By- Aruna Rashed Toma Banura

The National Security Coordinator for the Office of National Security, Abdulai Caulker has told Journalists and Elections observation Missions that they have identified three major threats ahead of the general elections which are Social Media, Lawlessness and Indiscipline and Political intolerance during a press conference held at the ONS Headquarters at Tower Hill on past Friday 16th June, 2023.

Updating pressmen and internal and external election observers on the preparedness of the security sector for the June 2023 elections and the critical issues being dealt with before and after the elections, Mr. Abdulai Coker disclosed that the security sector has the constitutional  responsibility to ensure the peace and security of Sierra Leone and to protect lives and properties, adding that it is their responsibility to provide the serene, amicable and conducive environment for holding of democratic elections.

However, he stated that they are paying keen attention to critical issues which are the different Social Media handles, lawlessness and indiscipline and political intolerance which he said have the tendency to undermine the peaceful nature of the general elections.

According to Abdulai Caulker, social media has become one of the greatest threats to the country’s national security and, he said that there is no denying the fact that the different social media platforms have been largely misused to disseminate misinformation, disinformation, tribal bigotry, lies, hate speech, invectives and all sort incendiary messages citing on the social media handles WhatsApp as the most used platform, adding that social media have proven as very unhelpful for national unity and cohesion.

He continued that lawlessness and indiscipline are mainly perpetrated by acts of disobeying the laws enshrined in the constitution and state institutions, wanton violence, drug peddling and abuse coupled with other forms of criminalities.

He added that another major threat towards the election is political intolerance which he said has led to mounting unnecessary tension in the country that is undermining national security  and the integrity of the elections.

The ONS Boss intimated to Journalists that their security assessment has indicated that most of the violent confrontations between and among political party supporters emanated from their incapability to accommodate one another, adding that there has disturbing assertion by some members of the public and political parties that some security member institutions have been biase, impartial and vindictive in exercising their functions. He said that the operations of the security sector are guided by prudence integrity and professionalism and that the security sector is apolitical and has always fought to maintain its neutrality and to not be influenced by external factor making it to act outside the law.

He stated that as a Sector, they will not sit by and allow lawless people to subvert the citizens democratic rights or the state as they poised to crack and hunt lawless citizens and impel them. He added that their security architecture has recently uncovered the activities of some groups with the propensity to undermine national security as some members have been arrested.

According to Mr. Caulker, the election is a civil process and it is not part of their plan to over -securitize  it and as a result, security for the elections will be fully provided by the Sierra Leone Police supported by auxiliary forces and the Republic of Sierra Leone Arm Forces (RSLAF) to support the police through Military Aid to Civilian Power (MAC-P). And he assured the public that the sector will give equal treatment in the execution of their duties and every political party will be treated fairly in line the sector’s respective mandates and code of conduct.

In his concluding remarks, Abdulai Caulker admonished Journalists to support the work of the security sector and the Election Management Bodies (EMBs) in a bid to deliver on their respective mandates towards a peaceful and credible electoral outcome on 24th June 2023, adding that in that direction they would once more vindicate Sierra Leone honourably for the fifth time in the country’s democratic dispensation after her bloody eleven years civil war and citing the role of the media as crucial towards achieving this goal.