By: Zacharia Jalloh, Ministry of Information and Civic Education
As the National Remembrance Week continues, the executive of the Amputee and War Wounded Association on Thursday, January 15, 2025, paid a courtesy visit to the Minsiter of Information and Civic Education, Chernor A. Bah, at his Youyi Building Office.
The purpose was to engage on the National Remembrance Day and also put forward their concerns to Government.
During the short but very productive meeting, the “minister of education” of the organization, Tamba Finor, expressed delight and appreciation to Minister Chernor Bah for honouring their request to meet with him. He said they had tried for several years to meet with government officials but to no avail, the reason why they were grateful to the Minister.
Finor commended government for declaring the National Remembrance Day, saying it was a key recommendation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to honor war victims and survivors. However, he urged government to address the issue of reparation, which he said is another recommendation of the TRC. He explained that as war victims, they have endured pain and distress for over 20 years and therefore deserve compensation.
He pleaded with Minister Chernor Bah to engage the President and ask him to consider providing reparation to war victims.
The President of the Association, Mohamed Tarawally, outlined some key demands he wanted government to address that are enshrined in the TRC Recommendations. Among them are free university education, free medical care, and improved livelihoods for war victims. Mr Tarawally advised that addressing these concerns should not just be limited to cabinet but also taken to Parliament in order for it to become law.
Responding, Minister Chernor Bah commended the leadership of the Association for their resilience and commitment to peace and national cohesion. He described their concerns as reasonable and valid, pledging to further engage colleague Ministers to address them.
“President Bio is committed to addressing issues of the war, especially implementing the recommendations of the TRC report. Declaring January 18 as National Remembrance Day is just the first step taken by the President to spotlight war victims and survivors. Your concerns are already in the Persons With Disability Act and we will work together for its enforcement,” Minister Bah stated.
He requested a database of the membership of the Association as a baseline in pursuing their demands, emphasizing that an accurate database of the Association will significantly support policy direction in addressing the concerns mentioned above.
Sierra Leone continues to observe the National Remembrance Week in honour of the victims and survivors of the country’s eleven-year devastating war.
Citizens are encouraged to join the commemoration by putting on white ribbon or white cloth throughout the week to reflect on the past and commit to making Sierra Leone a peaceful, stable and cohesive country.
