The Sierra Leone Police (SLP) has issued an official statement refuting claims circulating on social media regarding the alleged mistreatment of former peacekeeping officers. These claims suggest that the officers have been subjected to inhumane conditions, including illegal solitary confinement and the embezzlement of their allowances by the SLP’s Executive Management Board (EMB).
In the statement, released on September 12, 2024, the Media and Public Relations Department of the SLP firmly denied the allegations, describing them as “deliberately false and misleading.”
The SLP clarified that the officers in question, who were part of the Formed Police Unit (FPU-4) deployed in Somalia, returned from their peacekeeping duties in October 2023. Upon their return, they were given the standard two-week time-off to spend with their families, after which they resumed regular policing duties at various locations across the country, including the Police Headquarters.
The SLP emphasized that the deployment of these officers at Police Headquarters is part of normal policing duties and not a form of detention or solitary confinement, as reported. The officers reportedly have full access to their families and continue to receive welfare support from the police.
Addressing concerns over unpaid allowances, the police confirmed that the officers had been directly paid for 16 months through the African Union (AU) into their personal foreign accounts. The SLP acknowledged that two months of payments are still owed by the AU, but stated that efforts are being made to resolve the matter, with an AU Mission Assessment Team currently engaged on the issue.
The Sierra Leone Police reiterated their commitment to transparency and urged the public to disregard the false reports. They also invited further inquiries to their Media and Public Relations Department.
