Sierra Leone: The silence we were taught and the leaders it created – Op ed

Grace Yei Moore-Sourie: Siera Leone Telegraph: 15 April 2026:

There is a hard truth many of us are not ready to face, which is… The same silence we were forced to learn as children is the same silence destroying us as a nation today. Because the more you look at things, the more you realize this is not just about bad leadership, it is about a deeply rooted system that trained us to accept it. And that system started from childhood.

In Sierra Leone, many of us were not raised to speak, we were raised to submit. Growing up, being young was already a disadvantage. If you had a problem with an elder, you were wrong before you even opened your mouth. Nobody asked questions. Nobody cared about your side of the story.

Punishment came first. Truth didn’t matter. An elder could wrong you and still report you, and you would be the one punished.

So, what did that teach us?

It taught us to keep quiet. It taught us to endure. It taught us that power is always right, even when it is wrong.

That mindset did not disappear as we grew. It followed us. It shaped us. And today, it is controlling us.

Because the same children who were silenced have now become adults, some of them leaders…. who either fear accountability or completely reject it.

That is why people in power today can do almost anything and walk free. To them, questioning authority is not normal, it is an attack.

And the moment you try it, you are labelled disrespectful, insubordinate, or problematic.

There are people in leadership today who were once victims, people who suffered abuse, even rape, but were forced into silence to protect the family name. Their pain was buried and their truth was denied.

And now, some of them carry that same mindset into power. A mindset where silence is expected. Where demanding accountability feels like disrespect. Where protecting image matters more than protecting people.

Even in religious spaces, many have been abused and traumatized by those they trusted the most. Yet those individuals remain protected because of titles like servant of God, elder, or leader. Victims are told to stay quiet.

Respect has been twisted into fear. Titles have become shields. And silence has become culture.

But let’s go even deeper, because this is where it gets more frustrating. We keep telling people to be calm, be patient, and use diplomacy. But let me say this clearly:

Diplomacy will not take us anywhere in this country, not the way things are. Because many of our leaders do not understand diplomacy as a tool for progress. They understand it as a weapon for control.

When citizens speak calmly, they are ignored. When citizens complain respectfully, they are sidelined. When people try to engage through proper channels, nothing happens.

Instead, that silence and patience are used to keep people exactly where they are.

And while all of this is happening, fear is constantly being planted. Fear of losing your job, Fear of being targeted and especially the Fear of being arrested.

Because the judiciary, which is supposed to protect the people, is now seen by many as a shield for those in power. A tool used to silence those who dare to question or demand accountability.

Speak too loudly, and you risk being picked up. Ask too many questions, and you may disappear into a system where people are forgotten.

And they know exactly what they are doing. They know citizens are afraid of jail.

So, they use that fear to control the narrative, to silence voices, to maintain power.

But here is the painful irony. The same leaders who ignore diplomacy when dealing with their own people are the first to run to it when another country threatens them or takes advantage of them. Then suddenly, diplomacy matters. Then suddenly, dialogue becomes important. Then suddenly, respect and negotiation are the way forward.

So, what does that tell us? It tells us that the problem is not a lack of understanding. It is selective application. It is control. And it is deliberate.

So, before we continue blaming only leaders, we must also look at the system that created them. A society that silences children will raise adults who abuse silence. A society that protects wrong will raise leaders who expect protection. A society that fears authority will always be controlled by it.

If we want real change, then we must start from the root. We must raise children who are allowed to speak. Children who are heard. Children who understand that respect does not mean accepting wrong.

We must stop protecting people because of titles. Stop excusing behaviours because of position. Stop teaching silence as a virtue when it is actually a prison.

And for us, the ones who already see what is wrong…. we have a responsibility to speak up. Even when your voice shakes. Even when they try to intimidate you. Even when they call you names.

Ask questions. Demand accountability. Refuse to be controlled by fear.

Because silence is exactly what this system depends on to survive. And the moment more people begin to break that silence, everyone will have no choice but to change.