The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court will on 31st of May,2023 deliver judgment in a case brought by a Sierra Leonean community alleging the violation of their human rights by the government of Sierra Leone for its failure to protect them from the health hazards caused by the operations of a diamond mining company in the community, according to a statement from the court.

The court further revealed that the presiding judge, Justice Gberi-Be Ouattara, announced the date after notifying the parties of a change in the panel of judges due to the expiration of the tenure of one of the judges in the previous panel for the case.

Justice Ouattara also reminded the parties that they had previously submitted all their pleadings which were adopted.

According to the letter, in the initiating application filed before the court on 29th August 2019, one Sia Momoh and seven others asked the court to hold the Sierra Leonean government liable for its failure to protect them from the human rights abuses suffered from the operations of the company.

Mr Chernor Jalloh, lead counsel for the applicants in the letter accused the government of violating the applicants’ rights to life, right to human dignity; right to a suitable environment with access to clean water; safe housing free from environmental pollution and destruction of farmlands; right to property, health and freedom from arbitrary arrest or detention.

Jalloh also said that the applicant and the other complainants were also victims of the fallout of two violent protests, the first by the host community in December 2007 over the impact of the activities of the company and the second in 2012 which was initiated by the company’s workers who were later joined by the community.

He added that the explosives used by the company were determined to be dangerous following an environmental impact assessment undertaken by the company based on which the company was obliged to relocate families willing to move.

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