By: Problyn J. Alpha
With support from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Government of Sierra Leone, the Office of National Security (ONS) has ended a three-day national training of trainers on elections security and stimulation exercise in kenema. The training targeted senior security personnel from the military, Sierra Leone police, correctional services, National fire force, chiefdom police and officials from the office of National security.
The three days exercise was geared towards preparing the security forces ahead for the upcoming general elections in June 24 2023. The direct beneficiaries of the three days training will in return train the rest of the security personnel in the various divisions within the region. The training according to report, is a month long activity for translating the work participants of the training have been doing in the activities of the Integrated Elections Security Planning Committee. The committee is a subcommittee of the National security council coordinating under the directive of the National Security Coordinator Abdulai Caulker.
Addressing participants of the training, the Deputy Director Strategic Communications Office of National Security Abdul Karim will, intimated all present that prior to now, the IESPC conducted a risk assessment across the country and that the said assessment led to the development of elections security strategy. He said a training manual and the communication strategy which were rolled out. He added that training of officers particularly on the function of the decentralized committees in the provision of security for election standards response guard lines for national security architecture and roles of human Rights in the conduct of a credible free and fair elections, were some of the selected areas they looked at during the said training. Explaining the expectations of the training, Abdul Karim will noted that the officers are expected to be well capacitated to cascade the training knowledge gained to other players within the security sector. He noted that the general public after the training will also understand the roles and responsibilities of the security within the provision of the laws for the conduct of the forthcoming elections and all other issues relating to the security of the country. “Misuse of the social media, role of drugs in the life of young people and none neutrality of traditional leaders are some of the causes of election violence”, Mr. Will concluded.
