Sierra Leone “censors” foreign diplomats

In what some Western diplomats have referred to as “censorship”, Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has requested all diplomatic missions, consulates and international organisations to crosscheck “all information before communicating to their home country”. According to a leaked NOTE VERBALE dated 16 August 2013 and sent to all such missions and organisations in the country,  the move was necessitated by the need “to ensure that all information dissemination are true, accurate and correct”. Another note verbale on the same date calls for all missions and organisations to desist from making “direct appointments” with ministries, departments and agencies but to do so through the ministry of foreign affairs. It says the lack of such causes embarrassment to the government.  Reacting to the notes verbales, diplomats and staff of some international organisations contacted but did not wish to be named, frowned at the calls. While some say the call for the clearing of information is akin to “censorship” others refer to the appointments with MDAs through the foreign ministry as “confusing”. A western diplomat wondered why they would need to clear “all information” before sending it to their government. He even questioned “the enforceability of such in an internet age”. The head of the political section at the British High Commission in Freetown, Alice Truman told Politico that they were in discussions with the ministry of foreign affairs for “clarification” on the matter. She would not expatiate. A West African diplomat also questioned appointments with MDAs. He expressed doubt over whether the ministry had the capacity to cope with all such requests especially from international organizations and questioned the rationale for it. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ebun Jusu told Politico that she had not seen the notes verbales and would need to do so before clarifying her ministry’s position on it. She however said that her ministry being “the entity” it only made sense that foreign missions and organisations should “relate with other ministries and government departments through us”. On the clearing of information with her ministry before sending it to their home countries, Jusu said she needed to see the documents first before responding, even if she said that that should be the appropriate thing to do. She would not say why these requests were being made only now. The Director General of Foreign Affairs would not answer her calls despite repeated calls to her. A former diplomat and Director of the Sierra Leone Institute of International Law, Allieu Kanu said such a request was merely a piece of advice. He said that usually the good relations between the host country and the missions and organisations should be able to make them find a common ground, but insisted that such could neither be an order nor an instruction to the foreign bodies. © Politico 27/08/13