HEAR IT FROM AN INSIDER

From Awareness Times Newspaper in Freetown
COMMENTARIES: PUAWUI'S OPINION: May Hinga Norman’s Soul Rest In Peace By Dr. Sama Banya (Former National Chairman of the SLPP)Mar 15, 2007, 20:50

Another sad chapter has closed in the history of Sierra Leone’s widely acknowledged as the most brutal war. I refer to the Special Court’s arrest, indictment and death in their custody of Chief Sam Hinga Norman. Much has been said and much more written on this subject, nearly all of it critical of President Tejan Kabbah, his Vice President Solomon Berewa and the membership of the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP). The most vocal and brutal since Norman’s death have been the Editors of the Awoko and the New Storm newspapers, the latter a registered PMDC Member.

Both papers accuse the President and the SLPP of having betrayed Norman and having proved ungrateful to him. Awoko further states that Kabbah should have taken a stand similar to that of President George H. Bush, or that of the people of Serbia by refusing the establishment of the Special Court. That kind of opinion deceives only the ignorant as both the circumstances and the influencing factors are quite different. Nobody had he Hinga Norman or the Kamajors in mind. These people are not writing from a position of empathy with the Norman family. On the contrary they write out of malevolence, because a little professional investigation would certainly have influenced them differently. It is always naïve to pretend to be wise on hindsight.
The following are a few facts to remind the impartial and fair minded reader about the sequence of events. When the Lome Peace Accord was being drawn up the government of Sierra Leone decided on a blanket amnesty for all fighters, a proposal which the international community refused to endorse. In the course of time the RUF and its allies began to violate the accord with attacks on towns and villages in the rural areas. When the matter was brought to Foday Sankoh’s attention he said he would go round and admonish his men. In fact what he did was to send clandestine messages to inform them to ignore any admonishment from him, as it was just a front.

When the RUF abducted some 500 UNAMSIL Peace Keepers and marched them as far as Kailahun in the East and Sankoh was confronted, he denied the involvement of his men. He said that the Peacekeepers, being unfamiliar with the country had probably lost their way in the bush, but that he would assist in locating them. It was however left with the British Commandos to rescue those people.

When Sankoh’s men began to advance on Freetown from Rogbere Junction, a group of concerned women set out for his residence to impress on him that they the women who with children suffered most, were tired of war. They had to flee as Sankoh’s men threatened either to slash their throats or split their bellies. A few days later, in what Awoko newspaper derides as an SLPP organized March, thousands of citizens from all works of life decided to march peacefully to Sankoh’s residence. No sooner had the first batch arrived there than his security opened fire killing and wounding many.

Then the government acted; Sankoh and most of his henchmen were apprehended; he, about a week later as he had fled. In addition to the arrests, government was no longer bound by Lome and continued negotiations for a war crimes tribunal. The matter was fully discussed in Cabinet with Charles Margai participating as Minister of Internal Affairs. When it was agreed to include all combatants, late Hinga Norman and Charles Margai went round the Kamajors to persuade them to endorse the agreement for a War Crimes Special Court even before it was ratified by Parliament.

Both as Deputy Minister of Defence and later as Minister of Internal Affairs, Norman and President Kabbah were close and met regularly. I never once heard President Kabbah address the late man with anything other than "Chief," or "Norman." Norman was among the few people who would into the President’s private sitting room without previous appointment or announcement. When the Special Court Act was finally ratified again Norman reassured the President that he had nothing to fear as neither he nor any Kamajor was involved in any acts of atrocity or human right abuses, neither did they bear the greatest responsibility.

The subsequent news of Norman’s arrest came as a bombshell; none of us expected it. Therefore when Awoko writes that President Kabbah should not have allowed it, he is really being hypocritical. A clause in the Special Court agreement is that it functions would be completely independent and free from interference by any person or government. What Awoko is saying is that the President should have said something like, "as you were! You’ve touched a sacred cow, the agreement is nullified." Was failure to do that the great betrayal?

The President immediately contacted Norman’s family in our traditional way and offered government’s help in the Chief’s defence. The Southern caucus of the SLPP sent to inform Norman that they were arranging legal representation on his behalf; he informed them not to worry as friends were securing a British lawyer. Again it was Charles Margai who was making that arrangement but as the fees he requested were well beyond the Chief’s means that was the end of the matter and it was left to Dr. Bu-Buakei Jabbie to take over the defence to the end. Suddenly the PMDC and its Leader would now want us to believe that they are the chief mourners- what nauseating hypocrisy!

But Norman was determined to have his own back on the SLPP. Readers would recall that he took the Party to court on two occasions praying for that body to rule that everything we had done was illegal and ultra vires both the National and the Party Constitution. The Party Secretary-General and I were the defendants. While judgment was being considered he invited me to visit him in his cell; we had a very amicable two hour conversation including a suggestion to map a way forward.

I would’ve kept my silence in respect of Norman’s memory but for the nonsense that is thrown around now by trouble makers attempting to discredit us.

Suddenly the PMDC and its Leader would now want us to believe that they are the chief mourners- what nauseating hypocrisy!

© Copyright 2005, Freetown, Sierra Leone

Editor's Note

I have produced the above commentary verbatim, it is left with readers to make up their minds. Only time will tell.

MAY THE CHIEF'S SOUL REST IN EVERLASTING PEACE.