Sections:
"Kushe police dem!" - Well done police!
4 April 2008
Image courtesy of Katrina Manson
Last summer saw elections in Sierra Leone. For a country that emerged from
civil war just five years before, this could have been a volatile time. But, in
the event, things passed calmly and in peace, and the elections were judged to
be free and fair.
This remarkable achievement was partly due to the conduct of Sierra Leone's police who, with DFID support, spent the previous 18 months in intensive training. So successful was the final result, the police are now passing on the lessons they learned across West Africa.
Training from the streets upwards
The training was provided across different levels of the force. For officers working on the streets, it focussed on non-violent crowd control, how to engage with communities, and dealing with the media.
Higher up, it concentrated on collaborating with other security institutions, such as the armed forces and the intelligence services, to make sure that officers were deployed in areas where disruptions were mostly likely.
Help from UK police
Throughout the country, regional teams worked to ensure that the lessons learned at the centre were put
into action on the ground, and the
UN Police lent their expert support to the
training. In addition, DFID shipped in equipment donated by UK police forces.
This included riot gear and apparatus for crowd control.
It was important that the security for the election was run by Sierra Leone's police, rather than its armed forces. The UK's military presence in the country worked closely with the army to achieve this, sending a clear message that Sierra Leone is a peaceful place, where the police, not the military, are in control.
A firm "No" to bribes
Image courtesy of Katrina Manson
Like everyone else, Mari-Ama Koroma was concerned that the elections could
descend into violence. She lacked trust in the
police, expecting them either to demand bribes or
deal with disturbances in a heavy-handed way, shooting into crowds. But after voting, her opinion changed.
"When I went to vote," says Mari-Ama, "the policemen were very encouraging and urged everyone to use their vote. There were crowds, and the queues were very frightening - I was confused about where to get the ballot papers and asked a policeman for assistance.
"He helped me, and when I finished voting, I offered him 10,000 Leones (about £1.75) and told him to get a little thing for himself. But he told me very clearly that he would accept nothing. He said that it was wrong to do so. I was very pleased. I think the police have changed. This election made them change. They are our police now."
Sharing the experience
As a result of the hard work of the police, the former Government of Sierra Leone, and DFID’s support, Sierra Leone can boast one of the most peaceful elections leading to a change of government that Africa has seen.
Now, as senior figures from the police and army take up invitations from neighbouring countries to share their experiences from the summer, other polls in the region could also benefit from Sierra Leone's safe and secure elections. As they say in Sierra Leone: "Kushe police dem!" - Well done police!
Key facts
- The elections took place on 11 August 2007, and, after a run-off, on 8 September. This was the first time in a decade that Sierra Leone had voted without international support.
- DFID supported training to the police as part of its Security Sector Reform programme. Since the end of the war in 2001, DFID has spent over £100 million on security sector reform in Sierra Leone.
- The DFID-funded Justice Sector Development Programme (worth £25 million over five years from 2005) is working to improve safety, security and access to justice for the people of Sierra Leone, particularly the poor, vulnerable and marginalized.
Links
(53
kb)