Africa’s Christian Professionals Urge Sierra Leonean Government to “withdraw or amend” Bill Seeking to Legalize Abortion

In their message, ACPF members specifically call for the removal of provisions permitting abortion and “for the redirection of efforts towards strengthening maternal healthcare services.”

They list expanding access to prenatal and postnatal care, providing counseling for crisis pregnancies, and supporting adoption as a compassionate alternative as part of the efforts that can strengthen maternal healthcare services.

ACPF members cite Article 16 of Sierra Leone’s Constitution, which they say guarantees the right to life. “Every person has the right to life, and no one shall be deprived of life intentionally,” they say, adding that Article 16 protects human life at “all stages of life, including the unborn.”

“The Constitution stands as the supreme law of the land, and it is our collective responsibility to ensure that no legislation is enacted that weakens its provisions or endangers human life,” Africa’s Christian professionals say in their statement dated December 20.

By being a signatory to key international treaties that uphold the sanctity of life and the protection of the unborn, Sierra Leone, Africa’s Christian professionals say, is bound by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) that permits “everyone the right to life, liberty, and security of person.”

More in Africa

Uganda’s Catholic Bishops Urge Strengthening of “family as nucleus of society, Church” in Christmas Message

Read the article

Africa’s Christian professionals also say that the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) “recognizes in its preamble the need for special safeguards and care for children, including those before birth.”

ACPF members go on to reflect on Article 4 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), which they say affirms that “human beings are inviolable. Every human being shall be entitled to respect for their life and the integrity of their person.”

They also cite the Maputo Protocol commonly known as Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, underlining the need to withdraw the Bill.

The proposal Bill, they say, “emphasizes the need to address maternal health challenges but stresses the protection of human life and the prevention of maternal mortality through ethical and life-affirming measures.”

“The inclusion of provisions for the termination of pregnancy within the Bill violates these commitments and puts Sierra Leone at odds with its obligations under international law”, Africa’s Christian professionals say.

They continue, “Maternal and Child Health Policy of Sierra Leone prioritizes reducing maternal and child mortality through improved access to healthcare services, not through the legalization of abortion.”

Provisions permitting the termination of pregnancy up to 14 weeks as stipulated in the Bill, they explain, undermine the efforts to reduce maternal and child mortality and “fail to align with the Government’s stated objectives of safeguarding the rights of vulnerable women and children.”

In their statement, ACPF members “commend and celebrate the courage of the Honorable Members of the National Assembly who have steadfastly defended the rights of unborn children and the principles of the Constitution.”

“Your commitment to upholding the sanctity of life reflects the core values of Sierra Leone and demonstrates leadership grounded in justice, compassion, and respect for human dignity,” Africa’s Christian professionals say.

By rejecting provisions that permit the termination of pregnancy, ACPF members say that the legislators “have honored the moral and ethical obligations that define us as a nation.”

(Story continues below)

ACPF have added their voice to that of members of the Inter-Religious Council of Sierra Leone (IRCSL), who, in a statement shared with ACI Africa on December 20, alongside faulting the use of certain phrases in the proposed Bill, including “family planning” and “sexual and reproductive health service”, said that the Bill “gravely” contradicts religious teachings in the country and that the Bill is “clearly forbidden”.

On his part,  Bishop Bob John Hassan Koroma of the country’s Catholic Diocese of Makeni called on Sierra Leone Legislators to reject the proposed bill.

“This, in our estimation as Catholics, is a subtle way of legalizing the unspeakable crime of abortion in this country – an act diametrically opposed to the very essence of what we celebrate at this time, namely, the birth of the Baby Jesus,” Bishop Koroma said in his Christmas 2024 message issued on December 24.

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.