Sierra Leone News Today

Rainbo Initiative records 1,272 SGBV survivors in 5 months

The Executive Director of Rainbo Initiatives, Daniel Kettor revealed to the public on Tuesday June 23, 2020, that from January to May 2020 they recorded 1,272 survivors of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV). He said they recorded the highest number of cases in March with 302 cases, then followed by January with 268 cases. In the meantime, the Rainbo Initiative is calling on the Government of Sierra Leone to not only set up a forensic lab and provide DNA testing kits in support of evidence collection and investigation, but also make prevention and redress of violence against women and girls. 

President Bio express dissatisfaction over Kadija’s rape 

His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio on Tuesday June 23, 2020, has expressed dissatisfaction and total condemnation of the continued incidents of rape in Sierra Leone and that of Kadijatu Saccoh rape incident. “The depravity of sexual violence is obscene, criminal and totally objectionable. As a Government, we stand with the survivors, victims and their loved ones and my Government will vigorously prosecute cases and bring all perpetrators to justice,” said President Bio. He further said his government commitment to providing support for survivors and he is urging every Sierra Leoneans to support the First Lady, Fatima Maada Bio initiative to raise awareness, increase their advocacy while standing up to get rid of this menace out of the country. 

No Hajj for International Pilgrims this year

The Saudi Arabia Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has in a press statement confirmed that the Hajj for this year (1441 H/2020 AD) will be held for Saudi citizens limited people from other nationalities already residing in Saudi Arabia. The Ministry further said this decision was made because the COVID-19 pandemic has claimed over half a million lives in the world, with over 7 million registered confirmed cases and they want to protect the global public  health security measures. This year Hajj will be open to limited people of over 10,000 and they will be people of different nationalities already in Saudi Arabia. 

Human activities affect water supply in Freetown

The Area Manager of the Guma Valley Water Company in the east of Freetown, Joseph Wandoh has confirmed to the public that human activities, especially cutting down of trees from areas which are supposed to be forest reserved areas, is a reason for insufficient supply of water in communities in Freetown. Mr Wandoh said people cut down trees surrounding the dam’s reserve which protect the ecological conditions that are conducive for a viable water catchment area.He added that deforestation has affected the source of water and has exposed it to sunlight which could decrease water and force it to dry up. 

New Voters I.D cards for 2022/2023 elections out soon

The National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA) will soon start the process of issuing new ECOWAS certified security Identity cards, replacing the current one which was used in the past elections. According to the head of NCRA, Andrew Maasaquoi, the new ECOWAS security I.D card will be used by eligible voters in the forthcoming 2022/2023 local council and general elections, instead of the locally made I.D card that was temporarily issued out to voters for the  2018 election. He said the new I.D card will contain security features and personal data and will be valid to serve as a travelling document within the ECOWAS subregion and also disclosed that the National Electoral Commission (NEC) will be using the NCRA data to extract the 2022/2023 voters list.