The report urges the government to restore public trust in security forces by setting up a mechanism to compensate victims of police abuses and by better funding and training the police force.

Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Lawrence Leema Lahai in a snap interview with this press recently said the three-month-old government led by President Julius Maada Bio “will not stifle the rights of the people” as long as demonstrators respect the law and don’t affect the rights of other people.

The Amnesty International adds that: “The authorities must ensure and promote the right of individuals to peacefully assemble without fear for their safety. Sierra Leone’s new government has a key opportunity to implement reforms that would help the police manage demonstrations effectively and safely, restore the public’s trust in the security forces and live up to the police’s own motto – A Force for Good,” said Solomon Sogbandi, Director of Amnesty International Sierra Leone.

“For 10 years, police in Sierra Leone have literally been getting away with murder as peaceful protesters and bystanders have lost their lives, or been seriously injured, with no one held to account. If the new authorities are as serious as they say about upholding human rights, they should start by repealing repressive laws restricting peaceful assembly and addressing entrenched impunity for police abuses.”

In concluded by saying “since coming to power in April 2018, President Maada Bio has made commitments to reform the security sector and protect human rights in a country where impunity for police abuses is deeply entrenched.”