No Accountability for 34 Deaths: SLAM Holds Bio Responsible for Deadly State Violence

By Musa Paul Feika

The Sierra Leone Advocacy Movement (SLAM) has issued a damning indictment of President Julius Maada Bio’s administration, accusing it of presiding over deadly crackdowns that have left at least 34 citizens dead with no accountability for the perpetrators.
In its latest statement, SLAM alleged that the killings, targeting protesters, bystanders, and even uninvolved civilians form part of a recurring pattern of state sanctioned violence aimed at silencing dissent.

The advocacy group argues that since the bloody protests of August 2022, when security forces opened fire on demonstrators amid soaring living costs, the government has failed to deliver justice or prosecute those responsible. Instead, SLAM says, impunity has deepened, with fresh crackdowns as recent as August 10, 2025 adding to the death toll.

Despite repeated promises of “full investigations,” critics, including Amnesty International, say government-led inquiries have largely shielded the security apparatus from blame. Victims’ families have been excluded from official processes, forced into mass burials without identification or customary rites, and left without reparations. For SLAM, this entrenched lack of accountability is evidence that state violence has become an instrument of political control under President Bio’s rule.

The allegations come amid rising tensions over civil rights, freedom of assembly, and impunity for security forces.

According to SLAM, the killings were part of a pattern of state violence used to suppress dissent on August 10th, 2025.

The organization further claims that security forces have acted with impunity, and that no credible investigations or prosecutions have taken place.
The victims including protesters, bystanders, and individuals uninvolved in demonstrations.

SLAM is calling for urgent, independent inquiries and accountability for all the deaths.

To understand SLAM’s claims, it is important to situate them within Sierra Leone’s recent episodes of unrest and state response.

In August 2022, anti-government protests erupted across Freetown and other parts of the country, due to surging or skyrocketing costs of living, inflation, and public frustration with government policies.

According to human rights organization, Amnesty International, the police and security forces responded forcefully.

Reports emerged that security forces used live ammunition, even in residential areas, and that some unarmed bystanders were hit.

According to Reuters, at least 21 civilians and six police officers were gunned down during one of the peak days of unrest.

However, critics (including Amnesty International) have said those findings fell short of full justice, and as of late 2023, no one had been held criminally responsible for the deaths.
Many families of victims say they were excluded from the committee process, and the burial of victims was done collectively, without allowing relatives to identify the bodies or perform customary funeral rites.

SLAM’s current claims of “at least 34 killed” appear to extend beyond just the 2022 protests, suggesting additional incidents or expanded counting. (SLAM’s full list of incidents or dates has not yet been made public in full detail.).

In December 2024 press release, SLAM specifically references not only the August 2022 events, but also what it describes as ongoing human rights abuses under the administration of President Julius Maada Bio.

The Organiser
SLAM also draws attention to the continued detention of protest organizers (e.g. Thomas Babadi Kamara among others for planning peaceful demonstrations, which it says is part of the broader strategy of intimidation and suppression.

SLAM’s statement emphasizes that the fatal crackdowns cannot be isolated incidents, but part of a recurring pattern, excessive use of force including live ammunition, indiscriminate shooting, and failure to distinguish between protesters and bystanders.

In addition, arbitrary arrests and detention detainees held without legal representation or access to fair trial rights. Also lacked of transparency findings of investigative bodies not made public, and victims’ families excluded.

The group talked about culture of impunity and no security personnel held accountable, no prosecutions, and no reparations.

The report stated that there is suppression of dissent peaceful protesters, critics, and civil society actors face harassment or arrest.

Again, Amnesty International has repeatedly warned that the authorities’ response to the 2022 protests fell short of international standards, urging that every death be independently and thoroughly investigated.

The government, following the 2022 protests, pledged “full investigations” into the incidents, but up to date, the Special Investigation Committee did submit a report, which, according to the government, made recommendations including better police training and internal reforms). But government did not recommend investigating excessive use of force in all cases.

As of the latest public information, no senior security officer or politician has been criminally charged.

Authorities have argued that maintaining law and order necessitates a firm security response, especially during protests that become violent or destructive.

Looking at the human impacts and violence, some families members say they are traumatized not only by the loss of their loved ones, but by the lack of closure and justice.

Victims’ relatives have reported being unable to identify bodies at mass burials and being excluded from funeral rites.

Some affected households lost primary breadwinners, worsening poverty and social hardship.
The environment of fear discourages public dissent, weakens civil society, and undermines trust in law enforcement.

Legal, Constitutional & International Obligations
Sierra Leone is bound by its own Constitution to guarantee rights to life, due process, assembly, and freedom from torture and arbitrary arrest.

Internationally, Sierra Leone is party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which mandates independent investigations into deaths, accountability, and reparations.

Where domestic mechanisms fail, the state may be subject to scrutiny from international human rights bodies.

The failure to prosecute or sanction perpetrators undermines rule of law and gives rise to potential claims of state liability, violations of human rights treaties, and reputational costs in the international arena.

To take SLAM’s claims seriously, certain challenges must be confronted including documentation and verification, a master list of all 34 or more alleged victims, with names, dates, locations, and circumstances.

Witness protection: Many witnesses fear reprisals. Secure mechanisms must be in place.

Independent oversight: Investigations must be independent, transparent, and include civil society and families.
Judicial reforms: Ensure that prosecutions, when brought, proceed fairly and impartially.
Compensation, recognition, reparations for victims’ families.
Public disclosure of investigative committee reports, with room for public scrutiny.
Training and reform in security sector to prevent future abuses.

What’s at Stake
Legitimacy: The government’s moral and political legitimacy depends in part on its willingness to acknowledge and remedy state violence.
Social stability: Unaddressed grievances and perceived impunity can fuel further unrest.
International relations: Sierra Leone’s human rights record can affect donor relations, foreign investment, and diplomatic support.
Democracy and civil liberties: How the state treats dissent and protest is a litmus test for the health of Sierra Leone’s democracy.

Recommendations (for Authorities, Civil Society & International Actors)
Launch a full, independent, credible investigation into every death allegedly connected to state crackdowns.
Ensure prosecution of security personnel or officials found culpable.

Publicly release reports, findings, and names, subject to redactions only when strictly necessary.
Provide reparations (compensation, public recognition, medical and social support) to victims’ families.
Strengthen legal and institutional safeguards, including judicial oversight and civilian review of security forces. There should be
collaboration with regional and international bodies, ECOWAS, African Union, UN) to monitor and support accountability.

In a nutshell, empowering civil society, media, and press freedom so that abuses can be exposed and debated.