By Saidu Jalloh, Daily Scope
Makeni, April 14, 2026 The Bombali District Human Rights Committee has condemned the forced removal of National Election Watch observers from Friday’s paramount chieftaincy election in Bombali Sebora Chiefdom, calling it part of a troubling pattern of exclusion by electoral officials.
BDHRC said the removal was allegedly ordered by ECSL’s North-East Regional Commissioner Max Kanu during the April 11 poll. NEW District Coordinator for Bombali, Emilia Jengo-Kamara, was present and objected to the move. She told officials she had secured verbal approval from the Senior District Officer for NEW to monitor the election.
“We are deeply troubled by what appears to be a pattern of preventing and excluding NEW from election observations by ECSL,” the committee said in a statement.
BDHRC urged a thorough and impartial investigation into the incident, stressing that independent observers are vital to democratic governance. The committee extended sympathy to NEW and appealed for calm while inquiries proceed.
The rights body also flagged concerns that NEW could be barred from future elections until unresolved issues with ECSL management are settled. It described NEW as a key institution for democratic accountability with a long record of election monitoring in Sierra Leone.
Excluding NEW from electoral processes, BDHRC warned, could carry reputational risks for ECSL. The committee called on the commission to review its approach to observer access.
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