Event Summary
Women in the Media Sierra Leone (WIMSAL) and RFK Human Rights have jointly filed a petition to the Community Court of Justice of ECOWAS on behalf of Umu Thoronka, a Sierra Leonean journalist. Ms. Thoronka was dismissed from her role at the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) in July 2024 after SLBC executives ordered her termination. This action followed her posting of a TikTok video documenting a troubling incident at a Presidential Town Hall Meeting, where a woman was publicly silenced for questioning President Julius Maada Bio about the escalating cost of living and food prices. SLBC management labeled the video as critical of the President, leading to Ms. Thoronka’s dismissal.
Local civil society organizations such as WIMSAL condemned the dismissal as unconstitutional and have revealed that this case is emblematic of a broader pattern of gender-based violations against female staff at SLBC, adding that the dismissal not only undermines journalistic independence and freedom of expression but also signals a shrinking space for civic engagement and accountability which disproportionately affects female journalists and activists. These civic groups have called for government to uphold the rights of journalists across Sierra Leone.