Director of Media and Communications in the Ministry of Defense, Colonel Issa Bangura has refuted rumors that over fifteen thousand ECOMOG forces have arrived in Sierra Leone ahead of a planned protest in June.
The Colonel warned against people using social media to undermine the peace and stability in the country.
He said quite recently, it was circulated on social media that himself, the Army Spokesman, was in trouble with President Bio for saying that ECOMOG arrived to defend Sierra Leone’s democracy.
The Colonel said that allegation is false while further clarifying another rumor saying that: “The latest victim of speaking the truth is the Army Spokesman Colonel Issa Bangura whose life is now in serious danger. His only crime is because he came out publicly to tell Sierra Leoneans that the ECOMOG troops who have started arriving are here to defend democracy and the people of Sierra Leone. The Army spokesperson would be killed if he is arrested,” as being another fake and unfounded rumor.
Responding to another allegation that a Nigerian led ECOMOG troops entered Sierra Leone last week for deployment, the Colonel said this is also false, explaining that the troops that visited the country last week are 42 Student Officers of Course 46 of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC) from Jaji, Kaduna, Nigeria.
He said the Forces were in Sierra Leone forming part of a study tour aimed at strengthening defense and diplomatic ties between Sierra Leone and Nigeria, with the theme ‘Leveraging Good Governance for Operational Efficiencies of Security Forces’.
Colonel Bangura said the proposed deployment of ECOMOG troops in Sierra Leone, as per ECOWAS protocol, will not be made secret when the time comes, adding that Sierra Leoneans would be duly informed on each and every step taken.
He assured that for now Sierra Leone is one of the safest places in the world to live and invest, while calling on countrymen and women to feel safe and go about their normal businesses of the day.
