Message to the Nation By President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah On the occasion of the New Year 2007

Fellow Citizens, Sisters and Brothers: I greet you all in the name of God through the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ whose humble birth Sierra Leoneans and millions of people throughout the world are celebrating once again. I don't think there is any other festivity that has acquired such universal observance as Christmas. Although the demands of the secular world tend to pose distractions from its religious significance, the true meaning of Christmas signifying joy, peace and goodwill to all men and women has prevailed. Indeed, the true meaning of Christmas is as valid today as it was on that first Christmas. At a time when misconceptions about religion continue to inflame conflict and damage relations between and among peoples and nation States, it is worth repeating and re-emphasizing that we Sierra Leoneans have a great national asset, namely, our abiding respect for each other's religious beliefs. The celebration of Christmas and of Ramadan, like indeed other festivals of these two world-wide religions, always provides us an opportunity to tell the world that what we have is not just religious tolerance, but deep reverence for the different religious faiths of our compatriots.

Click Here For President Kabbah's Speech

Source: Sierra Leone: News & Information: President: State House: Ahmad Tejan Kabbah:

Local jewelers avoid blood diamonds

THE RECENT WARNER BROS. thriller "Blood Diamond" placed national attention on the illegal diamond trade. But so far, area jewelers say, the action flick has generated little buzz at their stores.

"I don't think the movie itself has created a stir," said Jerry Ulman, owner of Ulman's Jewelry on Caroline Street. "This conflict diamond issue is not new. The movie has made the public more aware." Customers at Crown Jewelers on William Street are not asking questions about the precious stones' history either, according to the store's owner, Bill Sale. "I think they trust us," he said. "I don't remember the subject ever coming up." Set in the 1990s, "Blood Diamond" chronicles the illegal diamond exchange used to fund civil war in Sierra Leone, West Africa. The film, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Djimon Hounsou, raised questions about the origins of diamonds sold in the United States.

The diamond industry reacted almost immediately to the movie's implications. Shortly before the film's Dec. 8 release, DeBeers, the world's largest diamond importer, called for more government regulation of illegal stones. And local jewelers maintain they only sell certified, "conflict-free" gems. "Every invoice that I get from the diamond suppliers that I use reads that the diamonds are known to be conflict-free," Ulman said. The Zale Corp., which operates a Zales jewelry store in Spotsylvania Towne Centre, has an official conflict diamond rule. "We have a policy, which all of our vendors have to certify to us in writing, that the diamond product they are supplying to us has not come from these conflicted areas," said David H. Sternblitz, vice president and treasurer of the Texas-based company.

"Jewelry is a very emotional gift," he said. "We want to make sure that our customers feel as comfortable as possible in purchasing those diamonds, that they feel that they're not supporting terrorism or wars in other countries." While the conflict in Sierra Leone has subsided, the illegal diamond trade continues to fuel civil strife in countries such as the Ivory Coast and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Rebel groups, who have physical control of the diamonds mines, use the gems as raw materials to exchange for weapons. "When the diamonds are stolen and traded illegally, that money doesn't go into funding infrastructural developments, and the middle men got extremely rich moving these cheap diamonds out," explained Kim Lanegran, a Sierra Leone specialist with Amnesty International USA. In 2003, the diamond industry, governments and nongovernmental organizations created The Kimberly Process Certification Scheme, an agreement to monitor and eradicate the flow of illicit, rough diamonds. The pact is signed by 71 nations including the United States, where it is enforced through the Clean Diamond Trade Act. "The industry is supposed to police itself, and the governments are suppose to watch their industries," Lanegran noted.

Ulman says reputation is key in the diamond industry, and most importers would not risk selling an illegal stone to a jeweler. The industry still relies on the age-old tradition of handshake deals, and very few contracts are signed, he said, "so if a handshake deal is reneged upon, that pretty much ends one relationship."Sale said he's dealt with the same, trusted diamond distributors for several decades. "Those are very reputable firms," he said. "It's a long-standing relationship."

Still, DeBeers and organizations including Amnesty International are exerting public pressure on the U.S. government to better enforce the Clean Diamond Trade Act. In September 2006, the U.S. Government Accountability Office reported that the government is not doing enough to monitor the importation of blood diamonds. Lanegran said some unlawful diamonds are slipping through the cracks by entering the U.S. and other countries as conflict-free gems. "We know that there are still millions of dollars worth of diamonds that are getting false certificates," she said. Sale admitted there is no sure way of knowing that every single diamond is clean. "Who knows?" he said. "We don't get them from the mines." Lanegran hopes "Blood Diamond" will encourage consumers to shop more conscientiously. "We're hoping that consumers will continue to remind jewelers that they want honest diamonds and to press the jewelers to call for a strengthening of the Kimberly Process," she said. "Diamonds are a symbol of love and consistency. They should not also be a symbol of rebel movements, that rape and abuse citizens and turn children into soldiers."At his store, Ulman said he gets the occasional shopper who refuses to buy an African diamond. "We've had customers who would prefer to have a Canadian diamond," he said. "Those stones, of course, have no connection to Africa."

Source: Fredericksburg.com - Local jewelers avoid blood diamonds

West African Diamond Trade Deals with Kimberley Reforms

The West African diamond industry was thrust into the limelight this year with the Hollywood movie Blood Diamond. The film depicts atrocities committed during Sierra Leones 10-year civil war. Some analysts say the West African diamond sector has come a long way since that time. Other activists say, for those living and working in diamond-mining areas, life has not improved much. Kari Barber reports from Dakar. In the 1990s illicit diamond trade was believed to have fueled civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone that left hundreds of thousands of people dead and the countries in ruin. Rebels and governments were accused of selling diamonds to buy arms. In 2002, countries and non-governmental organizations involved in the diamond trade implemented what is called the Kimberley Process. It is designed to certify the origin of diamonds and prevent diamond money from financing wars. Ian Smillie with Partnership Africa Canada, says - even with monitoring and regulations - smuggling is difficult to prevent. Smillie says most borders in Africa are porous and, even at official checkpoints like airports, people are not searched for diamonds. They are one of the most concentrated forms of wealth on Earth and they are very easy to hide, he said. So if people want to steal a diamond or if they have some reason for smuggling them, they will. This is never going to stop. The Kimberley Process can catch 90 or 95 percent of it, but it is not going to catch everything. Smillie says the protocol has been successful in drawing attention to the problem of conflict diamonds and forcing traders to go through legitimate channels to sell their diamonds. Six years ago, before the Kimberley Process, Sierra Leone officially exported about a million dollars worth of diamonds. In 2005 diamond exports totaled $145 million. Liberia is still waiting to reopen its diamond sector. The United Nations voted to maintain the sanctions, this month. Smillie says, for the Kimberley Process to work, it is best to have Liberia out of the picture for now. He says sanctions may cause some small-time smuggling, but it is better than the country becoming a center for illicit diamonds, as in the past. During the 1990s, diamond exploitation and trade in regional conflict diamonds propped up the Charles Taylor war-time administration. Smillie says the best way to weaken the market for illegal diamonds is to make the legal route more attractive. The best way to regulate it is not to police it, he said. It is to make sure people get the very best prices in the country where the diamonds are mined. If you can move the buyers, bring some of those Antwerp buyers and others to Sierra Leone to buy the diamonds and regulate that. Make sure there are fair prices, make sure people know what the diamonds are worth and make sure that you manage the banking arrangements. Then you have a better chance of keeping a grip on the overall industry. Abu Brima is coordinator at the Campaign for Just Mining. The Freetown-based group monitors Sierra Leones mining sector. He says the Kimberley Process has enabled Sierra Leones government to make improvements in areas such as mining registration. But Brima says that, although the increased coordination has brought more investment, it has meant little for the average person. He says environmental and labor concerns fall outside the scope of the Kimberley Process. So it has not really made any significant difference in the lives of local community people, and the diggers, and the miners themselves and, therefore, the country, he said. So there is a serious gap in terms of how the diamond sector has benefited anybody. Brima says the areas around diamond mines are still among the poorest in Sierra Leone. The cost of living is often high and the poverty gap is immense. Brima says he would like to see the industry put on hold for a few years to allow the sector to reorganize and the government to update its laws. Corrine Dufka is a researcher at Human Rights Watch in Dakar. She says bad governance, not diamonds, is to blame for the civil wars in West Africa. Diamonds, themselves, or any natural resources that are exploited in this way, are not the cause of the wars that we have seen in West Africa, she said. Speaking particularly about Sierra Leone, prior to the war in Sierra Leone there were several decades of bad governance, corruption, nepotism, inequitable distribution of wealth and absolute poverty; which were the factors that actually led to the war in Sierra Leone, not the diamonds themselves. Although most of West Africa is falling in line with international regulations, illicit diamonds from the Ivory Coast are still finding their way into shipments, according to the United Nations. The world body says Ivory Coast is the last country in the world still producing conflict diamonds. Official diamond shipments have been suspended by the government for nearly eight years. as rebels retain control of diamond-mining areas in the north. Despite 2005 U.N. sanctions, Ivory Coast diamonds have been leaking into Mali and Ghana. Ghana, a member of the Kimberley Process, is implementing new inspection procedures to ensure the diamonds coming out of Ghana are from Ghana and not from conflict zones.

Source: MND: » West African Diamond Trade Deals with Kimberley Reforms

H.E. Tejan Kabbah makes his last trip to Mecca as President

President Alhaji Dr. Ahmad Tejan Kabbah has in a special flight from Lungi International Airport in the early hours of Tuesday December 26th 2006, embarked upon a trip to Mecca to perform this year's Hajj. The President who will be handing over to a successor some time late next year was fortunate to be able to enter Mecca and perform his last Hajj as President. Hundreds of other Sierra Leonean would-be pilgrims were however not so fortunate and were left stranded at the Lungi Airport. Last ditch attempts by the Honourable Vice President Berewa who personally undertook a mission to have the would-be Hajj Pilgrims board a flight to Mecca yesterday, proved futile as the arranged flight actually took off from Lungi International Airport only to be turned back upon arrival at Guinea where the flight was supposed to have briefly transited. The flight was returned to Freetown when word was announced that the Mecca airspace was now closed for this year's Hajj. The frustrated would-be pilgrims and their relatives caused a riotous scene at the airport, and only a robust police presence saved the situation from deteriorating into violence and damage to the airport. The sad situation in Sierra Leone is however not unique only to Sierra Leonean would-be pilgrims. The same reports of aspiring pilgrims being turned back is being reported all over Muslim Africa and in many other places around the world including even in parts of America. It will appear that there has been a marked increase in the number of Muslims making the annual pilgrimage to Mecca.

Source: Sierra Leone's President Kabbah makes his last trip to Mecca as President: Sierra Leone News

Seeking Hydro Carbon Investors

OFFSHORE EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT FOR HYDRO-CARBON GAS AND CRUDE OIL ON THE SIERRA LEONE AND LIBERIA SHELF OF WEST AFRICA.

The Republics of Sierra Leone and Liberia in West Africa have combined offshore area of almost two million square acres for development. Historical and regional data that is available to the oil & gas industry, prompted an industry-wide survey company, TGS-NOPEC Geophysical of Houston, Texas, to complete a 2-D & 3-D seismic survey study. After completion of this study the two countries acreage was divided into two grids: Sierra Leone contains a 10-block grid and Liberia contains a 17-block grid. Due to the contiguous nature of Sierra Leone-Liberia Shelf, these two countries are being grouped together at this time into one project. The government of Liberia its president and cabinet, contacted BB Media Global Group thats currently overseeing Gold, Diamond & Iron Ore mining projects in Liberia. BB Media Global Group was asked to first identify an oil company (operator) as well as purchase the date from TGS-NOPEC for each country, respectively.

Source: BB Media Global Group - Seeking Hydro Carbon Investors

Blood Diamonds: A River or a Droplet?

What a fuss a number can make -- one little number. And here it is: Fewer than 1 percent of diamonds on the market today are "conflict diamonds." The number seems surprising, considering all the attention focused on the gems since the film "Blood Diamond" came out this month. For if that 1 percent is true, it means that 99 percent of the world's diamonds are conflict-free, which certainly does seem to throw a bucket of cold water on the movement against conflict diamonds.

No wonder the diamond industry loves that little number. And no wonder the conflict diamond movement is pleased to have Hollywood on its side -- the better to reenergize a flagging social cause. At the film's Hollywood premiere, "Blood Diamond" director Edward Zwick reportedly called 1 percent "a funky number" that doesn't capture the breadth of the problem. Zwick has positioned his film as a galvanizing tool to warn consumers about diamonds illicitly mined by rebel armies during wartime. Zwick also has taken aim at hip-hop impresario Russell Simmons, who has been highlighting the benefit of diamonds for African economies. Simmons's position echoes that of former South African president Nelson Mandela, who wrote to Zwick earlier this year about how the movie might hurt diamond sales and destabilize diamond-producing countries. The movie, with box office receipts of more than $25 million, follows Kanye West's 2005 hit song "Diamonds From Sierra Leone." Up next is a History Channel documentary, "Blood Diamonds," airing Saturday, and early next year a VH1 documentary called "Bling: A Planet Rock," which will feature hip-hop stars traveling to Sierra Leone to highlight the issue. The irony is this: Conflict diamonds are far rarer than they were just a few years ago. Back then, when rebels in Sierra Leone were hacking off the hands of civilians in a war funded by diamonds, activists could barely get Hollywood's attention. "Yeah, in those years back in 2000, 2001, it was a little lonely," says Rory E. Anderson, a conflict diamond expert with the charity World Vision. Sierra Leone is at peace, by the way. Its war ended in 2002. But that seems not to matter. All this delayed outrage over conflict diamonds still can be useful in the battle for hearts and minds. Activists stop short of calling for a diamond boycott, but they do want to put diamond retailers on notice by urging consumers to become more aggressive in asking about the origins of their stones. But how to spark all this consumer concern when only 1 percent of the stones are considered conflict diamonds? Question the little number. Global Witness, the British advocacy group that first alerted the world to the problem in 1998, now says that conflict diamonds are part of a controversial stream of stones that also includes smuggled diamonds and diamonds mined in abusive labor situations all over the world. Put all that together, and the flow of controversial diamonds, says Global Witness, really is more like 20 percent. "It all boils down to definitions," Alex Yearsley, campaign coordinator for Global Witness, wrote in an e-mail. "We're not attempting to conflate the issue," he wrote, but added that "the issue of illicit [diamonds] is intimately connected to conflict diamonds.

Source: Blood Diamonds: A River or a Droplet? - washingtonpost.com

Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development in Sierra Leone

Since the end of the war in 2002, the Government of Sierra Leone - with support from development partners - has embarked on a number of ambitious reforms, especially in the area of governance and economic management. Some important achievements to date include the holding of free and fair elections and consolidation of peace and security since 2002, improved macro-economic stability, the restoration of local government, the passing of procurement and anti-money-laundering legislation, and the establishment of an Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). But the successful post-conflict recovery remains fragile and the need for sustained reform even more imperative. Some five years on, with national elections scheduled in 2007, it is a suitable time to celebrate the achievements to date, but more importantly, it is time to set out what more needs to be done to accelerate the delivery of development dividends by improving governance and accountability, as well as enhancing the nature of partnership between donors and Government. (full article)

Calabash aims high

The Calabash Magazine was launched on the 27^th of July 2005 in the UK by its founder/publisher Bankole Jones with an aim of being the most exciting and inspirational showcase lifestyle magazine thus promoting the cultural, educational and social well being of the people of Sierra Leone.

We at Sierra Eye wishes the Calabash magazine continuous success in the future.

Long suffering masses jubilant for lights switched on in Freetown

Government's best kept secret Xmas gift for the Sierra Leonean people .... 

 Whether it is Eve of Elections hype or not, the people of the Sierra Leonean capital have been treated to the best kept and one of the most welcomed and fascinating secrets ever ---Lights were turned on in Freetown on Tuesday this week , sending the populace rejoicing once again. Though it is not the kind of achievement that should get a diamondiferous and very rich Sierra Leone jubilating , considering the fact that other West African nations without the kinds of mineral and other material resources at Sierra Leone's disposal enjoy all-round electricity in their capital, many Sierra Leoneans questioned by COCORIOKO reporters Joseph Kamanda and Olu Faulkner , expressed great delight at the event, saying that it could portend the beginning of new things in the country.

The most interesting thing about this achievement is that unlike neighbouring Liberia , which created a media frenzy when the lights were turned on in July, the Sierra Leonean authorities have been keeping a low profile .For a government still in search of universal acceptability in the nation , going into next year's elections, the muted reaction to this accomplishment stunned many residents . However, it has not detracted from the spirit of joy and exhiliaration the lights have brought to the capital.One man told our reporter , Olu Faulkner : "This is the best Christmas gift I have ever had. The mere pride of seeing lights in my capital once again is joy that I cannot describe ". The most excited are children who had not seen public lights since they were born. Our reporter said he saw hordes of young children going around savoring the accomplishment . Some people, said to be calling the lights "JJC" ("Johnny-Just-Come", the same nomenclature given to Sierra Leoneans abroad who return home temporarily to enjoy the Christmas holiday ) remain sceptical that it is a mere flash in the frying pan and come next year, the lights will vanish but the majority of the people our reporters spoke to, praised the government for fulfilling its promise of bringing back the lights.

Coming at the heels of earthshaking news that the country's foreign debts have been erased, the government is riding a crest of unprecedented praises presently. Many people believed that if the government maintains the momentum, it could impact on next year's elections . More important, If all these achievements last, and a serious government is elected next year, the door has been opened not only for the good times to roll again in the Paradise of West Africa, but for Sierra Leone to wrestle back her crown as the Beacon of Light of Africa. In all fairness to President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, debt relief and the restoration of lights in the capital , if followed by poverty-alleviation and democratic elections, will put him over the threshhold as the most progressive President Sierra Leone has ever had.

Source: COCORIOKO.NET

Security Council votes to extend peacebuilding mission in Sierra Leone

UNITED NATIONS: The Security Council voted unanimously Friday to extend the mandate of the U.N. peacebuilding mission in Sierra Leone after outgoing Secretary-General Kofi Annan called the country a "success story." "Today Sierra Leone is a good example of what can be achieved by the U.N. and its member states working closely together," Annan said in a farewell speech to the council. "Sierra Leone is definitely one of the success stories of our work together." A U.N. peacekeeping force helped put Sierra Leone back on the path to peace and stability after a bloody 11-year civil war, which lasted from 1991 to 2002. Poverty continues to plague the country, which has one of the world's lowest life expectancy and literacy rates. Britain's U.N. Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry praised the resolution and said it was "appropriate that this should be one of the last resolutions adopted by the council under Kofi Annan's tenure as secretary-general." The council "rightly recognizes the huge steps that Sierra Leone has taken over the past two years," he said. "Only a few years ago, Sierra Leone was the site of Africa's most gruesome civil war. Over the past 12 months, in comparison, Sierra Leone has continued to move forward." Jones Parry said a consolidated effort between U.N. peacebuilders and the Sierra Leone government was essential for eradicating problems such as adult illiteracy and gender equality as well as ensuring a "full democratic process" in the upcoming July 2007 elections. "Gender equality remains a serious problem, yet women's empowerment is central to peace consolidation and good governance," he said. "There's a particular need to ensure that women are able to participate fully in the 2007 elections, both as electors and as candidates." The peacebuilding mission was established on Jan. 1 as the successor to the U.N. peacekeeping operation. It has 10 military observer, 18 international police officers, and about 130 civilian staff members. The resolution extends the peacebuilding mission until Dec. 31, 2007 and authorizes 15 additional military observers and police, who will assist with the presidential and parliamentary elections. It calls on incoming Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, who takes over the U.N.'s reins on Jan. 1, to conduct an assessment of the mission's role closer to the July elections. World leaders attending the September 2005 U.N. summit created a new Peacebuilding Commission so that key international players could assist in promoting reconstruction and economic development in countries that have emerged from war. Sierra Leone and Burundi were the first post-conflict countries chosen by the commission. Over the next three years, Jones Parry said, the commission should focus on fighting corruption, reforming the civil service and instituting policies that tackle youth unemployment and stimulate economic development.

Source: Security Council votes to extend peacebuilding mission in Sierra Leone - News & Features - International Herald Tribune

Africa gaining clout as key oil producer

Angola is joining the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, African oil exploration is booming and China is investing. The stampede for African oil has continued, even as militant attacks in some countries and precarious governments in others make returns uncertain. Although much of the continent is just as conflict-ridden as the Middle East, analysts say Africa is increasingly attractive because it's one of a diminishing number of regions still welcoming foreign corporations. "It's one of the few places still where in

virtually every country the international oil companies can invest," said Julian Lee, senior energy analyst at London's Center for Global Energy Studies. "I can't think of anywhere in Africa that has not let in international companies." The Middle East, which has nearly 60 percent of the world's proven reserves, operates mainly through state-owned companies. Russia, the second-biggest oil exporter after Saudi Arabia, took over much of its former oil giant Yukos early this year and has continued to tighten its control over foreign companies. Meanwhile, South American policies have become increasingly nationalistic; Venezuela forced retooled contracts on foreign oil companies, Bolivia nationalized its petroleum industry and strong leftist parties in Peru and Ecuador have made corporations increasingly wary. "President (Hugo) Chavez of Venezuela has basically politicized Latin American oil," said Mehdi Varzi, who heads an independent oil consultancy in London. Varzi said nationalization isn't an option for African countries with poor infrastructure and little technical expertise to develop an oil sector on their own. Mauritania, Africa's newest oil producer, was long only a potential oil exporter until a deal with a team led by Australia's Woodside Petroleum Ltd. led to offshore finds in 2001. Although the northwest African country's reserves are small by world standards -- about 1 billion barrels -- the government estimates that it will see oil revenue of $350 million in 2006, its first year of production. That's major revenue for one of the world's poorest nations. Woodside owns the largest stake of the field at nearly 48 percent, and the Mauritanian government owns 12 percent. Foreigners also show no signs of leaving Nigeria, even though normal daily production of 2.5 million barrels has been cut by a quarter in attacks by militant groups angling for a greater share of oil wealth. The West African country, Africa's biggest oil producer and the fifth-largest supplier to the United States, hosts multinational corporations such as Royal Dutch Shell PLC and Italian oil firm Eni SpA in profit-sharing agreements with state-owned companies.

 In a stark contrast to Russia and Venezuela, the Nigerian government is making efforts to privatize more of its oil operations, according to Shell financial reports. The government has a majority share in Shell partnerships and the petroleum sector accounts for about 80 percent of Nigeria's revenue. Still, African oil development has its own problems that can trump those of the Arab world. Nigeria is often near the top of lists of the world's most corrupt countries, as is Angola. Much business in both countries takes place in an informal economy. And long histories of coups in many regions means new governments can't always be counted on to keep old promises. Although Africa will never compete with the Middle East, there's plenty of oil to be found. The continent's proven oil reserves more than doubled from 1980 to 2005 to 114.3 billion barrels, according to the BP Statistical Handbook. That's a growth rate comparable to the Middle East and far outpacing a worldwide increase of 84 percent during the same period. African production rose about 60 percent during the same time and now accounts for about 12 percent of the world's oil. There's enough demand that though U.S. and European companies have largely stayed away from politically charged Sudan, the country has found foreign investment from Asia. China is the primary foreign investor in Sudanese oil fields and has not showed any signs of decreasing involvement, despite the continuing threat of U.N. sanctions over Sudan's refusal to allow U.N. peacekeepers in its Darfur region. "There's the phenomenon of countries that Western countries may not be able to do business in that become a niche for other countries," Eurasia Group analyst Greg Priddy said. During the past decade, many poor African countries have moved toward privatization of state-owned enterprises under the advice of the World Bank. In an October report, the World Bank encouraged Angola -- Africa's second-largest producer after Nigeria and one of the continent's fastest-growing oil powers -- to do more to encourage private investment. Peter Egom, an economist and research fellow at Nigeria's Institute of International Affairs, argued that Africa has the manpower and know-how to aspire to oil nationalism. He argued that the major stumbling block for African oil producers was the lack of financial means because nations with weak currencies have to compete in an industry where the U.S. dollar is the currency of trade. Venezuela has worked hard this year to befriend African nations in a sign that the country could be pushing similar theories.

Chavez attended an African Union summit in Gambia this summer and pushed for South American-African partnerships. A conference between South American and African countries last month ended with an agreement to explore natural resource collaborations. Yet even as Africa tries to decide the best way to exploit its resource, some analysts say the continent's promise of vast oil reserves has been overhyped. Priddy said that much of Africa's oil is more expensive to extract than oil in the Middle East -- so it may be full of opportunity only as long as oil prices stay high. "The idea was that (Africa) was going to reverse the global decline," said Jonathan Bearman, managing director of London-based Clearwater Research Services, which evaluates risk for energy companies. "But I think some of the expectations have been moderated. The drilling results have not lived up to expectations." Bearman said offshore wells in Nigeria have had a success rate of about one in three, compared with earlier success rates of one in two for onshore wells. "The costs are going up and the pace of development is very slow," Bearman said.

Source: ContraCostaTimes.com | 12/20/2006 | Africa gaining clout as key oil producer

Common African currency in 2010

The African Union Group of Eminent Persons on reparation has concluded plans to introduce a bank of all African currency in 2010. Named Gold Mandela, the suggested continental legal tender was expected to boost investment and trade in Africa. Peter Alexander Egom, the Coordinator of African Capital & Commodity Services Company, is organising a five day summit designed to bring together more than 200 delegates from all over Africa and the Diaspora to brainstorm, network and exchange creative ideals towards the realisation of the project. Mr Egom, said the proposed bank would issue Gold Mandela, as the legal tender for transaction of business among members countries. Mr Egom said the proposed common currency bank would be actualised in the next four years because "we have concrete plans to move Africa forward in the manner the Chinese are doing. We want Africa to be the centre of global economy. The Black race, have spent 500 years to build the economies of Europe and the Americas, and the time has come to do it for ourselves, Mr Egom told Nigeria's daily 'Vanguard'. Mr Egom said Gold Mandela would not be a pipe-dream like the ECO, a common currency being designed by five Western African states. "Indeed, the West African Monetary Institute (WAMI), which has had the mandate to fast-track the emergence of the ECO, originally by January 2003, then by July 2005 and has now rescheduled to fly by July 2009. Why ECO has been a pipe dream is that the pillars or promoters of the currency are located in France and Europe, not in Africa," he said. For years, nationals of the five West African states have been putting heads together to introduce a single currency called the ECO. But the lofty idea seems to be buried under the drawers and could not therefore be implemented. And the irony of it all is that member countries of West Africa Monetary Zone (WAMZ) - Ghana, The Gambia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Guinea - keep deferring the launch of ECO. While the fate of ECO hangs in the balance, Ghanaian officials on Monday said even if ECO is launched, it would take their country three years to do so. According to the first Deputy Governor of THE Bank of Ghana, Mr Van Lare Dosoo, the Eco would not be legal tender in Ghana until after some two to three years of its introduction. "Realistically, we are not going to use ECO but until two or three years after," Mr Dosoo disclosed. The re-denomination of Ghana's cedi currency, according to officials, would impede the implementation of the ECO. Bank officials were strategising efforts to put the weak cedis to the level of currencies of other countries. It was decided by a WAMZ meeting in Banjul last year that ECO would be introduced in December 2009 provided member countries met four of the five convergence criteria. (More)

Source: afrol News - "Common African currency in 2010

West Africa: Ghana to Change Currency, As West African Single Currency Begins Dec 2009

 In line with the desire of the ECOWAS to ensure a single currency for the sub- region, the government of Ghana has commenced move to change its currency under the west Africa monetary zone convergence programme. This is coming on the heel of the West African single currency tagged "ECO," which will finally take off in December, 2009. To this end, the governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Paul Acquah, had appeared before the Parliament to explain the need to change the face-value of their country's currency. According to SundayVanguard'sfindings, this would be done by re-denomination of the Cedi to give it a stronger value, Dr. Acquah said, as he informed the Ghanaian Parliament, that the efficiency gains from the re-denomination exercise would enable Ghana to join the "ECO" as a strong partner. His words: "the West Africa single currency, which comes under the West Africa Monetary Zone (WAMZ) convergence, would start in December 2009, and it is important for each member country to raise the value of its currency, hence, the need for the government of Ghana to re-denominate the cedi." Western Union Moreso, Dr. Acquah added that "During the intervening period and until the "ECO" is issued into circulation, it is important and necessary for each member country to take any step necessary to raise its economic performance. Efficiency gains from this re-denomination exercise will enable Ghana to join as a stronger partner." According to him, the re-denomination of the currency is consistent with the spirit of reforms envisage under the WAMZ convergence programme, and he told the House that December 2009 was the target date "for locking into a single currency" The governor of the Bank of Ghana told the Parliament that they would be required to ratify the statutes of WAMZ and its institutions soon, noting that "This is one of the obligations Ghana has to fulfill alongside other convergence criteria." During the Parliamentary session monitored by our correspondent who attended the Capacity Building/Study Tour on Media Appreciation of Labour Market Institutions in West Africa," organized by the Ghana Trade Union Congress (GTUC) in Accra, Ghana, Dr. Acquah gave other vital reasons why it is very imperative to re-denominate the cedi.

Source: allAfrica.com: West Africa: Ghana to Change Currency, As West African Single Currency Begins Dec 2009 (Page 1 of 1)

Christmas message from the Sierra Leone High Commissioner's Office - London

We have come to another Christmas in our lives for which we must thank the Lord Almighty for preserving and showering his blessings upon us as Sierra Leoneans, living in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Spain, Cyprus, Greece, Republic of Ireland and Portugal. As we exchange gifts in keeping with the tradition for this season, let us remember our brothers, sisters, children, and our people back home in Sierra Leone, who are less fortunate than ourselves. A little gift to them in any form-whether moral or material-will go a long way to make a difference in their lives. This is our challenge and I have no doubt that we shall all live up to it. On behalf of the staff of the Sierra Leone High Commission, my wife and myself, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and very a Happy New Year. Melvin Humpah Chalobah High Commissioner.

Source: Sierra Leone High Commission -  London

Sierra Leone relearns diamond mining

Knee deep in brown water Mohammed Kamara shakes his large circular sieve as a colleague pours in endless buckets of mud and gravel. This has been the daily routine for thousands of miners in Sierra Leone's eastern district of Kono since the 1930s, when diamonds were first found in the West African country. As diamonds are so easily smuggled out figures are hard to come by, but some experts have suggested that since the 1930s as many as 70 million carats of diamonds have been mined in Sierra Leone. However, the miners and people of Kono have hardly benefited, with a common daily wage of less than 50 US cents plus two cups of rice. Diamond knowledge In a wooden hut, normally serves as a video hall, 20 men struggle with a two hour Diamond Identification and Classification exam. The last time Komba Mejor sat in a classroom was more than 20 years ago, but having just completed a two week course he wants to pass on his newly gained diamond knowledge. "I now understand more about the value of the diamonds and if I pass the exam I will teach my brothers and sisters so we can get more money from the diamonds," he says. Part of the exam is a 15 minute practical. A small generator is fired up (electricity is rare in Kono) and with the help of a small lamp and an eye piece, Komba and his colleagues identify and weigh a variety of diamonds. This is all part of a programme funded by USAid, aimed at helping the miners gain a better understanding of the industry and avoid being ripped off by middlemen. "The monopoly of information has really deprived the local miners and subjected them to poverty," says Babar Touray, of the US funded Integrated Diamond Management Programme. "Those foreigners who came in and were knowledgeable about diamonds didn't give the chance to indigenes to get the information and know-how to determine the price of diamonds, so they have always been at the mercy of foreign buyers." Corruption and war But one of the course instructors, Mohammed Jabi, says the miners' newly acquired knowledge is not going down well with the diamond dealers in town. Diamond miner studying Many hope to use their new diamond knowledge to teach others "We asked the dealers to give us diamond samples to use in the practicals, but after some time they learnt we were trying to increase the awareness of the miners and the diggers so they are now refusing to give us samples," he says. During British colonial days, the mining giant De Beers was granted exclusive mining rights in the country, although illicit mining later became rampant. The industry was nationalised in 1970, but Sam Koroma, who works for the British-funded Diamond Sector Project, says mistakes were made. "The problem was the speed we went into nationalisation, it was not well researched as we were in a hurry," he says.

"So the policies in place were not properly looked at in order to pick out the good ones and throw out the bad ones. When we took over, corruption set in at the highest level." And after the corruption came war. Forced labour Greed fuelled the conflict, which devastated Sierra Leone during the 1990s. The diamond fields in the east of the country were seized by the brutal rebel Revolutionary United Front (RUF). Using forced labour, the diamonds were exchanged for weapons and cash. During a break from sieving, Mohammed Kamara remembers how he was ordered to mine for the RUF from 1993 to 2000. "If you refused to go, you would be severely beaten or even killed. Every blessed day you went to the mine you found diamonds. But we got nothing. At times the rebels gave us food for the day if they felt like it - other times nothing." Mohammed, who struggles to support his wife and two children from his work, recently joined a mining co-operative, giving him above average daily payments and an agreed share of the value of any diamonds sold. The first effort was unsuccessful and the private backers, who had invested close to $100,000 in the co-operatives, made a loss. But lessons were learnt and this could yet prove to be a way of seeing the country's diamond proceeds more evenly distributed. Payments Britain's Department for International Development is working with the government of Sierra Leone to make the industry more transparent and accountable, while De Beers has been offering some technical training. Since the end of the war, official diamond exports have risen sharply each year - from $26m in 2001 to $141m in 2005. The government's royalty is 3%, but of that figure only 0.7 % goes directly into the government's coffers. Official records show that from the last two years of the diamond tax, around $2.5m should have been returned to develop the diamond mining communities. But that money was paid to the local chiefs, and very little reached their people. The payments to the chiefs were recently stopped, but the chiefs are politically powerful and with what could be a closely fought presidential election just a few months away, there may be pressure to resume the payments to keep the chiefs on side.

Source: BBC NEWS | Business | Sierra Leone relearns diamond mining

Sierra Leone frets over Blood Diamond image

The Hollywood movie "The Blood Diamond" about gem smuggling in Africa could hinder Sierra Leone's postwar recovery as its struggles to legitimize its vital diamond exports, officials in the West African state say. The Oscar-tipped film, which has taken in $18.4 million so far in the United States, stars Leonardo DiCaprio as an ex-mercenary involved in gem smuggling in 1990s Sierra Leone. It plays out against a backdrop of the former British colony's 1991-2002 civil war, fueled by the trade in illicit stones and notorious for mutilations meted out by RUF rebels. 

 "I am worried the film may be detrimental to the industry in Sierra Leone," said Mohamed Swaray Deen, minister of mineral resources. "People need to know that when they are seeing atrocities, the country has moved very, very far away from the pictures they see in the movie. But the consumer might be affected by this." Diamonds have the potential to transform Sierra Leone, which has the world's highest rate of child mortality. Currently, the government relies on aid for almost half its budget -- much of it from former colonial power Britain. Sierra Leone's war helped prompt the U.N.-organized Kimberly Process launched in 2003 to ensure "blood" or "conflict" diamonds are not sold on the black market to buy weapons. Kimberly has kickstarted the industry in Sierra Leone: diamond exports boomed from $10 million in 2000 to $141 million last year. The government receives 3 percent of exports, worth $4.23 million last year. Since 2001, the government has set aside a quarter of gem revenues for the Diamond Area Community Development Fund, which fosters development in mining areas. "A lot of development has taken place since the war and the movie needs to include this," Deen said.

SHOT IN MOZAMBIQUE, SOUTH AFRICA Other officials expressed disappointment that producers of the $100 million Hollywood film opted to shoot on location in Mozambique and South Africa, rather than coming to the impoverished West African state. "I wish at least it had been filmed here," said Cecil Williams, general manager of the National Tourist Board. "Much as it is negative about our country it could also have portrayed the beauty of Sierra Leone," he said. "We have a unique landscape, and the presence of a large film crew would have provided economic benefits." Sierra Leone has much to offer tourists, ranging from pristine beaches, jungle and animal species including threatened chimpanzees, rare birds and the pygmy hippo. Before the war, there was a thriving tourism industry, with 98,000 people visiting in 1990. Latest figures from the U.N.'s World Tourism Organization show that Sierra Leone received only 44,000 visitors in 2004, many of them expatriate workers.
Five years after peace was restored, U.N. troops withdrew successfully at the beginning of 2006, and a U.N. Special Court is putting on trial those accused of the worst atrocities.
Presidential elections are planned for July and the country is trying to portray itself as open for business to lure desperately needed investment.

" Perception is a very powerful thing. In seeing that film you will believe the war is still happening here," said Williams. "We brought in five journalists from Hungary to showcase the country but prior to them coming two backed down because of what they thought might happen to them here."
"When people meet me for the first time they expect my hands to be chopped (off)," he said in reference to one of the brutal practices common during the war.
"Sierra Leone is now a safe country but it has become synonymous with war."

LESS THAN ONE PERCENT

"The Blood Diamond" has prompted a charm offensive by the international gem industry to prevent consumers deserting a multibillion-dollar trade. An estimated 65 percent of stones are mined in Africa.
Conflict diamonds now account for less than 1 percent of gem sales, down from as much as 15 percent in the mid-1990s.
Some small scale diamond smuggling continues in West Africa, but only in war-torn Ivory Coast can "conflict diamonds" still be said to exist, experts say.
A U.N. report in October said diamonds were being smuggled out of the rebel-held north of Ivory Coast, in violation of a U.N. embargo, generating between $9 million and $23 million.
Experts say some smuggling persists in Sierra Leone, but the very low tax rate encourages traders to go the official route.
"It's very difficult to say what the rate of smuggling is now," said Deen. "But if your legal exports are increasing in the way they are, then you can say your illegal exports are at least decreasing."

Source: Sierra Leone frets over Blood Diamond image | Entertainment | Entertainment News | Reuters.com

Cream Minerals Completes Phase 1 on Sierra Leone Offshore Property

 

Junior diamond miner Cream Minerals Limited executed first phase bulk sampling program in November and December 2006 on its offshore marine exploration license in Sierra Leone. Additionally, future plans include bulk sampling on this Sewa River License in coming months, which has not had exploration work conducted since the summer of 2005. Fishing communities along the coast were consulted during this baseline data gathering in order to develop a working relationship with the people whose precarious livelihoods are based upon the same area of the Atlantic Ocean. Fishery enhancement is a potential long-term benefit that marine mining operations may be able to achieve without significant additional costs if built into the mining plan at an early stage Cream reported.

 

Source: Diamonds.net News - Cream Minerals Completes Phase 1 on Sierra Leone Offshore Property

Christmas is here! $25million for Salone in January 2007

Christmas seems to have come early for the Government of Sierra Leone. The UN Peacebuilding Commission, is to give $25 million each to Sierra Leone and Burundi as part of its first round of contributions. The Commission was set up to help post-conflict countries avoid a relapse into bloodshed. During two days of country-specific meetings at UN Headquarters in New York, the Commission's members examined the progress made so far by the two African countries in identifying the gaps and priority areas for international support, and in determining how best to marshal and distribute resources. Meeting Wednesday 13th December on the issue of Sierra Leone, which is trying to recover from a decade-long civil war that ended five years ago, the Commission heard from the UN representative in in the country Victor Angelo, how vital it is that its work bring concrete results to help establish the kind of environment that generates confidence and encourages economic recovery. Without giving specific details of how the problem areas can be resolved, Angelo identified tackling massive youth unemployment, offering support to justice and security sector reform and strengthening the democratic process as some of the priority areas where the country can be helped by the Peacebuilding Commission. He said preparations for national elections next year were under way and the Government was working with international partners to review its anti-corruption strategy. But he added that youth unemployment and marginalization remained the biggest threat to stability. The Commission agreed that every effort should be made to deliver the initial contribution of $25 million by January 2007 to ensure that Sierra Leone can begin tackling short-term priorities immediately. A follow-up Commission meeting will be held in March to chart the early progress. During their meeting on Burundi, Commission members also agreed to give the Central African country about $25 million, with a final figure dependent on a review by the office of Carolyn McAskie, the Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support. Promoting good governance, strengthening the rule of law and ensuring community recovery are priority areas for Burundi, which is suffering from a worrying budgetary shortfall that might mean it is unable to pay its civil servants or security force members. Youssef Mahmoud, the Secretary-General's Deputy Special Representative for Burundi, told the meeting there has been no progress in implementing the comprehensive ceasefire deal reached in September by the country's Government and the armed group known as Forces Nationales de Libération (Palipehutu-FNL). He added that disputes over land ownership, exacerbated by the return of thousands of former refugees, and a sense of impunity for those committing human rights abuses were also hurting the country. The next Commission meeting on Burundi is likely to be held in March.

Source: Christian Monitor - Christmas is here! $25million for Salone in January 2007

African Development Bank Country Office operational in Sierra Leone

The African Development Ba nk (AfDB) Group's Country Office in Sierra Leone is now operational, with the arrival in the country of the recently appointed Officer-in-Charge, Margaret Kilo, who held a meeting in Freetown Friday with Finance Minister, John Benjamin, the Bank said in a statement. "The Bank has maintained close ties with Sierra Leone since its inception. Even through its most difficult period, Sierra Leone never went into arrears with the Bank. This sound relationship between Sierra Leone and the Bank is being further reinforced with the opening of its office in Freetown," Kilo said. She added: "Through this office we hope to see major improvements in our portfolio and to collaborate more effectively with all stakeholders and development partners in Sierra Leone," she said. Kilo, an education specialist, has been with the Bank since 1998. She had worked for the World Bank in Washington DC (1994-1998) and at Cameroon's Higher Education and Scientific Research Ministry Cameroon (1982-1989). "Sierra Leone is one huge construction site. Except for electricity shortage, things are really looking good," she said in a phone call from Freetown after the meeting with the Sierra Leonean Finance Minister. According to the statement, the establishment of the Country Office is part of the Bank Group's decentralization strategy, approved by its Board of Directors in September 2004 with the objective of strengthening in-country activity and knowledge, conducting dialogue with countries on policy and strategy and acting as a focal point on key aspects of project implementation. The AfDB Group began operations in Sierra Leone in 1969 and its cumulative commitments in the country currently stand at US$393.01 million in 48 operations.

Source: African Development Bank Country Office operational in Sierra Leone - Africa-News.net - Sharing an interest in Africa

West Africa Investment Forum 2007

31st January - 2nd February 2007 Abuja, Nigeria

“This forum is timely indeed because after four decades of independence, Africa and particularly West Africa, continues to face daunting development challenges […] For West Africa to be able to effectively address the problem of poverty and increase its economic growth, trade has to be seen as a powerful and self-sustaining engine for economic growth and poverty alleviation”

H.E, The President, Alhaji Dr. Ahmad Tejan Kabbah

Source: Commonwealth Business Council

World Bank Board Approves New Grant to Strengthen Sierra Leone’s Reform Agenda on Governance and Economic Growth

WASHINGTON, December 14, 2006 – The Board of Directors of the World Bank has today approved an International Development Association (IDA) grant called the ‘Programmatic Governance Reform and Growth Grant’ of about US$10 million for Sierra Leone. The grant is designed to provide quick disbursing support to the Government’s 2006 budget in a single tranche.

This programmatic approach to aid dispensation is the first in a series that supports the Sierra Leone Poverty Reduction Strategy, following four Economic Rehabilitation and Recovery projects in the country. The grant complements similar support provided by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the UK Department for International Development (DfID) and the European Commission (EC).

The proposed Grant will provide critical resources to support elements of the Government Poverty Reduction Strategy in a manner that consolidates and deepens the agenda set by the Economic Rehabilitation and Recovery series including progress made in governance, decentralization of government, management of public resources and private sector-led economic growth.

The grant will contribute to economic recovery and growth by: (1) providing foreign exchange resources for imports of essential commodities, (2) providing financial resources to the Government budget to finance priority public expenditures, (3) supporting reforms to attract private investment and (4) contributing to maintaining macroeconomic stability and low inflation, thus helping to close the financing gap in 2006.

The policy areas to be supported by the proposed Grant include the maintenance of a conducive macroeconomic framework, deepening of Government fiduciary and financial regulations, procurement reform, improved budget execution, public service reform, decentralization, private sector regulation, trade reform, financial sector regulation, public enterprise reform, mining services and the fiscal regime for mining.

The choice of policy areas and the proposed triggers were informed by a series of consultations with stakeholder ministries and agencies as well as the other budget support donors. These consultations were arranged through the Ministry of Finance during the pre-appraisal and appraisal stages of the grant preparation.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The grant will provide critical resources to support elements of the Government’s Poverty Reduction Strategy in a manner that consolidates and deepens the agenda set by the Economic Rehabilitation and Recovery series including progress made in governance, decentralization of government, management of public resources and private sector-led economic growth. The grant will contribute to economic recovery and growth by providing foreign exchange resources for imports of essential commodities, by providing financial resources to the Government budget to finance priority public expenditures and by supporting reforms to attract private investment.

Link to Sierra Leone - Sierra Leone: Programmatic Governance Reform and Growth Grant

Growth Prospects are Strong, but Social, Environmental Pressures from Globalization Need More Attention

WASHINGTON, DC, December 13, 2006 – Globalization could spur faster growth in average incomes in the next 25 years than during 1980-2005, with developing countries playing a central role. However, unless managed carefully, it could be accompanied by growing income inequality and potentially severe environmental pressures, predicts the World Bank.

According to Global Economic Prospects 2007: Managing the Next Wave of Globalization, growth in developing countries will reach a near record 7 percent this year. In 2007 and 2008, growth will probably slow, but still likely exceed 6 percent, more than twice the rate in high-income countries, which is expected to be 2.6 percent.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, GDP is estimated to have increased an impressive 5.3 percent in 2006, down marginally from 5.5 percent in 2005 and marking the third year of more than 5 percent growth. The deceleration in growth is mainly explained by a moderate slowdown in South Africa, the region’s largest economy. Excluding South Africa, regional growth was steady at 5.8 percent, with oil exporters growing 6.9 percent and small oil importers 4.7 percent.

“This robust growth in the region reflects favorable international conditions and a substantially improved domestic policy environment that has improved countries’ supply potential,” said John Page, World Bank Chief Economist for the Africa Region. “At the same time, debt relief combined with lower interest rates and risk premia have reduced debt-servicing costs, increasing public funds available for productive investment.”

Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa is projected to remain above 5 percent over the next two years, as small oil-importing economies continue to grow by about 4.8 percent and growth in oil exporters accelerates owing to increasing capacity in countries like Angola and Equatorial Guinea, as well as a normalization of production levels in Nigeria.

On globalization, the report predicts that the global economy will expand from $35 trillion in 2005 to $72 trillion in 2030. “While this outcome represent only a slight acceleration of global growth compared to the past 25 years, it is driven more than ever before by strong performance in developing countries,” said Richard Newfarmer, the report’s lead author and Economic Advisor in the Trade Department. “And while exact numbers will undoubtedly turn out to be different, the underlying trends are relatively impervious to all but the most severe or disruptive shocks.”

Broad-based growth in developing countries sustained over the period would significantly affect global poverty. “The number of people living on less than $1 a day could be cut in half, from 1.1 billion now to 550 million in 2030. However, some regions, notably Africa, are at risk of being left behind. Moreover, income inequality could widen within many countries, compounding current concerns over inequality between countries,” said Francois Bourguignon, World Bank Chief Economist and Senior Vice President.

Global trade in goods and services could rise more than threefold to $27 trillion in 2030, and trade as a share of the global economy will rise from one-quarter today to more than one-third. Roughly half of the increase is likely to come from developing countries. Developing countries that only two decades ago provided 14 percent of manufactured imports of rich countries, today supply 40 percent, and by 2030 are likely to supply over 65 percent. At the same time, import demand from developing countries is emerging as a locomotive of the global economy.

Continuing integration of markets will make jobs around the world more subject to competitive pressures. “As trade expands and technologies rapidly diffuse to developing countries, unskilled workers around the world – as well as some lower-skilled white collar workers – will face increasing competition across borders,” explained Uri Dadush, Director of the World Bank’s Development Economics Prospect Group. “Rather than trying to preserve existing jobs, governments need to support dislocated workers and provide them with new opportunities. Improving education and labor market flexibility is a key part of the long-run solution.”

Globalization is likely to bring benefits to many. By 2030, 1.2 billion people in developing countries—15 percent of the world population—will belong to the “global middle class,” up from 400 million today. This group will have a purchasing power of between $4,000 and $17,000 per capita, and will enjoy access to international travel, purchase automobiles and other advanced consumer durables, attain international levels of education, and play a major role in shaping policies and institutions in their own countries and the world economy.

The next wave of globalization will likely intensify stresses on the “global commons,” which could jeopardize long-term progress, the report warns. Nations will have to work together to play a larger role in issues involving global public goods – from mitigating global warming, to containing infectious diseases like avian flu, to preventing the decimation of the world’s fisheries.

According to the report, global warming is a serious risk. Rising output means that annual emissions of greenhouse gases will increase roughly 50 percent by 2030 and probably double by 2050 in the absence of widespread policy changes. To avoid this, policies will have to promote “clean” growth so as to limit emissions to levels that will eventually stabilize atmospheric concentrations. Moreover, poor countries will need development assistance to adapt to coming environmental changes, including support for their participation in the carbon finance market.

The authors conclude that the challenges of rapid globalization put new burdens on both national policymakers and international officials. Nationally, governments need to ensure that the poor are incorporated into the growth process through pro-poor investments in education, infrastructure, and support mechanisms for dislocated workers. They need to support and invest in workers—all the while promoting rather than resisting change.

Internationally, the report calls for stronger institutions for tackling threats to the global commons. It also calls for more and better development assistance. Reducing barriers to trade is vital as well, since it can create new opportunities for poor countries and poor people. “Revitalizing the Doha round of world trade negotiations and concluding an agreement that benefits the poor is urgent,” said Mr. Dadush.

Link to Sierra Leone - Growth Prospects are Strong, but Social, Environmental Pressures from Globalization Need More Attention

Blood Diamonds Are Forever, Sierra Leone's Poor Must Not Be

Crossing the bridge to Koidu-Sefadu home to the Sierra Leone blood diamonds I stared at hundreds of people standing knee-deep in the river. I asked Dr. Barrie, What are those people doing? Mining diamonds, the Sierra Leonean doctor responded causally. An imprint immediately laid comparable to textbook pictures of the California gold rush in the 1800s. My first journey to the Kono district capital in the Eastern Region began with a competition to pass a door tied to a 1970s van. As we approached our destination, Dr. Barrie continued, People mine diamonds everywhere here, including their houses. I noted their houses. Underneath a canopy supported by four wooden poles, three women and five children sat silently on one bench and two tires. We passed another. Underneath aluminum sheets tied to the mud bricks of a house foundation, a woman cooked over a wood fire. We have diamonds. We also have gold, bauxite, kayelite, iron-ore, and many other minerals. The people should not suffer like this, said Shabab Sinnah, a Sierra Leonean native from Kono. I knew the statistics and history. They epitomized poverty in resource-rich countries, typically African countries with corrupt governments. In the 2005 Human Development Index, Sierra Leone ranked 176 out of 177 countries, and the devastating war from 1991 to 2002 highlights its recent, dramatic history. Quoted statistics and history lessons did not sufficiently illustrate grave reality. This was the most devastated region in the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) War, Dr. Barrie added. While most follow the diamond trail to Kono, we were following the trail of amputated and war disabled individuals afflicted during the war and abandoned in the post-conflict period. That journey we conducted a national needs assessment of these communities. We sought to understand how and where we could develop a sustainable, replicable model that allows the amputee and war disabled communities to become self-reliant. Along the way, I heard horrific stories and persistent pleas. Ten of us were walking from our village to a safer area of Kono. The rebels discovered and told us, Don t move! We will throw one stone. Whoever it hits will have his or her arm amputated. The rest will be killed. I was hit hard, and the others were shot. My arm was placed on a stump. A rebel started chopping at my arm with a machete, but it was too dull. He asked for another. Afterwards, I fainted as a result of the bleeding, recalls Sabindi, regional chairman of Amputees & War-Wounded Association. The amputee continued, Government has never helped us. When the war ended, we were supported through relief organizations. Examples include Norwegian Refugee Council building us houses, World Food Program giving us rice, and Handicap International providing us with prosthetics. After six months, these organizations disappeared. Since then, we have struggled to live. The district chiefs recently gave us 68 acres of land and some seeds. Together we have grown rice on 35 acres, and our first harvest will be next month. We hope that this micro-agriculture project shows others that with more support we can become self-reliant. Koidu-Sefadu has nine amputee and war disabled communities, the most of any area in the Eastern Region. In each community, Dr. Barrie and Shabab asked the same questions in local dialects, What are your most pressing needs? Results from the national needs assessment had the following order (the first three were ubiquitous): Food Security, Child Education, Access to Health Services, Clean Water Supply, Resource Center, and Micro-Credit. In addition to tallying these results, we prioritized the Eastern Region and its largest set of communities, which is in Koidu-Sefadu. On our second journey to Koidu-Sefadu, we initiated our project in reflection of our needs assessment. The district chiefs gifted us two acres of land in a centralized area agreed upon by the amputees and war disabled. We will first build a health center followed by a secondary school that incorporates a technical training and micro-credit institute. Aside from these infrastructural plans, we recently supported the technical cost of the first harvest for their micro-agriculture project. While these services give preferential support to the war disabled and their dependents, the entire community realizes that all benefit. It is encouraging to see fellow countrymen offering their labor services to the war victims for our development project. Awareness of the amputees and war disabled was the initial spark to our development project. Before starting my one-year Global Health Fellowship experience, Issa Toure, a Sierra Leonean native and fellow medical student at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York, had told me about the war, its amputated victims, their resettlement to isolated areas, and their medical support from Doctors Without Borders. With hopes of weekend volunteering for the amputees through Doctors Without Borders, I asked a local worker at the medical school to lead me to these communities near Freetown. I arrived at the Hastings community, an hour journey from Freetown. Doctors Without Borders? They helped us during the war and in immediate post-conflict period. That was three years ago, but we still need help, explained Lazarus. At Hastings, Lazarus was the first amputee that I met. On introduction, I impressionably shook one of his two amputated arms. After successive visits with Dr. Barrie, we validated their urgent pleas for help. Dr. Barrie suggested, If you really want to help them, you need to do it in a sustainable way that supports their self-reliance. You need to start a non-governmental organization [NGO]. After months of meticulous work, Dr. Barrie and I established an NGO in Sierra Leone called NOW (National Organization for WelBody). WelBody means health in Krio, the national language. Starting with nothing is difficult. No one funds a dream, but without funding, the dream remains a dream. I worked with a few friends in the United States to create a non-profit organization called Global Action Foundation (GAF). NOW became the Sierra Leone implementing partner of GAF that is run by its people for its people. Between the efforts of both organizations, GAF and NOW hope to generate funds and implement projects that support the amputee and war disabled communities of Sierra Leone in their vision of self-reliance.

Courtesy of John Daniel Kelly

Source: PR Leap

Sierra Leone is Like a Tinderbox. It will only Take One Spark

It should have been a success story. But four years after Tony Blair hailed Britain's role in ending a brutal civil war, this small country is back on the brink Steve Bloomfield reports

Sweat drips off the ceiling of a seedy Freetown nightclub. The neon strip lighting illuminates a crowded dance floor where beautiful young Sierra Leoneon women gyrate against the pot bellies of middle-aged white men. A former British paratrooper propping up the bar drunkenly boasts he has just closed a mining deal worth hundreds of millions of dollars by beating up a local chief, putting a gun to his head and threatening to shoot if he doesn't sign the document. Outside, 19-year-old Joseph hops towards new arrivals, one hand clutching a series of bead necklaces to sell, the other holding a crutch. The stump that was his left leg before it was chopped off with a blunt machete barely pokes out from below his shorts. He rarely makes enough money to feed himself, let alone his 15-year-old sister. Sierra Leone was supposed to be a "nation-building" success story. The intervention of British troops in May 2000 brought an end to a bloody civil war that saw up to 500,000 people - one tenth of the population - murdered, maimed or raped. It was one of Tony Blair's first military campaigns, and one that was widely seen as having a positive effect. Within six months of British paratroopers and special forces arriving in Freetown, the rebel groups had agreed to a ceasefire. Mr Blair's connection to Sierra Leone was personal. On a triumphant visit to Freetown in 2002, Mr Blair recalled how his father had once taught Freetown's university. "And I remember him telling me what a wonderful country it was and how warm and friendly the people were," he told cheering crowds. Posters greeting him read: "We welcome you excellency the peace maker, we love and respect you, trust and support you." Elections were held, a truth and reconciliation commission established, and thousands of child soldiers who had fought in the notorious "Small Boys Unit" were disarmed. A special UN tribunal was set up to try the ringleaders, and Charles Taylor, the one-time warlord held responsible for many of the indiscriminate killings, amputations and rapes that typified Sierra Leone's civil war, is now behind bars, awaiting trial at the International Criminal Court in the Hague. Mr Blair praised the country's progress. "I'll always remember driving through the villages near Freetown in Sierra Leone seeing the people rejoicing - many of them amputees through the brutality from which they had been liberated - and their joy at being free to debate, argue and vote as they wished," he said. But four years after Sierra Leone's President, Ahmad Kabbah, declared the civil war over, this small country of five million people on the west African coast is no success. It remains the second poorest country in the world, a place where more children die before they reach the age of five than anywhere else. Much of the capital, Freetown, has been without electricity for two years, and without a proper water supply for even longer. Angry and disillusioned young men sit in the shade drinking ataya, a mild stimulant spiced with gunpowder. They talk of feeling let down by their government, of missing out on education and jobs. And some, with a look of nostalgia in their eyes, talk almost fondly of the "good old days", when they roamed Sierra Leone's lush countryside armed to the teeth and high on drugs, chopping off limbs and raping women and girls for fun. "We are on the edge," said Abdul, a young electrical appliances importer living in Freetown who did not want to give his last name for fear of retribution. "This country is like a tinder box, it will only take one spark." It was a view echoed three hours' drive away in the Port Loko district in the north. Dr Victor Matt-Lebby, who trained at Leeds University but came back to help rebuild his country, said: "Before the war there was a lot of disenchantment among young people. They were just sitting around idly. It was a time-bomb waiting to go off. Now the same thing is happening again. If the youth problem is not addressed this place will go up in flames in the twinkle of an eye." Dr Matt-Lebby's wife went into labour when fighting broke out in Freetown in 1997. Unable to get to a hospital, their baby daughter died after six hours. The next six months could be crucial. Elections are due to be held in June and the governing Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) is widely expected to win comfortably. By law, President Kabbah has to step down, so his number two, Vice-President Solomon Berewa, will be the SLPP's candidate. But in a country where coups have been more frequent than democratic elections, there is an air of uneasiness when talk turns to the poll. The possibility of a coup was raised in newspapers last week when a young army private, Abdul Sesay, was arrested following the theft of an arms cache. Sesay, somehow, later escaped. The trial of Sam Hinga Norman, one of the nine men facing justice at the UN Special Court in Freetown, could also prove explosive. To some, Norman is a hero. He was responsible for the Kamajor, a militia defence force that fought the rebels. Norman was the country's deputy defence minister. His boss, President Kabbah, has not been indicted. Prosecutors insist there was not enough evidence linking him with any of the atrocities carried out by the Kamajor. The summing up in Norman's case takes place tomorrow and the verdict is likely before the elections. Norman still has supporters in Freetown and a guilty verdict may bring them out on to the streets. Those who are able to leave Freetown are beginning to pack their bags. One businessman who has lived in Sierra Leone all his life said the combination of official corruption and the fear of unrest meant it was no longer worth staying in the country of his birth. Such was his dread of reprisals that he refused to give even his first name. "It is sad that it has come to this," he said, "but things are worse now than they were before the war. The economy has got worse for us, not better. It is just not safe to work here any more. My family has already left and I will not be far behind them." For the majority of Freetown's one million-strong population, leaving is not an option. Instead they will try to scratch a living in Freetown's bustling markets. Under large yellow, green, red and blue umbrellas women sell peanuts and dried fish, loaves of bread and roughly peeled oranges. Paintbrushes sit next to a tower of engine parts. Cow skins are sold next to a man with half a dozen mobile phone chargers. But the vast majority of traders are women. The men tend to spend their days sitting in groups watching the world go by. At night, Freetown's clubs are filled with expats and locals. Prostitutes sit at the bar, occasionally venturing on to the dance floor when a suitable target appears. A former British soldier who returned to Sierra Leone moans about the country he has made home. "I've got to get out. It's terrible here." He takes another slug of Star, a local brew. "The money is great though." He will admit only to doing "this and that, you know, mining". Mining, and in particular diamonds, is Sierra Leone's biggest industry. Reliable figures for diamond exports are hard to find, but following the end of the war the country joined the Kimberley Process, the globally recognised system of regulation that is supposed to ensure that so-called "blood diamonds", which have fuelled so many of west Africa's conflicts, are not smuggled out illegally. Local diamond experts claim exports are starting to fall again, signalling a revival in smuggling across Sierra Leone's porous borders. Diamonds alone, though, will not see conflict return. The last war was not just about control of resources. The long-standing one-party state fell apart, the education system collapsed and agricultural output fell dramatically. Radicalised young men, angry at the lack of opportunities, became easy prey for rebel leaders such as Taylor who persuaded them to take up arms. Much of the killing was carried out by children who were abducted and forced to fight. Some of them have been given a fresh start, and they are determined to make the most of it. Saidu Sesay, tape measure hanging around his neck, is training to become a tailor. He boasts he will be able to make 60,000 Leones (£10.50) a day once he sets up his business. His teacher at the rehabilitation centre for child soldiers outside Freetown reckons £1.50 is a more likely figure. There are 150 children here, all of whom were turned away by their communities after the war. Saidu, now 18, was eight years old when he was abducted by the RUF. "I was given a gun and made to fight," he said simply. "One commander told me if I didn't fight he would kill me." For more than three years he fought alongside 160 other boys. Even at the age of eight, Saidu amputated his victims. "That happened, that happened," he said. "I was not proud but I did it. I was shooting people, bombing houses. That happened. Now I pray to Almighty God that I will not do it again." He is unlikely to. Saidu has had opportunities that many of his former colleagues can only dream of. For most one-time child soldiers, disarmament programmes did little for them. In a country where the education system collapsed long ago, opportunities are all too rare. But the disarmament programme has also caused resentment. Victims of violence have not received reparations, while the perpetrators, in many eyes, have been rewarded for their actions. Both live side by side. Some amputees talk of revenge. "I see the people who did this to me," said Joseph, pointing to his left stump. "Why has nothing happened to them?'' For some, though, there is still hope. A massive programme to vaccinate all under-fives against measles and to provide them with a free mosquito net to prevent malaria is underway. Nearly one million bednets, sprayed with insecticide, have been handed out by the ministry of health and the Sierra Leone Red Cross. More than 4,000 volunteers have been trained to help mothers protect their children from malaria, a disease that kills more people in Africa than HIV/Aids. "Our generation can change things," said Mariama Kemoh, a 25-year-old trainee nurse, who was administering vitamin A drops for babies. "Life is not easy here. There is no magic wand. But is up to our efforts. One day things will change for us. I believe that strongly." Sierra Leone: the statistics Population: 5.3 million (UN, 2005) Capital: Freetown Area: 27,699 square miles President: Ahmad Tejan Kabbah Major languages: English, Krio (Creole language derived from English) and a range of African languages Major religions: Islam, indigenous beliefs, Christianity History: The name Sierra Leone comes from the Portuguese name for the country, Serra Leoa, which means "Lioness Mountain". A centre of the slave trade in the 18th century, the capital Freetown was founded in 1792 by the Sierra Leone Company as a home for black Britons who had fought for the British during the American war of independence. Freetown became a British crown colony in 1808 and Sierra Leone gained independence in 1961 Life expectancy: 39 years (men), 42 years (women) (UN) Monetary unit: Leone (1 = $1) Main exports: Diamonds, rutile (titanium dioxide, used in paints, plastics and as gemstones), cocoa, coffee, fish GNI per capita: $220 Climate: Tropical. The summer rainy season runs from May until December Terrain: Coastal belt of mangrove swamps; wooded hill country; upland plateau; mountains in the east Natural resources: Diamonds, beryl, titanium ore, bauxite, gold, chromite Natural hazards: Harmattan dust storms from the Sahara Billy Head Sweat drips off the ceiling of a seedy Freetown nightclub. The neon strip lighting illuminates a crowded dance floor where beautiful young Sierra Leoneon women gyrate against the pot bellies of middle-aged white men. A former British paratrooper propping up the bar drunkenly boasts he has just closed a mining deal worth hundreds of millions of dollars by beating up a local chief, putting a gun to his head and threatening to shoot if he doesn't sign the document. Outside, 19-year-old Joseph hops towards new arrivals, one hand clutching a series of bead necklaces to sell, the other holding a crutch. The stump that was his left leg before it was chopped off with a blunt machete barely pokes out from below his shorts. He rarely makes enough money to feed himself, let alone his 15-year-old sister. Sierra Leone was supposed to be a "nation-building" success story. The intervention of British troops in May 2000 brought an end to a bloody civil war that saw up to 500,000 people - one tenth of the population - murdered, maimed or raped. It was one of Tony Blair's first military campaigns, and one that was widely seen as having a positive effect. Within six months of British paratroopers and special forces arriving in Freetown, the rebel groups had agreed to a ceasefire. Mr Blair's connection to Sierra Leone was personal. On a triumphant visit to Freetown in 2002, Mr Blair recalled how his father had once taught Freetown's university. "And I remember him telling me what a wonderful country it was and how warm and friendly the people were," he told cheering crowds. Posters greeting him read: "We welcome you excellency the peace maker, we love and respect you, trust and support you." Elections were held, a truth and reconciliation commission established, and thousands of child soldiers who had fought in the notorious "Small Boys Unit" were disarmed. A special UN tribunal was set up to try the ringleaders, and Charles Taylor, the one-time warlord held responsible for many of the indiscriminate killings, amputations and rapes that typified Sierra Leone's civil war, is now behind bars, awaiting trial at the International Criminal Court in the Hague. Mr Blair praised the country's progress. "I'll always remember driving through the villages near Freetown in Sierra Leone seeing the people rejoicing - many of them amputees through the brutality from which they had been liberated - and their joy at being free to debate, argue and vote as they wished," he said. But four years after Sierra Leone's President, Ahmad Kabbah, declared the civil war over, this small country of five million people on the west African coast is no success. It remains the second poorest country in the world, a place where more children die before they reach the age of five than anywhere else. Much of the capital, Freetown, has been without electricity for two years, and without a proper water supply for even longer. Angry and disillusioned young men sit in the shade drinking ataya, a mild stimulant spiced with gunpowder. They talk of feeling let down by their government, of missing out on education and jobs. And some, with a look of nostalgia in their eyes, talk almost fondly of the "good old days", when they roamed Sierra Leone's lush countryside armed to the teeth and high on drugs, chopping off limbs and raping women and girls for fun. "We are on the edge," said Abdul, a young electrical appliances importer living in Freetown who did not want to give his last name for fear of retribution. "This country is like a tinder box, it will only take one spark." It was a view echoed three hours' drive away in the Port Loko district in the north. Dr Victor Matt-Lebby, who trained at Leeds University but came back to help rebuild his country, said: "Before the war there was a lot of disenchantment among young people. They were just sitting around idly. It was a time-bomb waiting to go off. Now the same thing is happening again. If the youth problem is not addressed this place will go up in flames in the twinkle of an eye." Dr Matt-Lebby's wife went into labour when fighting broke out in Freetown in 1997. Unable to get to a hospital, their baby daughter died after six hours. The next six months could be crucial. Elections are due to be held in June and the governing Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) is widely expected to win comfortably. By law, President Kabbah has to step down, so his number two, Vice-President Solomon Berewa, will be the SLPP's candidate. But in a country where coups have been more frequent than democratic elections, there is an air of uneasiness when talk turns to the poll. The possibility of a coup was raised in newspapers last week when a young army private, Abdul Sesay, was arrested following the theft of an arms cache. Sesay, somehow, later escaped. The trial of Sam Hinga Norman, one of the nine men facing justice at the UN Special Court in Freetown, could also prove explosive. To some, Norman is a hero. He was responsible for the Kamajor, a militia defence force that fought the rebels. Norman was the country's deputy defence minister. His boss, President Kabbah, has not been indicted. Prosecutors insist there was not enough evidence linking him with any of the atrocities carried out by the Kamajor. The summing up in Norman's case takes place tomorrow and the verdict is likely before the elections. Norman still has supporters in Freetown and a guilty verdict may bring them out on to the streets. Those who are able to leave Freetown are beginning to pack their bags. One businessman who has lived in Sierra Leone all his life said the combination of official corruption and the fear of unrest meant it was no longer worth staying in the country of his birth. Such was his dread of reprisals that he refused to give even his first name. "It is sad that it has come to this," he said, "but things are worse now than they were before the war. The economy has got worse for us, not better. It is just not safe to work here any more. My family has already left and I will not be far behind them." For the majority of Freetown's one million-strong population, leaving is not an option. Instead they will try to scratch a living in Freetown's bustling markets. Under large yellow, green, red and blue umbrellas women sell peanuts and dried fish, loaves of bread and roughly peeled oranges. Paintbrushes sit next to a tower of engine parts. Cow skins are sold next to a man with half a dozen mobile phone chargers. But the vast majority of traders are women. The men tend to spend their days sitting in groups watching the world go by. At night, Freetown's clubs are filled with expats and locals. Prostitutes sit at the bar, occasionally venturing on to the dance floor when a suitable target appears. A former British soldier who returned to Sierra Leone moans about the country he has made home. "I've got to get out. It's terrible here." He takes another slug of Star, a local brew. "The money is great though." He will admit only to doing "this and that, you know, mining". Mining, and in particular diamonds, is Sierra Leone's biggest industry. Reliable figures for diamond exports are hard to find, but following the end of the war the country joined the Kimberley Process, the globally recognised system of regulation that is supposed to ensure that so-called "blood diamonds", which have fuelled so many of west Africa's conflicts, are not smuggled out illegally. Local diamond experts claim exports are starting to fall again, signalling a revival in smuggling across Sierra Leone's porous borders. Diamonds alone, though, will not see conflict return. The last war was not just about control of resources. The long-standing one-party state fell apart, the education system collapsed and agricultural output fell dramatically. Radicalised young men, angry at the lack of opportunities, became easy prey for rebel leaders such as Taylor who persuaded them to take up arms. Much of the killing was carried out by children who were abducted and forced to fight. Some of them have been given a fresh start, and they are determined to make the most of it. Saidu Sesay, tape measure hanging around his neck, is training to become a tailor. He boasts he will be able to make 60,000 Leones (£10.50) a day once he sets up his business. His teacher at the rehabilitation centre for child soldiers outside Freetown reckons £1.50 is a more likely figure. There are 150 children here, all of whom were turned away by their communities after the war. Saidu, now 18, was eight years old when he was abducted by the RUF. "I was given a gun and made to fight," he said simply. "One commander told me if I didn't fight he would kill me." For more than three years he fought alongside 160 other boys. Even at the age of eight, Saidu amputated his victims. "That happened, that happened," he said. "I was not proud but I did it. I was shooting people, bombing houses. That happened. Now I pray to Almighty God that I will not do it again." He is unlikely to. Saidu has had opportunities that many of his former colleagues can only dream of. For most one-time child soldiers, disarmament programmes did little for them. In a country where the education system collapsed long ago, opportunities are all too rare. But the disarmament programme has also caused resentment. Victims of violence have not received reparations, while the perpetrators, in many eyes, have been rewarded for their actions. Both live side by side. Some amputees talk of revenge. "I see the people who did this to me," said Joseph, pointing to his left stump. "Why has nothing happened to them?'' For some, though, there is still hope. A massive programme to vaccinate all under-fives against measles and to provide them with a free mosquito net to prevent malaria is underway. Nearly one million bednets, sprayed with insecticide, have been handed out by the ministry of health and the Sierra Leone Red Cross. More than 4,000 volunteers have been trained to help mothers protect their children from malaria, a disease that kills more people in Africa than HIV/Aids. "Our generation can change things," said Mariama Kemoh, a 25-year-old trainee nurse, who was administering vitamin A drops for babies. "Life is not easy here. There is no magic wand. But is up to our efforts. One day things will change for us. I believe that strongly." Sierra Leone: the statistics Population: 5.3 million (UN, 2005) Capital: Freetown Area: 27,699 square miles President: Ahmad Tejan Kabbah Major languages: English, Krio (Creole language derived from English) and a range of African languages Major religions: Islam, indigenous beliefs, Christianity History: The name Sierra Leone comes from the Portuguese name for the country, Serra Leoa, which means "Lioness Mountain". A centre of the slave trade in the 18th century, the capital Freetown was founded in 1792 by the Sierra Leone Company as a home for black Britons who had fought for the British during the American war of independence. Freetown became a British crown colony in 1808 and Sierra Leone gained independence in 1961 Life expectancy: 39 years (men), 42 years (women) (UN) Monetary unit: Leone (1 = $1) Main exports: Diamonds, rutile (titanium dioxide, used in paints, plastics and as gemstones), cocoa, coffee, fish GNI per capita: $220 Climate: Tropical. The summer rainy season runs from May until December Terrain: Coastal belt of mangrove swamps; wooded hill country; upland plateau; mountains in the east Natural resources: Diamonds, beryl, titanium ore, bauxite, gold, chromite Natural hazards: Harmattan dust storms from the Sahara Billy Head Also in this section * Horsemen kill 30 civilians in Darfur lorry ambush * South Africa: Cloud cuckoo land * The rape of Darfur: a crime that is shaming the world * Islamic militiamen fighting Ethiopian troops in southern Somalia * Four kidnapped during attack on Italian oil terminal in Nigeria * Printable version * Email newsletter * Portfolio Packages * RSS Feeds * Single column * Double column * Scale fonts * A * A * A Editor's Choice It's THE charity auction auction lots Fancy lots from Bono, Tracey Emin or Damien Hirst? Want a hybrid car for a year? Or a country hike with Janet Street-Porter? Click HERE! Jeremy Bowen The BBC's Middle East man on striking a balance Antigua bound Sir Viv Richards on the Caribbean Island he calls home A big day for Delhi 36,000 starry-eyed couples Miracles of the sea Amazing aquatic discoveries Our man in New York The Wall Street boom Financial infidelity The lies we tell Independent services NEW! Save with independentoffers.co.uk A-Z site map Indy 100 prices MORE: Travel podcasts SAVE: Travel offers FREE: Email headlines Gadgetcast logo Dating | Gaming | Photos | Utilities deals | Media pack Day in a page * Sun | * Mon | * Tue | * Wed | * Thu | * Fri | * Sat | Find articles published on: Top stories * Augusto Pinochet 1915-2006: He took his crimes to the grave * Fears for fourth prostitute * Cameron backs calls to encourage couples to marry * NHS faces more job cuts * Russian businessman named as radiation source in murder case * Gunmen kill three children in Gaza Search this site: * Terms of Use | * Privacy Policy, including use of cookies | * Sign up for our free daily news update | * Freelance contributions | * RSS Feeds | * Work for INM | * Contact us | © 2006 Independent News and Media Limited

Source: Independent Online Edition > Africa