Himself and some of his colleagues manage to forceful rescued her and escape with his mum leaving the chaotic scene behind, few minutes later a gunshot was heard which led to the death of one youth just after the arrival of the armed police officers.
The police are yet to make a statement on yesterday’s violence and the death of the young man.
According to family sources Kelvin fled the country to neighbouring Guinea for his safety.
Few weeks ago, another young man died in a police narcotics raid at a village in the Mile 91 area of northern Sierra Leone.
Investigations into the death of the young man in Mile 91 is ongoing, but the police and army have denied responsibility for his death.
Yesterday’s political violence and death of a young man in the Kambia district, is just another reminder of the fragility of peace building efforts in Sierra Leone, after ten years of brutal civil war which ended in 2001, leaving over 50,000 people dead.
While Sierra Leone has held three general and presidential elections since the end of the war, there are fears the country may plunge into another civil unrest, if efforts are not found by political parties and the government to find a common ground to resolve serious post-2018 election governance issues and distrust.
