A/HRC/10/52 page 7 connection with a caricature of the President that appeared in a local newspaper and the Ministry of Information closed the opposition SLPP radio station on the grounds that the procedures for establishing a radio station were not followed. However this apparently illegal act, which was done without respect for due process and by an institution without the legal authority to close radio stations, sparked an angry wave of reactions from party supporters who threatened to demonstrate against the APC Government for stifling press freedom. On 13 May 2008, at a meeting with officials of the SLPP, the President granted permission for the SLPP Unity Radio to resume transmission. 11. While the right to own property is protected under the Constitution and laws of Sierra Leone, conflicting claims of ownership, especially in relation to land, have a negative impact on the consolidation of peace. A number of land disputes were noted in diverse parts of the country, some of which resulted in intercommunal violence, deaths and serious injuries. In Freetown and its environs, police records indicate an increase in reports of violence emanating from land disputes in 2008. In addition to an effective land registration system, a conflict mediation and an alternate dispute resolution mechanism must be put in place, as the current legal system may not be able to effectively address these concerns. 12. The Constitution provides that no one shall be deprived of property without due process of law. However, a number of incidents were noted in which property owners were evicted by police officers without due process being respected. On 8 October 2008, the police upon instruction from the Sierra Leone Tourist Board and the Freetown City Council demolished nine entertainment complexes along Lumley beach. The UNIPSIL human rights component monitored the demolitions and evictions which were carried out with use of force and intimidation. Numerous other evictions and demolitions of private properties were carried out by the police throughout the country without due process of the law, on lands purportedly owned by the Government. 13. While there was no report of torture inflicted upon any suspects while in custody or in the course of investigation, there were reports of excessive use of force and firearms by police, some of which resulted in death. The report of the Jenkins Johnston Commission, which was established by the Government on 18 December 2007 to investigate killings on 13 December 2007 when police intervened in a demonstration by property owners against the Koidu Holdings Company in Kono, was released in March 2008. The Commission found that excessive force had been used by the law enforcement agents and recommended prosecution of those involved. This has not yet taken place however as the police are proceeding with their own internal investigations into the matter. 14. The persistence of female genital mutilation (FGM) continued to pose a threat to the security of women and girls, with a number of deaths reported as a result of the practice. Many girls are forcibly subjected to FGM at a very young age by secret societies. However, some progress has been noted. In Kambia District, in the Northern Province, traditional leaders, following an innovative approach pioneered by Advocacy Movement Network (AMNET), a local non-governmental organization (NGO), with technical support from UNIPSIL, have pledged not to subject any girl below the age of 18 to FGM. UNIPSIL remains committed to supporting this initiative to eradicate FGM. It should be noted that there is no law specifically