The ECOWAS Youth Council (EYC), after extensive deliberation and regional consultation, has called on the government of the Republic of Sierra Leone, led by President Ernest Bai Koroma, to respect and honour the ruling of the ECOWAS Commission’s Court on the case filed by the ‘People’s Elected’ Vice President of the Republic of Sierra Leone Alhaji Siddique Sam Sumana.
EYC President, Seun Ologun William, explained to National Daily that as the leading regional youth organization, the council is resolutely committed to the entrenchment of rule of law among member states.
“We want to applaud the exemplary foresight exhibited by the aggrieved Vice President, H.E. Alhaji Sam Sumana, who, instead of heating up the fragile Sierra Leonean polity by sponsoring political thugs to create unrest and upheaval in the country, decided to take the patriotic stance of lodging his grievances and disatisfactions with the ECOWAS Court of Justice.” said William.
According to him, the EYC also appreciates the Vice President’s calmness, patience and exemplary conduct in the face of provocations while awaiting the final ruling of the ECOWAS Court.
The ECOWAS Court of Justice is the judicial organ of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and is charged with resolving disputes relating to the Community’s treaty, protocols and conventions. It also has competence to hear individual complaints of alleged human rights violations.
The EYC then calls on the Attorney General of the Republic of Sierra Leone to give objective legal interpretation and advice to the government by honouring the ruling of the ECOWAS Court on this case to its full merit.
“Our support to the ECOWAS Court ruling is a support for human rights. Since acquiring jurisdiction over human rights complaints in 2005, the ECOWAS Court has issued numerous decisions condemning human rights violations by the member states of the Economic Community of West African States (Community) and Sierra Leone is no exception to the legal regional interventions of the court,” the EYC said.
The Court’s decisions on human rights matters are based on the interpretation of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, considered by Article 1(h) of Protocol A/SP1/12/01 to contain constitutional principles shared by all Member States as legally binding on ECOWAS Member States.