Sierra Leone brought up a campaign over Social Media Abuse

Sierra Leone brought up a campaign over Social Media Abuse

The Sierra Leone Government has brought a mass campaign inorder to discourage the abuse of social media by its users, ahead of its coming election.

According to Africa Review, explained that the minister of information said the move is aimed at preventing violence over the use of social media

The ministry also said this will help avert the government from regulating social media, as a means of last resort, due to its potential to destabilise the country.

“This is not only about the government. It is in the interest of the entire country,” the Information minister Mohamed Bangura said.

“New media, if not properly managed, has the potential to take this country to an unpleasant situation.”

Bangura also explained that over 24,000 people will be trained and deployed across the country to help in the mass educational exercise of how to use social media without violating it.

Heal Salone, a civil society organisation, has been tasked with mobilising volunteers and disseminating specially tailored messages.

Mr Bangura said the exercise is geared towards conflict prevention especially given rising tensions within political parties as they seek their presidential candidates.

In the last five months, there has been talk within government of regulating the use of social media but civil society activists have opposed such a move saying it would stifle the freedom of speech.

Mr Bangura, however, warned that if this “last-ditch campaign” is unsuccessful, the government will resort to enacting stringent laws.

“If all this fails, then as a government we will come in, because we have a job to do… We will come out with robust laws, you can interpret them as clampdown or whatever... but this country is entitled to live in peace,” he said.

Sierra Leone is set to hold its election in February 2018.