Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the President of Sierra Leone on people shot in a protesting in Freetown.

As a close friend of Sierra Leone, the UK holds regular, frank discussions with senior government interlocutors and other key stakeholders, on good governance, the rule of law and stability, and the importance of a free, fair election in 2023. We condemn acts of political violence and we work closely with civil society organisations in Sierra Leone to champion universal human rights, including freedom of speech and expression, and to advocate for their protection by the authorities.

The Foreign Secretary spoke with the President of Sierra Leone in London on 22 November 2022 about the importance of the upcoming election and Sierra Leone's democratic process. I reiterated this message in a meeting with the Minister of Basic and Senior Education at the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative conference on 28 November.

The British High Commission Freetown has recently observed the national voter registration process. The UK did not fund or provide assistance for the Mid-Term Census and we have made our views on its limitations known to the Government of Sierra Leone.