tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-301159452024-03-14T19:49:52.216+01:00Sierra EyeSierra Eye a close look at Sierra Leone lifeparamount chiefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13622639425452650033noreply@blogger.comBlogger1483125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30115945.post-18883784045157441852007-12-18T09:10:00.001+01:002007-12-18T09:10:12.479+01:00Will Africa Ever Be Able To Replicate Successful Economies?<p><strong></strong> <p><img alt="" src="http://www.africanpath.com/EDITOR_UserFiles/standard/Image/maintenance_mozambique.jpg" align="right" border="0"> <p>Are there signs of economic growth in Africa? Are the green shoots of growth visible? Should African leaders and policy makers be applauded for finally realizing that Africa has lagged behind for too long and that this status is no longer tenable, that it is no longer acceptable to the millions of Africans who have to survive on a dollar a day? Some reports indicate that African economies have turned the corner and are moving to faster and steadier economic growth whilst other reports indicate that the pace of growth is extremely slow and that, in some instances, there is stagnation and stagflation. <p>A 2007 World Bank Africa Development document stated that “something decidedly new is on the horizon in Africa, something that began in the mid-1990s.” There are some signs of change occurring, of that there is no doubt. <p>Any signs of growth must be put into perspective. What is clear is that perhaps, finally Africans, tired of being last in every human and development index are beginning to take some positive actions to reverse this trend. Will this be converted into tangible movements of investment growth, foreign direct investment, rise in productivity, increase in real GDP, reduction in poverty, investment in infrastructure, technology, education and health and real steps to tackle corruption? <p>Will Africa replicate the economic successes of India, Ireland, China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan? Economic growth in some parts of South Asia has more than doubled the world’s average. Growth rates for 2008 are projected to be above 5% for China, Japan and India. These countries faced economic challenges forty to fifty years ago, but they now enjoy sustainable long-term economic growth. How were other countries in similar predicaments able to overcome economic stagnation? Which policies are conducive to creating and sustaining long-term economic growth? <p>In much of Africa, very little economic growth has occurred over the past fifty years. Some countries are even poorer today than they were thirty years ago. Sub-Sahara Africa has had the lowest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for decades. Gross domestic product is the total of all goods and services produced by a country in year. GDP gives us the ‘big picture’ and is the first systematic way of measuring economic performance. <p>According to J. Bradford Delong, University of California, Berkeley, “The twentieth century has been the century of increasing wealth in the industrialized economies: in material and standards of living,” but for the majority of Africans, it has been an era of negative growth, wars, and lower standards of living. <p>The UN established eight Millennium Development Goals in 2002 for the world to meet by 2015. The UN GOALS are: <ol> <li>Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger <li>Achieve universal primary education <li>Promote gender equality and empower women <li>Reduce child mortality <li>Improve maternal health <li>Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases <li>Ensure environmental sustainability <li>Develop a global partnership for development </li></ol> <p>In September 2007, a BBC article entitled ‘Why Can’t Africa Tackle its Poverty’ asserted that “halfway to the UN poverty goals deadline an interim report concluded that many developing countries are unlikely to meet any of the poverty-busting goals, nor the benchmarks on education, health, and women's empowerment”, that “Africa is likely to be left behind unless further investment and aid is given.” <p>Some have argued that the UN goals are unreasonable targets for Africa. Another BBC article asks “Why is Africa falling so far behind in the fight against poverty, is there the will in the West to help?” Aid and development funds can improve Africa’s economic activity, but aid is not a panacea for Africa’s growth, and not every problem can be solved by aid. For instance, aid cannot solve the problems associated with corrupt governments, and, in fact, can exacerbate the problem without adequate controls. <p>In October 2007, a confidential Presidential audit in Sierra Leone revealed that there is widespread corruption in the country. Aid must be directed and administered properly. Some African countries are adopting market reforms and increasing trade with the West in order to boost their economy. In 2003, Madagascar, Uganda, Ghana and Burkina Faso recorded average growth of more than 5%. <p>Other countries, for example, Sierra Leone which had weak performance and crumbling infrastructure before the war experienced negative growth, mainly as a result of corruption and the disruption caused by the 10 year civil war. Much has been written recently about the Irish miracle. How was Ireland, a country with 4.1 million people (July 2007), able to transform to an economic success story? In the 1970s and 1980s Ireland was regarded as a poor country. In 1982 unemployment levels were around 18%, but in 2006, Ireland’s unemployment rate is 4.3%. Ireland is seen as an economic miracle. There were external and internal factors that played a part in the transformation. <p>It is evident that Ireland is a major beneficiary of being part of the European Union, having access to markets in Europe and having attracted Foreign Direct Investment. However Ireland had to take other steps to transform the economy. Ireland embarked on a series of policy reforms, such as pro-market reforms, and a tripartite act between employers, government and trade unions which helped to produce much needed reforms. In addition, Government became more transparent and able to better monitor public funds. Ireland invested in education, which is a major factor to a highly skilled labor force. Ireland invested in infrastructure: good airports and telecommunications systems. It is expected that the Irish economy will grow by 5.4% in 2007, more than double the average in Europe. <p>Japan and Hong Kong have negligible natural resources. Japan is rugged and mountainous, and Hong Kong is mountainous with steep slopes. These two countries are examples to the idea that the existence and abundance of natural resources does not guarantee economic success. Whilst it is evident that natural resources have an effect on wealth, for example the Middle East with its enormous deposits of oil, some resources nations: for example, Nigeria, are ‘poor.’ Africa is endowed with natural resources yet poverty abounds, and performance has been dismal. <p>GDP per capita is GDP divided by the population. It measures the ability of the average person to buy goods and services. Fifty years ago, Japan and Hong Kong were relatively poor. In 1960 GDP per capita income for the two countries was $5,000 and $3,750 respectively. Today, they are two of the world’s dynamic economies with GDP of $33,100 and $37,300 respectively. They adopted market reforms, encouraged Foreign Direct Investment, invested in health and education for their citizens, and invested in infrastructure, physical assets and telecommunications. <p>Singapore, with a population of 4.5 million (July 2007), became a British colony in 1867. Sierra Leone became a British colony in 1808. Whilst Singapore is very developed and business operates in a corrupt-free environment, Sierra Leone, with a population 6.1 million, (July 2007 est.) endowed with substantial mineral, fishery and agricultural resources, is extremely poor, and corruption is endemic in the society. <p>Singapore did not experience the instability and devastation of civil war, and even though Singapore suffered some economic set backs between 2001 and 2003, the country was able to invest in medical technology, information technology and stable prices to enable them to have a GDP per capita income of $31,400 compared to Sierra Leone’s GDP per capita income of $900. <p>There are a number of other countries that have experienced positive growth over the past two decades, including South Korea that achieved growth within a relatively modest period. In South Korea’s case, growth was achieved within thirty-five years. According to the Central Intelligence Agency, for four decades, South Korea’s GDP per capitia was “comparable with levels in the poorer countries of Africa. In 2004, South Korea joined the trillion dollar club of economies.” China is one the world’s fastest growing economies. China’s real GDP has been growing steadily at a rate of 6.5% over the past twenty years. China has been moving slowly in implementing reforms to transform its economy from a centrally planned system to one that is more market-driven. Chinese workers are more productive today mainly due to investment in human capital and technology. <p>India’s economy has been expanding significantly over the last decade. Investment in infrastructure, education and technology as well as reduction in controls on foreign trade resulted in strong growth rate of 10% over the past decade. <p>Columbia has a flourishing floriculture business, is a major exporter of flowers, and is the second largest exporter of flowers in the world. The economy has been growing steadily and despite the fact that the country faces other challenges, GDP per capita is $8,600 (2006 est.) up from $1,610 in 1975. <p>Kenya is one of the few countries in Africa with a rapidly growing floral industry, estimated in 2002, to be worth approximately $110 million to the Kenyan economy. 25% of flowers imported to Europe are from Kenya. Other African countries can develop this industry, however, The Flower industry is capital-intensive, and would require investment from international companies. <p>The Bahamas, with a population of only 305,000 (July 2007est.) has a very successful tourist industry, and has the highest GDP per capita in the Caribbean. Tourism accounts for approximately 60% of the economy. The Bahamas is one of the most popular destinations for Americans, due to its proximity to the United States. <p><a href="http://www.africanpath.com/p_blogEntry.cfm?blogEntryID=2815">African Path</a></p> paramount chiefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13622639425452650033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30115945.post-12382821192892735542007-12-18T09:07:00.001+01:002007-12-18T09:07:20.700+01:00Kenya: Country 'Can't Host Four Mobile Phone Firms<p><a href="http://lh3.google.com/eyeonsierra/R2d_s7RU8VI/AAAAAAAABPU/IcbkQOvdoBM/image%5B3%5D"><img style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="217" alt="image" src="http://lh4.google.com/eyeonsierra/R2d_uLRU8WI/AAAAAAAABPc/Xx3ZE8cWodI/image_thumb%5B1%5D" width="244" align="right" border="0"></a> During the last eight years, wireless communication has been considered the fastest growing segment of telecommunications. <p>Despite the rapid growth experts now reckon that the country's economy is unable to support more than three operators. <p>Celtel Kenya CEO, Mr David Murray, says the Government can license as many GSM operators as they can, "but the economic reality is that if you look around the world, countries bigger and wealthier than Kenya cannot support four operators." <p>Apart from Celtel Kenya and Safaricom, Econet Wireless and France Telecoms, who have just acquired the controlling stake in Telkom Kenya, are all expected to rollout mobile phone operations in the country. <p>Murray says mobile phone operation is a capital intense business and unless the country can amortise her costs against its revenue streams it will not be viable. <p>"It is highly questionable, if you look at the experience in South East Asia, Malaysia, Hong Kong. When I was in Malaysia they had seven operators, today they have three, because its the economics that determine the survival," says Murray. <p>Kenya with a population of 34 million has much lower average revenue per user (ARPU) than countries in the West. The ARPU in the country is below $10 per month. <p>"Look at France with about 60 million people; they three mobile phone companies; United Kingdom with a population of 60 million has four operators, Spain has three; Italy has three also and the third one is not doing very well," says Murray. <p>However, Murray reckons that survival will be determined by creativity on the marketing front, product development and network reliability. <p>This one of the reason why the parent company, Celtel International has been on the forefront in harmonising their networks across the continent. <p>One Network is the first-ever borderless mobile network in the world. This allows customers to move freely across geographic borders without roaming call surcharges and without having to pay to receive incoming calls. <p>The One Network service is automatically activated upon crossing the geographic border into another of the three countries, with no prior registration required or sign-up fee charged. <p>"From three countries (Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania) to six and now 12 countries in Africa," said Murray. <p>The service now covers Burkina Faso, Chad, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria and Sudan. The others are the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Gabon. <p>The service is now available in all Celtel operations in Africa except in Zambia, Sierra Leone and newly acquired Ghana operation. <p>"The extension of this technological break-through now offers the possibility for nearly half of Africa's population to make calls at local rates across 12 countries throughout the continent," said Murray. <p><strong>Innovation at its best</strong> <p>It means the world's first borderless mobile phone network covers an area more than twice the size of the European Union. <p>One Network truly showcases African innovation at its best and confirms Celtel as the fastest growing brand in the fastest-growing mobile telephone market in the world. In a region historically dependent on freedom of movement across borders, we are now offering a communications solution that fits the needs of our customers, breaking down barriers and making life better for businesses, families and individuals. <p>The inclusion of Sudan is strategic and will boost traffic across the border. "We are going to get a lot of United Nations traffic to and from Sudan and obviously the advantage of One Network is that it's a lot more economical than traditional roaming," says Murray. <p>"With roaming, you pay when you receive a call, but with One Network, there is no such paying, and with prepaid customers you can buy local scratch card and top-up whenever you are," he adds. <p> <p><a href="http://allafrica.com/urbanissues/"><b></b></a></p>What about closing the gap with competition? "We have been growing significantly in the corporate sector with solutions offered by the blackberry. The corporate segment also uses a dedicated server (as opposed to working over the Internet or room server) which turns to be faster and more reliable and high quality of the data network." <p>"In terms of production development, we launched the blackberry in June, the competition launched the same in August, you get a small window of opportunity, that makes competition fun," he says <p><a href="http://allafrica.com/stories/200712170509.html">allAfrica.com: Kenya: Country 'Can't Host Four Mobile Phone Firms (Page 1 of 1)</a></p> paramount chiefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13622639425452650033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30115945.post-13378222620932427322007-12-17T09:23:00.001+01:002007-12-17T09:23:48.324+01:00Defense in torture case against Charles Taylor's son faces unusual problems in Africa<p><a href="http://lh3.google.com/eyeonsierra/R2YyELRU8TI/AAAAAAAABPE/3wsvo-mpjtQ/Taylor%5B3%5D"><img style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="165" alt="Taylor" src="http://lh6.google.com/eyeonsierra/R2YyE7RU8UI/AAAAAAAABPM/EsIln6__TX8/Taylor_thumb%5B1%5D" width="244" align="right" border="0"></a> Witnesses are difficult or impossible to find, some having moved to remote African villages accessible only by muddy roads rarely patrolled by police. Many survivors of Liberia's bloody civil war who witnessed acts of torture are reluctant to talk to anyone about what happened, let alone a defense lawyer for the notorious son of former Liberian President Charles Taylor. <p>Then there are the language and cultural barriers. These and other problems have forced a delay until spring in the trial in Miami federal court of Taylor's son Charles McArthur Emmanuel, or Chuckie Taylor, the first person to be prosecuted under a law making it a crime for a U.S. citizen to commit torture or war crimes overseas. <p>People who have dealt with similar issues in war-torn western Africa say the difficulties are not surprising, given rampant official corruption and an almost complete lack of functional government institutions. <p>"It will take a generation for Sierra Leone and Liberia to recover from the horrors that Charles Taylor and his henchmen, including Chuckie, have wrought on their fellow man," said David Crane, a law professor at Syracuse University in New York and former chief prosecutor for the United Nations Special Court for Sierra Leone. <p>Emmanuel, 30, is charged in an eight-count indictment with involvement in horrific acts of torture and killings from spring 1999 to late 2002 as head of the Anti-Terrorist Unit — also called the Demon Forces — during his father's presidency. Emmanuel was born in Boston to an ex-girlfriend of Taylor, who studied economics at Bentley College there. <h5><img height="1" alt="" src="http://www.iht.com/images/dot_h.gif" width="3"></h5> <p> <p><a href="http://ad.fr.doubleclick.net/jump/americas.iht.com/article;cat=article;sz=190x90;ord=123456789?"></a></p>The indictment accuses Emmanuel of shooting three people chosen from a group at a bridge checkpoint in April 1999 and ordering the throat of another victim cut after the man tried to escape. Torture methods allegedly used include burning with hot irons, scalding water and lit cigarettes; beatings with weapons and iron bars; and stinging by ants. <p>Emmanuel's job as head of the paramilitary unit was to eliminate or intimidate his father's political opponents through whatever means he saw fit, federal prosecutors maintain. <p>"He had a reputation for mindless evil who enjoyed personally torturing individuals," Crane said. <p>Like any defendant in a U.S. court, Emmanuel has rights to see the evidence against him, find possibly favorable witnesses and confront his accusers. But his court-appointed attorney, Miguel Caridad, said it has been a formidable task meeting those obligations. <p>"We're going to a bridge where people's heads were cut off and put on top of the bridge and to a police station where people were tortured," Caridad said at a recent court hearing. "We need to know the names of witnesses and whether they know of any other people who might have been there." <p>Caridad said he has traveled twice to Liberia and neighboring African countries in attempts to locate people who may have seen the alleged crimes, sometimes finding they have moved hours away to rural areas reachable only by difficult-to-traverse roads. Often there is no electricity, water or police protection and intermittent cell phone capabilities, and Caridad and his assistants are forced to carry cash brought from home for basic expenses. <p>"It's just a very, very difficult thing to get done," Caridad said. <p>Because of these problems, U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga postponed Emmanuel's trial from January to April of next year, with prosecutors agreeing that mounting a proper defense in this case poses unique challenges. <p>"The government does not want to prevent the defense from completing a thorough and professional investigation," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Rochlin. "We don't want to be unreasonable." <p>There is a lot at stake in making sure Emmanuel is properly tried on the charges beyond his own rights as a defendant. <p>Emmanuel was arrested in March 2006 at Miami International Airport on charges of lying about his father's identity on a U.S. passport application, to which he pleaded guilty. Emmanuel wound up in Trinidad after his father left the Liberian presidency in 2003 amid repeated calls by President George W. Bush and others for Taylor to step down. <p>Taylor is charged in a special U.N. court in The Hague, Netherlands, with arming and supporting rebels — some of them only children — in neighboring Sierra Leone who killed tens of thousands of people, hacking the limbs off thousands more. He is jailed and his trial, which he interrupted when it began last June, is scheduled to resume next month. <p>Crane said the twin prosecutions against Taylor and his son are important for millions of Africans who suffered during these conflicts, particularly as governments and international groups try to rebuild respect for the law in those nations. <p>"It sends a message to all Africans that their lives matter and that those who choose to commit acts of atrocity will be held accountable," Crane said. <p>The Emmanuel prosecution also marks the first test for the 1994 U.S. law making it a crime for an American citizen to commit torture or war crimes overseas. Judge Altonaga earlier this year rejected the defense argument that the law was unconstitutional, but Emmanuel could argue that point again on appeal if he is convicted. <p>Emmanuel, who is being held without bail, could be sentenced to life in prison if convicted on all charges against him. <p><a href="http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/12/17/america/NA-FEA-GEN-US-Charles-Taylors-Son.php">Defense in torture case against Charles Taylor's son faces unusual problems in Africa - International Herald Tribune</a></p> paramount chiefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13622639425452650033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30115945.post-58385194020892017832007-12-12T12:21:00.003+01:002007-12-12T12:21:18.451+01:00African Football Confederation disqualifies Sierra Leone from 2008 competitions<p> <a href="http://lh4.google.com/eyeonsierra/R1_EKE-s58I/AAAAAAAABO0/CMBfTw-rdkU/image%5B3%5D"><img style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="196" alt="image" src="http://lh5.google.com/eyeonsierra/R1_ELU-s59I/AAAAAAAABO8/XaG5MhKooLM/image_thumb%5B1%5D" width="244" align="right" border="0"></a> LAGOS, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- The African Football Confederation (CAF) has disqualified Sierra Leone from participating in the 2008 Champions League and Confederation's Cup competitions for failing to meet the deadline for the two events, local media reported Tuesday. <p> In a CAF letter to the Sierra Leonean Football Association (SLFA), the continental body said it did not receive any entry from the association in spite of a warning that Nov. 30 was deadline for entries. <p> SLFA sources said its head of league competitions, Abu Bakarr Kabba, had two months ago sent a letter of intent to CAF informing it about Sierra Leone's interest to participate in the 2008 competitions. <p> Kabba said he found it strange to learn that CAF insisted it never received any correspondence to the effect. <p> A sports enthusiast Mbili Mkanbhu blamed SLFA for the disqualification and said Sierra Leone had not organized any competition and therefore could not send names of teams which did not participate in any competition to the CAF. <p> The disqualification has dampened the enthusiasm of football stakeholders and the general public which squarely rest the blame on the SLFA executive for not organizing a proper league. <p><a href="http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-12/12/content_7232771.htm">African Football Confederation disqualifies Sierra Leone from 2008 competitions_English_Xinhua</a></p> paramount chiefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13622639425452650033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30115945.post-53082763736047732272007-12-12T12:21:00.001+01:002007-12-12T12:21:15.791+01:00Crowds flock to Sierra Leone slave ship<h2>There was chaos at Freetown's port in Sierra Leone when a replica of the Amistad slave ship opened to the public.</h2> <p>"I want to know much about its history," one man shouted in Krio as a crew member appealed for patience and calm as hundreds of people struggled to gain access. <p><img height="150" alt="Crowds outside the Amistad in Freetown" hspace="0" src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44294000/jpg/_44294816_crowd416150.jpg" width="416" border="0">The replica of the 19th Century trading ship has been retracing a 14,000-mile slave trade route to mark the 200th anniversary since Britain abolished the slave trade within its empire. <p>It sailed into Freetown - founded as a settlement for freed slaves - over the weekend. <p><img height="300" alt="Freedom Schooner Amistad (Copyright Amistad America)" hspace="0" src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42409000/jpg/_42409918_amistad2203i.jpg" width="203" align="right" border="0"> <p>"We have to have some way for you to get on the boat safely. What we're doing now is building a platform so you can come up and come down on the boat," the crew member shouted to the crowds, which included children on a school outing. <p>The history of ship is deep-rooted in Sierra Leone's history, as in 1839 some 200 Sierra Leoneans were taken to Cuba as slaves. <p>Some of them were sold to Spanish slavers who loaded them on to the Amistad. <p>Led by Sengbeh Pieh, the slaves revolted on the ship, killing many of the crew. <p>They however ended up in the United States where they were imprisoned. <p>Their case was taken up by several abolitionists, led by former US President John Quincy Adams, which ultimately led to their freedom. <p>"I came to look at the Amistad revolt because I want to know more about it because I read it in school and I think I saw the film [by Steven Spielberg] two or three years ago, so I wanted to see the ship where the revolt took place," said Mbalu, who was waiting to go on board. <p>"I would like them to show me the place where Sengbeh Pieh was sitting or maybe lying down - yes that's the particular place I've come to see," she said. <p>The children were allowed on board first, and then the expectant crowds. <p><b>Access problems</b> <p>But after her visit Mbalu said she was disappointed not to have been allowed access to the cabin where the slaves were kept. <p><img height="152" alt="Crowds in Freetown queuing to get aboard the Amistad" hspace="0" src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44294000/jpg/_44294829_ship203.jpg" width="203" align="right" border="0"> <p>People know little about Pieh despite him being on a banknote <p>"The access is very steep you have to descend a ladder," explained William Minter, chairman of the Amistad America Board of Trustees. <p>"For large numbers of people of all different ages, there's only one way in and one way out so it's hard to move traffic through," he said. <p>When Sengbeh Pieh eventually returned to Sierra Leone in 1842, he was a hero, and his face adorns one of the country's banknotes. <p>But 165 years on, many Sierra Leoneans know little about the Amistad or Sengbeh Pieh - at least until this week. <p><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7139293.stm">BBC NEWS | Africa | Crowds flock to S Leone slave ship</a></p> paramount chiefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13622639425452650033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30115945.post-36693143352992440052007-12-12T12:20:00.003+01:002007-12-12T12:20:39.483+01:00Taylor War Crimes Trial to Resume in Jan.<p><a href="http://lh6.google.com/eyeonsierra/R1_EAk-s56I/AAAAAAAABOk/E2kYTADnRkw/image%5B3%5D"><img style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="177" alt="image" src="http://lh6.google.com/eyeonsierra/R1_EBk-s57I/AAAAAAAABOs/M5_Tuqd0A4w/image_thumb%5B1%5D" width="244" align="right" border="0"></a> The special court trying former Liberian President Charles Taylor on war crimes charges cleared the way Tuesday for his trial to resume next month, more than six months after its chaotic adjournment. <p>In a hearing lasting less than 10 minutes, the prosecution and defense agreed they would be ready to hear the first evidence on Jan. 7, when the U.N.-backed court will begin a schedule of 25 1/2 hours of hearings per week. <p>The trial is expected to continue until mid-2009. <p>Taylor, the first African leader to face an international court, is charged with arming and supporting rebels who killed thousands of civilians and hacked off the limbs of thousands more during Sierra Leone's 10-year civil war, which ended in 2002. Specific charges include murder, sexual slavery and rape, terrorism, and conscripting child soldiers. <p>He has pleaded innocent. <p>Prosecutor Brenda Hollis told the court she would present a list of witnesses this week who will appear during the first two weeks of the trial and will file a motion to grant protective measures for some witnesses — the final measures before the trial can begin in earnest. <p>Prosecutors have said they will present witnesses from Taylor's inner circle who will testify that from his headquarters in Liberia he controlled rebel forces in neighboring Sierra Leone to exploit its timber, diamonds and other resources. <p>They also have proposed bringing victims mutilated by the rebels, although Taylor's defense team has argued that such testimony was irrelevant and only intended for its emotional appeal, since no one disputed that atrocities occurred during the brutal war. <p>Taylor boycotted the start of the trial on June 4 when the prosecution gave its opening statement. He told the judges by letter that he was poorly represented by the court-appointed attorney and was accorded inadequate funds to mount a proper defense. <p>After one more session boycotted by Taylor, the trial was adjourned. It reconvened only for pretrial hearings after he dropped his demand to represent himself and hired a team led by British barrister Courtney Griffiths paid by a grant to Taylor of US$100,000 per month. <p>The trial, at the Special Court for Sierra Leone, is being held in The Hague because of fears it could ignite violence if it were held in Freetown, Sierra Leone's capital. <p><a href="http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g6rMlGTlaKaI0x8wqWDQ38ZpQOmgD8TF7V680">The Associated Press: Taylor War Crimes Trial to Resume in Jan.</a></p> paramount chiefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13622639425452650033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30115945.post-3052207512710800622007-12-12T12:20:00.001+01:002007-12-12T12:20:30.341+01:00Presidential Leadership and 'Good Governance' in the Context of Sierra Leone's Cultural Environment<p><img height="232" alt="" src="http://www.worldpress.org/images/20071211-africa.jpg" width="350" border="0"> <h6><em>There is new political will within the newly elected government of President Koroma (right). The task of undoing the failures of past regimes therefore lies with his government and with those international agencies willing to support him in the task of national renewal. (Photo: STR / AFP-Getty Images)</em></h6> <p>In many ways, the post-independence era has not been one of Sierra Leone's better periods. Except for the relatively stable early 1960's, Sierra Leone has moved from the flamboyant era of Albert Margai to Siaka Stevens' era of widespread institutionalized corruption, from Joseph Momoh's failed regime to the trendy regime of Valentine Strasser's National Provisional Ruling Council, and on to the Tejan Kabbah era itself, during which Sierra Leoneans paid a heavy price for the survival of President Kabbah's sly and corrupt government. Not many observers are interested in developing theories about management strategies during this period. Answers are not seriously sought about the question of whether a presidential leadership style that succeeds is when good governance policies are successfully implemented and development programs are efficiently managed. <p>A case, however, could be made that these are not the best of times in Sierra Leone's history. At the same time, this period in history has seen the efforts of international development agencies and movements by civil society aimed at making development work for Sierra Leone. Much of the commitment to advancing humane development programs has come from international development agencies such as the United Nations Development Program, Britain's Department for International Development, the United States Agency for International Development, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and Transparency International, and perhaps that commitment is also found in local civil society organizations. <p>Read full story by clicking the link below. <p><a href="http://www.worldpress.org/Africa/3013.cfm">Presidential Leadership and 'Good Governance' in the Context of Sierra Leone's Cultural Environment - Worldpress.org</a></p> paramount chiefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13622639425452650033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30115945.post-51981920674911501852007-12-11T11:22:00.005+01:002007-12-11T11:22:24.536+01:00Commonwealth and human rights<h2>Human rights abuses in Zimbabwe and Gambia by authorities have brought to the fore once again the issues of protection of citizens' rights within the Commonwealth, one of the issues that the Commonwealth has jurisdiction on.</h2> <p><a href="http://lh4.google.com/eyeonsierra/R15k2U-s54I/AAAAAAAABOU/U_zzpXBHtFI/image%5B5%5D"><img height="355" alt="image" src="http://lh6.google.com/eyeonsierra/R15k30-s55I/AAAAAAAABOc/hciGn2DBX-0/image_thumb%5B3%5D" width="253" align="right"></a> The others are the promotion of democracy and the rule of law. The gravity of the human rights abuses by the regimes in Zimbabwe and the Gambia should focus people's minds on the issues in a general way. Such abuses, it should be made clear, deserve the much attention from leaders of the Commonwealth. <br>It is clear that Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe enjoys the monopoly over rights abuses and other crimes against humanity in violent political situations - as we have seen in recent months. The Commonwealth must stand to end such impunity. But the Commonwealth can only act if the county whose nationals are violated does not act against the transgressors of these aspects of international law. <br>The Commonwealth could play an important role in curbing abuses of international law in Africa. In the continuing abuses that have taken place in parts of the continent in the recent past, we have witnessed a high degree of impunity. Having said that, we would like to point out that African countries have, over the years, become parties to the various international legislations that have been drawn up to protect fundamental freedoms and human rights of the individual.<br>Some of these include the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide of 1948; the Geneva Conventions of 1949 for the Amelioration of Conditions of War and the Protection of Civilians and War Victims; and the Convention against Torture, and other Cruel, Inhuman of Degrading Treatment or Punishment of 1984.<br>To top it all is Africa's own safeguard against human rights abuses: the African Court of Human and Peoples' Rights. But, alas, the Court is not functioning. Why? Well, it will become operational only after 15 member states have ratified the Charter setting up the Court. However, only two countries have done so while 23 have ratified the Rome Statute establishing the International Criminal Court, even though the African Court's Charter has been around longer that that of the ICC.<br>It is obvious that there is a singular lack of political will among African leaders to give the continent legal weight to tackle its own cases of human rights abuses so that there is no passing the buck to the "international community" to deal with African violations of human rights law. <br>That is exactly what has happened in the case of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which have asked the ICC to investigate violations of international humanitarian and human rights law in these countries. Perhaps, the case of Zimbabwe and the Gambia deserve much attention because the impede on the principles of democracy and human rights and undermines the rule of law. <p><a href="http://www.africanews.com/site/list_message/9221?data[source]=rss#m9221">AfricaNews - Commonwealth and human rights - RSS english</a></p> paramount chiefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13622639425452650033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30115945.post-18829792516523621912007-12-11T11:22:00.003+01:002007-12-11T11:22:08.490+01:00World's Poorest Country<p><a href="http://lh3.google.com/eyeonsierra/R15kyE-s51I/AAAAAAAABN8/LasWa1XqYws/image%5B3%5D"><img style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="244" alt="image" src="http://lh6.google.com/eyeonsierra/R15kz0-s53I/AAAAAAAABOM/IMmeQNciIng/image_thumb%5B1%5D" width="184" align="right" border="0"></a> Another of Sunkari Conteh's children is sick. The last/ time one of her children was ill, it died. <p>Almost three years old, her daughter succumbed to diarrhoea because Conteh couldn't afford to pay a Le 90,000 medical consultation fee. <p>"I pleaded with the doctor to wait while my husband gathered the money," she said. "The doctor refused. <p>I cried and yelled at him, but he didn't listen." As she cried again this past Saturday, Conteh recalled that she was able to take her baby to a pharmacy, but after a few days, her daughter died anyway. "I don't even like to think about it, it's terrible, it's pathetic." Now Conteh is worried another of her children may suffer the same fate. Once again, she can't afford the fees to vaccinate her youngest child. <p>The Kroo Bay mother has four children and provides for them by selling oranges in the streets of her community. Her husband is unemployed. <p>Conteh is like thousands of Sierra Leonean mothers struggling to survive in what last week the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) announced is now the poorest country in the world. <p>Sierra Leone has taken Niger's spot at the very bottom of the UN's human development index. According to the UN global report, launched in Freetown last Friday, this country is now ranked 177th out of 177 countries. <p>But the international 2005 findings are bleaker than a 2006 national report, which was also launched Friday. <p>The UNDP claimed Sierra Leone fell to the lowest place because there is insufficient information about the country. <p>"I believe the situation would have been much better if there was adequate data to show for development in the country," said Bernard Mokam, the UNDP's country director. <p>But Saidu Turay, the Public Relations Officer for Freetown's Kroo Bay slum, wasn't surprised when he heard the report on the radio. <p>"Once these reports come up we feel sad," he said. <p>"It's a clear manifestation that nothing has been done since the time of the last report. The health care system is very, very poor." Turay said just last Friday a baby died in his community because there was no treatment. As he discussed the report from the doorway of the one-bedroom Kroo Bay shack he shares with several members of his family, a woman entered his compound shouting and crying - she'd just heard that she, too, had lost a family member to sickness. <p>"If Sierra Leone is rated as the least developed country, then Kroo Bay will be rated as the worst developed slum in the country," said Turay. <p>He said the Kroo Bay community suffers from high maternal and infant mortality, high unemployment, low rate of children in school, lack of housing, lack of proper medical facilities, high crime, child labour, trafficking and prostitution, sexual abuse, teenage pregnancy and many other problems. <p>Turay rolled his eyes. "Etcetera, etcetera - these are the things that affect us in the community and these are the things the UN looked at when they were doing their study." Turay said in the last three months, three Kroo Bay women have died during childbirth because they couldn't afford to go to hospital or have a caesarean section. Conteh, too, said she delivered her five children with a traditional birth attendant in Kroo Bay. <p>"I don't have the money. Life is extremely difficult, I am right now suffering from malaria, but I don't have the money to go to hospital," she said. <p>Turay said this is common in Kroo Bay: "If you don't have the money to buy the required drugs, the person dies." With a growing population of more than 8,000 people, Kroo Bay is one of many Freetown slums long neglected by development projects and the government. Turay said it is extreme poverty like Kroo Bay's that accounts for the country's poor performance on the human development index. <p> <p><a href="http://allafrica.com/sustainable/"><b></b></a></p>On Friday, Vice President Sam Sumana said his government is re-preparing a poverty reduction strategy paper from the last government, which he said "will stand as a stepping stone towards development." He also said the new government is committed to combating the problems raised in the report. <p>Turay said the APC government should be aware of the problems after years in opposition. He said he doubts anything will change. <p>"During the electioneering process you saw a lot of politicians coming down to the slums and making all kinds of promises because they wanted our votes," he said. "But once the election is over you hardly see any of them, even to say thank you for the votes. <p>They give us sugar-coated vibes and then leave our problems to be solved by ourselves." Turay said if it wasn't for international nongovernmental organisations like Concern, Save the Children and the YMCA - who Saturday launched a new community centre and training project in Kroo Bay - his community would be completely neglected. "The government forgets about the existence of the slums, even though we are in the heart of the city." The theme of this year's global and national UNDP reports was the massive impact climate change is having on the people of the developing world, including Sierra Leone. <p>"Our coastal land areas such as Bonthe Island, Banana Island, Rokupre and other villages directly depending on agriculture will be inundated," said Joseph Rahall, the coordinator of Green Scenery, a local civil society organisation. "This will cause mass displacement of people, causing security threats and our security is not in place to solve such problems. <p>The criss-crossing of people will create conflict and we don't want to go back to war." Turay, too, said he is worried about climate change. <p>He said Kroo Bay is rapidly expanding and most new homes are being built on top of rubbish, at the water's edge. "If the water rises, we're in trouble," he said. <p>A greater worry in Kroo Bay is the annual rising of water during rainy season. For more than five months every year the people of Turay's community and others like it are continuously flooded with water and debris from the hills around Freetown. <p>"On the issue of flooding, we are scared, we are always prepared for the worst to happen next year," he said. "This year was the worst ever." Turay said this is one impact of climate change that could easily be tackled by this government. <p>"You see the trees being cut down in the hills," he said, noting that deforestation causes erosion, which causes the flooding. "Climate change also affects us greatly and it is on the increase because I don't see much being done about deforestation. It is a man-made problem." Along with destruction, the annual flooding also leaves the drainage areas of Kroo Bay clogged with garbage from the hills. The stench of sewage, stagnant water and mounds of garbage permeates the air throughout the community. <p>Turay said this build-up can be traced back to his community's health problems - poor drainage and stagnant water are breeding grounds for mosquitoes and Turay said malaria is a growing problem in Kroo Bay. <p>Relevant Links <p><a href="http://allafrica.com/westafrica/"><b>West Africa</b></a><br><a href="http://allafrica.com/sierraleone/"><b>Sierra Leone</b></a><br><a href="http://allafrica.com/sustainable/"><b>Sustainable Development</b></a> <p>However, Turay said for Kroo Bay residents, day to day food security is a more constant worry than health problems. <p>"We are poor and we can't afford the price of food, especially when the price of rice keeps sky-rocketing and there are no mechanisms to control the price. <p>People find it very difficult to survive here. We find it difficult to sleep at night because we are thinking about how we will survive the next day." <p><a href="http://allafrica.com/stories/200712101592.html">allAfrica.com: Sierra Leone: World's Poorest Country (Page 1 of 2)</a></p> paramount chiefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13622639425452650033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30115945.post-585879874494772532007-12-11T11:22:00.001+01:002007-12-11T11:22:03.854+01:00Country Has No Rose for Thorpe<p><a href="http://lh4.google.com/eyeonsierra/R15kwU-s50I/AAAAAAAABN0/K56qrdmM6CA/image%5B4%5D"><img height="144" alt="image" src="http://lh5.google.com/eyeonsierra/R15kyk-s52I/AAAAAAAABOE/RnV6l4vkdPw/image_thumb%5B2%5D" width="240" align="right"></a> Of course, for a woman of her caliber and resolve she expects no bouquet of roses for conducting the much-contested 2007 relatively free of violence general elections and a runoff between two historic bitter rivals; the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) and the All People's Congress (APC). It is not surprising that Christiana Thorpe, the Chief Commissioner for the National Electoral Commission in Sierra Leone, finds herself the subject of much heated post-elections debates amongst winners, losers and umpires. <p>The outcome of the elections is leaving many high-flying politicians come crashing to the ground and others rising up from over fifteen years of political hibernation. Ms. Thorpe's leadership in partnership with the Executive Representative of the United Nations Secretary General in Sierra Leone, Victor Angelo produced what the world has referred to as the model democratic elections in Africa. This has become unsettling for many SLPP leaders, and indeed, the cause for the ensuing post-elections debates that have become the fodder for scholars and the Fourth Estate in Sierra Leone and abroad. <p>Digging up political hallmarks of this small West African nation that shares borders with Guinea and Liberia, its Manor River Union member states, would help us to understand the gist of the ensuring post-elections political debates. <p>Sierra Leoneans negotiated their way out of British colonialism by peacefully dimming the once proverbial sun that never set on the British Empire in Lancaster House and won their Independence in 1961, a process that ushered into power the SLPP as the first political party to govern Sierra Leone. Dimming because, evidence of flag-Independence is still prevalent in Sierra Leone - not only for its close ties to London, but also because Britain saw the need to free the diamond fields of its former colony from the grips of sex-slaver and limbs-hacking rebels. <p>Interestingly, 2007 was not the first time that the APC has unseated the SLPP through the ballot box. In 1967, the APC, under the leadership of Siaka Stevens, defeated the SLPP. Siaka Stevens would later fall for the infamous one-party system phenomenon that blew over the sub-Saharan region for obvious reasons. Like many other African leaders who must stay in power, Stevens manipulated the people through a rigged referendum to bring about a one-party system. <p>It was those unchecked powers and nitty-gritty political un-resourcefulness by the old APC guard that became the stage upon which rested the major political blemishes on the previously clean democratic political history of Sierra Leone - oppressive government and the decade-long brutal war. <p>But it would be an incomplete telling of the history without the statement that Sierra Leone acquired bloodless Independence, subsequent and post-war electoral processes have made that nation a model country in Africa for conducting good elections. While many civil wars in Africa degenerate into ethnic cleansing and sometimes genocide, the same cannot be said of the civil war in Sierra Leone. <p>Flatly, the recently extolled general elections by the international community in Sierra Leone is a manifestation that could allow the safe room for wriggling into a reasonable position to assert that the people sacrificed their lives in the eleven years bloodletting to deny oppressive regimes a safe haven and to return the good electoral processes to which they were previously accustomed. <p>But the SLPP still finds it very difficult just to take credit for overseeing an excellent electoral process and move on. Top SLPP leaders did not only boycott the inauguration of the new APC government, former President Tejan Kabbah's sense of humility during the changing of the political guard was met by stunt criticisms of him from top SLPP leaders. Some hold it to be self-evidence that the outgoing leader was a mole in the SLPP who wanted to see the return of power to his northern origin. <p>Also, many in the SLPP have blamed Kabbah for not doing the despicable thing that many incumbent governments do - to rig the elections. Some people have even levied accusations on him that his choice of Vice President Berewa as the flag bearer of the SLPP, who they say is unpopular, was a ploy for Kabbah to fulfill his hidden agenda. But it is also fair to state that Kabbah and Berewa have successfully exhumed themselves from these grave accusations and sometimes-baseless speculations as model citizens of the world by the peaceful and safe change of the political guard to whom the political bell tolls. <p>Awareness Times, a popular local tabloid in Sierra Leone, champions what its editor calls "investigative journalism" into the actions of Victor Angelo vis-à-vis his performance as the UN-based umpire of the elections in Sierra Leone. The newspaper and some SLPP supporters posit that the election was a rehearsal of a pre-arranged APC stuff to win. <p>Quite a few chastened conspiracy theory-based opinion papers from SLPP supporters freely find space on the pages of the Awareness Times newspaper in its exposé bid of what many SLPP supporters have referred to as a ploy by Victor Angelo to rig the elections in favor of the APC. But that was during the run-up to the runoff. <p> <p><a href="http://allafrica.com/sierraleone/"><b></b></a></p>Refusing to let go now, Awareness Times has recently published a paper written by Amara P. Vandy in Bo titled, "SLPP Southern Province blasts: United Nations' Victor Angelo is a Hypocrite." Notably amongst the many invectives on Victor Angelo in the article, Mr. Vandy writes; "The executive of the Southern Province branches of the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) have in recent days, totally boycotted a 'consultative meeting' which the Executive Representative of the United Nations Secretary General in Sierra Leone, Victor Angelo had called with political parties active in the region citing to this reporter that Angelo was nothing but, in their words, a 'damn hypocrite.'" A letter dated November 28, 2007 on Awareness Times website lodges the SLPP leadership complaint with the UN Secretary General, Bank Ki-Moon. In part, the letter reads; "Accordingly, the Sierra Leone People's Party has resolved that until Mr. Victor Angelo is recalled and replaced as your Executive Representative to Sierra Leone, the Party and its members shall withhold their participation and co-operation from all United Nations programmes and activities in Sierra Leone." Upon hearing of Victor Angelo's recent resignation from the UN after thirty-years of service, some SLPP knee-jerk reactionaries responded, allotting bountiful self-credit to themselves that their complaint with Bank Ki-Moon had scored a major goal for them. But Victor Angelo on the other hand swiftly debunked that sentiment at the very last chance he had in his farewell statement. He stated that he had put in his resignation with the UN ever since and that the UN had been slow to find a replacement staff. He maintained that he worked in Sierra Leone fearlessly, denied taking any sides in the elections and asserted that his work was not influenced by intimidators. He spoke of the success he helped to bring to Sierra Leone boastfully that Sierra Leone has moved from a "crisis" state in 2000 up into a "model" state in 2007.Even though the rest of the world sees an example of a good democratic process in Sierra Leone conducted by Christiana Thorpe, her process of invalidating votes has met serious criticism from the SLPP leaders. <p>Meanwhile, speculative theorists are making efforts to connect Angelo and Thorpe in a conspiracy to have rigged the elections.Amidst the foregoing name-calling and finger pointing, the APC is yet to present Ms. <p>Thorpe the petals of rose for her so-called conspiracy to rig the elections on its behalf. What is obvious though, is Ernest Bai Kororma's witty and careful cherry picking of political appointees worthy of staying and the appointments of new ones.Despite the crashing of politicians of the old guard, the new APC's rising political stars of President Koroma's "new dawn" in Sierra Leone are hard at work. Firstly, notable amongst positive actions so far, is the promise to light up the world's darkest city in December 20, 2007. <hr size="1"> <p><a href="http://allafrica.com/stories/200712101590.html">allAfrica.com: Sierra Leone: Country Has No Rose for Thorpe (Page 1 of 1)</a></p> paramount chiefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13622639425452650033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30115945.post-50866863413022816932007-12-11T11:16:00.001+01:002007-12-11T11:16:37.738+01:00Country Referees Excel in Bissau<p><a href="http://lh6.google.com/eyeonsierra/R15jf0-s5yI/AAAAAAAABNk/adoRcwYqss0/image%5B3%5D"><img style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="135" alt="image" src="http://lh3.google.com/eyeonsierra/R15jhE-s5zI/AAAAAAAABNs/sAfG9y4KRi0/image_thumb%5B1%5D" width="204" align="right" border="0"></a> Though they are facing all sorts of criticism from fans, players and stakeholders back at home, the two referees that represented Sierra Leone in the just concluded Zone II tournament in Bissau were named to be two of the best in the competition. <p>Central referee, Sanusi Rashid and his assistant, Charles Bangali were ticked as one of the best referees during the competition by the organiser after the duo officiated one of the fastest match in the competition -between Cape Verde and Guinea- impressively. <p>They were given the opportunity to officiate the Cape Verde-Gambia match two days later, which ended goalless. <p>It was also gathered that the duo could have officiated the final or one of the semi-final matches but were unable to do so as they had to return home with Leone Stars' chartered flight. <p>Sanusi Rashid told Concord Sports that he is using the criticism at home to control any international match to the best of his ability. "I hope to lift the name of Sierra Leone referees to the highest peak and I believe that I can make it with determination." The name of Administrative Secretary of the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) Abu Bakar Kabba also entered the record book as one of the best match commissioners. <p><a href="http://allafrica.com/stories/200712101602.html">allAfrica.com: Sierra Leone: Country Referees Excel in Bissau (Page 1 of 1)</a></p> paramount chiefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13622639425452650033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30115945.post-55001737476714261302007-12-10T17:33:00.001+01:002007-12-10T17:33:54.419+01:00Sierra Leone sets up forest park<h2><b>Sierra Leone's president is launching a scheme to save part of an endangered rainforest, which campaigners say will help fight climate change.</b> </h2> <p><img height="160" alt="Forest buffalo (Pic: Brent Huffman, Ultimate Ungulate images)" hspace="0" src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44291000/jpg/_44291382_buffalo_203b.jpg" width="211" align="right" border="0">People living near the Gola Forest, near the border with Liberia, are to be paid annually, to compensate for the loss of royalties from logging firms. <p>The 75,000 hectare park is home to 50 species of mammals, including leopards, chimpanzees and forest buffalos. <p>President Ernest Bai Koroma hopes the new national park will boost tourism. <p>Sierra Leone is recovering from a brutal decade-long civil war, which ended in 2002. <p>Campaigners say that without official protection, the Gola Forest would have been destroyed within 10 years, as Sierra Leone tried to raise living standards. <p> Aid agencies, the European Commission and France are setting up a $12m (£6m) trust fund to pay for the park's running costs and to make annual payments to some 100,000 people. <p>It is to become Sierra Leone's second national park. <p>The Gola Forest is also home to 274 bird species, 14 of which are close to extinction, and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is helping to fund the scheme. <p>"We are helping the government turn a logging forest into a protected forest," said the RSPB's Alistair Gammell. <p>"Huge amounts of carbon will be saved and the site is an excellent example to those now involved in climate talks in Bali." <p><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7136606.stm">BBC NEWS | World | Africa | Sierra Leone sets up forest park</a></p> paramount chiefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13622639425452650033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30115945.post-46179493762455531022007-12-10T08:57:00.001+01:002007-12-10T08:57:35.819+01:004–Day art exhibition launched<embed pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" src="http://picasaweb.google.it/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="400" height="267" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.it&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.it%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Feyeonsierra%2Falbumid%2F5142247697820738961%3Fkind%3Dphoto%26alt%3Drss%26authkey%3DWwOl3q5_z_M"></embed> <p>A four-day art exhibition was launched at Lumley Beach Roundabout in Freetown. The colourful exhibition showcased the talents of over thirty Sierra Leone artists. Organised by the National Tourist Board, the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the exhibition is a first of its kind for Sierra Leone. <p>An extensive range of paintings and sculptures from over thirty talented youths will be displayed and sold during the four days. Allusine Bangura, one of the country’s leading artists, sees this initiative as a real opportunity to display the artistic talents of Sierra Leoneans; “we don’t see this exhibition as a one-off event, but rather the beginning of the creation of an arts market where we can live on our art.” It is planned that every Sunday afternoon artists will display and sell their works at the roundabout at Lumley Beach. <p>According to the Executive Representative of the Secretary General, Victor Angelo, ‘UNDP is committed to the development of youths in Sierra Leone, and this exhibition is an opportunity to tap into the creative talent of the young people of the country and expose their work to the international market.” <p>Present at the opening ceremony was the Minister of State and the Minister of Tourism and Culture. Also in attendance were senior UN officials, members of the diplomatic community and international visitors.</p> paramount chiefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13622639425452650033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30115945.post-62494502548459628632007-12-10T08:55:00.001+01:002007-12-10T08:55:27.061+01:00Amistad sails into Freetown Harbor<embed pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" src="http://picasaweb.google.it/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="400" height="267" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.it&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.it%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Feyeonsierra%2Falbumid%2F5142247865324463809%3Fkind%3Dphoto%26alt%3Drss%26authkey%3DipoFajYLOBQ"></embed> paramount chiefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13622639425452650033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30115945.post-18777345906287203052007-12-09T21:39:00.001+01:002007-12-09T21:39:49.897+01:00Amistad arrives in Freetown<p> FREETOWN, Dec 9 (Reuters) - A replica of a 19th century slave ship, which became a symbol of the anti-slavery movement after kidnapped Africans rose up on board against their captors, arrived on Sunday in Sierra Leone. <p>Cheering Sierra Leoneans lined the docks to see the 129-foot (39-metre) schooner, topped with three billowing sails and the Sierra Leonean, U.S. and Canadian flags, make its first stop in Africa since it set sail in June from New Haven, Connecticut. <p><a href="http://lh3.google.com/eyeonsierra/R1xShk-s5VI/AAAAAAAABI4/AtnZkJC-VaY/image%5B5%5D"><img style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="135" alt="image" src="http://lh3.google.com/eyeonsierra/R1xSik-s5WI/AAAAAAAABJA/3NYXtzwdSPk/image_thumb%5B3%5D" width="450" border="0"></a>The Amistad's voyage commemorates Britain's abolition of the transatlantic slave trade 200 years ago this year. <p>The ship has already stopped in Britain and Portugal on a voyage expected to last 14 months, retracing the routes of the slave trade between Europe, Africa and the Americas. <p>"Our people were torn from their culture to become slaves. It's the first time a schooner has come in instead of going out," said Mohamed Bangura, a British-based Sierra Leonean on the dock in the capital Freetown. <p>The original La Amistad, was seized at sea by 53 kidnapped Africans led by Sengbe Pieh, who became a national hero, who rose up against their captors. <p>They eventually won a long court case in the United States, which ruled that free men, if captured, must be returned to their homelands. The 35 who survived returned to Africa in 1841. <p><a href="http://lh4.google.com/eyeonsierra/R1xSj0-s5XI/AAAAAAAABJI/4LPdfX7TrUI/image%5B10%5D"><img style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="148" alt="image" src="http://lh5.google.com/eyeonsierra/R1xSlE-s5YI/AAAAAAAABJQ/a6b4zztmVlQ/image_thumb%5B6%5D" width="450" border="0"></a> John Kamara, the only Sierra Leonean to make the journey on board the replica craft, heard the story of the Amistad from his grandmother as a small boy. <p>"This means a lot to me and my people. I'm so proud," said Kamara, 34, wearing a bandana in the green, white and blue of Sierra Leone's flag. <p>"WE ARE ALL HEROES" <p>The former British colony's hilly ocean-side capital is named after freed slaves who resettled there in 1787, but it has suffered a brutal 1991-2002 civil war and elections this year revealed deep frustrations over grinding poverty. Many assembled at the wharf grumbled that African American descendants of slaves are better off than Sierra Leoneans. <p>Bystanders hoped the ship's voyage could symbolise a happier future for the country, which elected President Ernest Bai Koroma to power in September on a ticket to deliver development and clamp down on widespread corruption. <p>The ship is due to sail on Dec. 18 for Senegal and Cape Verde, before crossing the Atlantic again for the West Indies. <p>The voyage retraces the triangular Atlantic trade which shipped European goods to Africa to pay for slaves, who were taken to plantations and mines of the Caribbean and South America to produce commodities for export back to Europe. <p><a href="http://africa.reuters.com/country/SL/news/usnL09378795.html">Sierra Leone | Africa - Reuters.com</a></p> paramount chiefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13622639425452650033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30115945.post-17845631115062807222007-12-09T11:05:00.007+01:002007-12-09T11:05:46.864+01:00S.Leone wants more give, less take from mining firms<p>FREETOWN (Reuters) - Foreign mining companies must build new roads, railways and ports in Sierra Leone which will benefit the country's poor if they want to extract its precious minerals, the mining minister said.<a href="http://lh5.google.com/eyeonsierra/R1u95U-s5QI/AAAAAAAABHg/NaOl20T7CHU/image%5B6%5D"><img style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="203" alt="image" src="http://lh5.google.com/eyeonsierra/R1u97U-s5SI/AAAAAAAABHw/yPGXUWZUFxs/image_thumb%5B2%5D" width="244" align="right" border="0"></a> <p>After largely peaceful elections this year in the former British colony, torn apart by a brutal 1991-2002 civil war, foreign firms are once again starting to consider mineral-rich Sierra Leone as a possible investment destination. <p>"We are trying to create a situation in which mines can be the basis for our infrastructure development," Mines Minister Alhaji Abubakarr Jalloh told reporters late on Thursday. <p>"We are saying if you want to mine bauxite, iron ore, rutile, we want all these companies to come together and create a plan for a massive harbour that will have the capacity to take big ships and to have a railway system and a future network." <p>Many mining companies are waiting for details of the new government's mining strategy, expected to be unveiled early next year, following presidential elections in September. <p>Several mining companies are wary of potential moves to impose more strenuous conditions, including higher tax. <p>"We are going to look at all the things and modify them for the good of the country," said Jalloh, who has promised to review all mining contracts in an effort to extract more wealth for the country. <p>The West African state's diamond fields helped finance the conflict both at home and in neighbouring Liberia, wars which together killed a quarter of a million people and destroyed once-thriving economies. <p><a href="http://lh6.google.com/eyeonsierra/R1u99k-s5TI/AAAAAAAABH4/7uSYb-7SsDA/image%5B10%5D"><img style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="144" alt="image" src="http://lh6.google.com/eyeonsierra/R1u9-k-s5UI/AAAAAAAABIA/wPsuJzXiDIw/image_thumb%5B4%5D" width="244" align="left" border="0"></a>Jalloh said he wanted dilapidated roads and railways to be rebuilt along routes leading, for example, from the capital Freetown to bauxite mines in Port Loko and Kambia districts or to iron ore deposits in the north. <p>Demand for African natural resources is booming, not least from rapidly industrialising China and India who need the raw materials to develop their economies. <p>NEW PRESIDENT, NEW CHAPTER <p>Sierra Leoneans hope their new president, Ernest Bai Koroma, elected on a promise of greater prosperity for the country, will help turn around their fortunes. <p>Five years after the end of the war, Sierra Leone ranks as the least developed country in the world, according to the United Nations. More than 70 percent of the population live below the poverty line. <p>Voters complained bitterly of appalling roads pitted with potholes during the election campaign. The railway line has long been defunct. Many hope a well-managed mining policy could revitalise that infrastructure. <p>Jalloh said previous such efforts had served only the needs of mining companies and the country was in danger of falling prey to the same kind of exploitation from new mining companies. <p>"All sorts of companies are coming in; they want to take the remnants (of old mines) and just load the barges. We will be left with the same problem we have now," he said. <p>"They built these railways and the harbour purely to convey the iron ore. There are still trucks that are loaded with iron ore on the railways from when they stopped." <p><a href="http://africa.reuters.com/country/SL/news/usnBAN756632.html">Sierra Leone | Africa - Reuters.com</a></p> paramount chiefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13622639425452650033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30115945.post-4728544856496564342007-12-09T11:05:00.005+01:002007-12-09T11:05:30.997+01:00S.Leone refugees to return from Guinea after polls<p><a href="http://lh5.google.com/eyeonsierra/R1u92U-s5NI/AAAAAAAABHI/yjrv6tqXzVM/image%5B5%5D"><img height="239" alt="Refugee camp in Guinea" src="http://lh6.google.com/eyeonsierra/R1u96k-s5RI/AAAAAAAABHo/ZDkqKKqk0XQ/image_thumb%5B3%5D" width="357" align="right"></a> CONAKRY (Reuters) - Thousands of Sierra Leoneans who fled to neighbouring Guinea during a civil war are due to return home after elections in the former British colony raised hopes of long-term stability, the United Nations said on Saturday. <p>The office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said it was organising convoys to voluntarily repatriate some 4,000 Sierra Leoneans from Guinea's capital Conakry and 1,200 others living in camps around the southern Guinean town of Kissidougou. <p>"The first convoy, which has left, was carrying 140 people ... We'll have to go via Liberia because of the poor state of some of the roads," Faya Millimono, UNHCR spokesman in Guinea, told Reuters. <p>Close to 100,000 Sierra Leoneans returned home from Guinea with the help of the United Nations between 2000 and 2004 in the closing stages of more than a decade of war in Sierra Leone. <p>But thousands more refused to go back, hoping to win political asylum in Europe, the United States or Australia. Some of those living in Kissidougou have spent more than 10 years lobbying the UNHCR to help resettle them elsewhere. <p>In September, Sierra Leone held its first elections since the departure of U.N. peacekeepers, polls won by former insurance executive Ernest Bai Koroma, who pledged greater prosperity and stability for the country. <p>But not all Sierra Leonean refugees want to return from Guinea, itself an impoverished country where even those living in the capital lack running water or electricity. <p>"I lost my father, my mother and my three children in the war. I don't want to go back, I still don't feel safe," said Titus Roberts, 43, who has lived in Conakry for 10 years. <p>Others cling to the hope of being resettled in a third country. <p>"Here, like in Sierra Leone, I don't feel safe. We are constantly harassed and we have nothing to survive," said Hawa Kamara, 35, who lost her husband during the conflict. <p>Sierra Leone's war was one of the most brutal in modern African history. Children were kidnapped, drugged and forced to fight while rebels hacked the limbs off civilians and sometimes carved their initials into their victims' backs. <p>Five years after the war, Sierra Leone ranks as the least developed country in the world, according to U.N. statistics. More than 70 percent of the population live below the poverty line. <p>"I have to stay here because I have nothing left in my country," said Burder Wandi, 19, who has searched in vain for his parents since the end of the war and earns a living working in a Kissidougou hotel. <p><a href="http://africa.reuters.com/country/SL/news/usnBAN858863.html">Sierra Leone | Africa - Reuters.com</a></p> paramount chiefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13622639425452650033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30115945.post-29744566599257891722007-12-09T11:05:00.003+01:002007-12-09T11:05:26.163+01:00Overcrowded Jails Filled With Prisoners Awaiting Trial<p><a href="http://lh4.google.com/eyeonsierra/R1u94E-s5OI/AAAAAAAABHQ/xxaPfiDX4Bg/image%5B3%5D"><img style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="173" alt="image" src="http://lh4.google.com/eyeonsierra/R1u95E-s5PI/AAAAAAAABHY/r1sruVDv4wk/image_thumb%5B1%5D" width="244" align="right" border="0"></a> Fatmata Jalloh is raising her one-year old boy in an unconventional setting - from within the confines of the Makeni prison. <p>Jalloh, a young mother awaiting trial, has been behind bars since she was seven months pregnant. At the time she was arrested for theft. <p>Local police arrested her instead of her boyfriend, who managed to escape with his friend, who had stolen computers from Freetown. The computers were found in her home and Jalloh was the only person there - she was arrested for the crime and has been languishing in prison ever since. <p>"There are no witnesses, nobody has come forward to say I committed the crime," she said last week from her cell. "I wish to get out of here." Jalloh stays with her son and three other women in the female quarters of the prison. The women share one grey, open room and a courtyard, where they prepare food, braid each other's hair and play with Jalloh's son, Junior. <p>They have mosquito nets above their mattresses, which sit on the cement floor, and Jalloh said they are well looked after by prison officials. <p>Despite this, Jalloh said she would prefer to be raising her son in the free world. <p>Makeni prison, like most jails in the country, is overcrowded and small - unable to accommodate all the prisoners awaiting trial, especially male prisoners. <p>"I have 137 prisoners," said S.S. Koroma, prison-officer in charge of Makeni prison. "I'm supposed to have 80." He said in Makeni there are 40 prisoners awaiting trial, many of whom have been there for years, and only 72 prisoners have been convicted. <p>Koroma said many prisoners sleep on the floor because there are no mattresses. As well, there is not enough medicine or supplies for the extra men and his monthly supply of food and rice from the government always arrives late. <p>"The past government, they didn't pay us anything," he said. "The contractor was paid only Le 1,630 per person to feed them, which was meant to provide three meals a day." The government recommended 20 ounces of food per day, not nearly enough, said Koroma. <p>But Koroma said prisoners are mostly frustrated because they have not been indicted or charged. <p>Betty Alimamy Sesay, a Makeni radio journalist and activist, said the state of prisons and the justice system in the country is unacceptable. <p>"Many of them are in there and they shouldn't be," said Sesay, who is also a member of the Sierra Leone Court Monitoring Programme. "They are languishing in the prisons with no witnesses and their cases are not being heard." Sesay said there is one foreign judge in Makeni attempting to get innocent people out from behind bars, but she said the justice system in Makeni and the rest of the country is corrupt, slow and in need of restructuring. <p>She has been monitoring and attempting to expedite many of the Makeni cases, including Jalloh's. "I've been watching her case for awhile, ever since she came in here pregnant," said Sesay. <p>Another case Sesay has taken interest in is Abu Marrah's, a lance corporal from the military who has been behind bars in Makeni since 2002. <p>Marrah was arrested for an alleged murder in Kono, taken into Freetown where he appeared at the high court for six months and, because of lack of witnesses, eventually transferred to Makeni, where he still waits. <p>"I've appeared three times in court in Makeni," said Sesay, from the men's prison yard in Makeni. "The judge said the police aren't allowed to take me to court until they have a witness, but in the meantime I am stuck here." Several men gathered around Sesay, nodding in agreement. Some washed their clothes and hung them on a clothesline; others crouched in corners of the small prison yard, away from the sun. Many of their cases are similar - many of them have sat in prison for months or years because the police or justice systems do not have adequate resources or training. <p>Dauda Kamara, the new Minister of Internal Affairs, agreed with Sesay and said although he has not yet had time to visit the prisons, he knows they are in a sorry state. <p>"I am told that Pademba Road Prison in Freetown has 1084 prisoners, but there is only room for 300," said Kamara. "There is serious overcrowding and it is not tolerable conditions." Kamara blamed the overcrowding on the judiciary, who he said are slow and often not available to try cases - resulting in hundreds of prisoners awaiting trial throughout the country. <p>Relevant Links <p><a href="http://allafrica.com/westafrica/"><b>West Africa</b></a><br><a href="http://allafrica.com/legalaffairs/"><b>Legal and Judicial Affairs</b></a><br><a href="http://allafrica.com/sierraleone/"><b>Sierra Leone</b></a> <p>"Everybody wants reform, reform, reform," he said, "I agree, but let us use effectively what we have now. <p>It is a problem of getting them to do their work at all." On Tuesday, Sierra Leonean Justice George Gelaga King delivered a scathing address to the Sierra Leone Bar Association in which he labeled the judiciary 'corrupt' and 'disrupting'. <p>Kamara said the prisons will not improve until the judges do. "It is a terrible situation," he said. . <p><a href="http://allafrica.com/stories/200712070812.html">allAfrica.com: Sierra Leone: Overcrowded Jails Filled With Prisoners Awaiting Trial (Page 1 of 1)</a></p> paramount chiefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13622639425452650033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30115945.post-80170201221236896422007-12-09T11:05:00.001+01:002007-12-09T11:05:05.011+01:00UN chief proposes reducing UN presence in Sierra Leone<p><a href="http://lh4.google.com/eyeonsierra/R1u9zE-s5LI/AAAAAAAABG4/URePQHj9NRQ/image%5B3%5D"><img style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="140" alt="image" src="http://lh4.google.com/eyeonsierra/R1u90E-s5MI/AAAAAAAABHA/EMbnWifhbtg/image_thumb%5B1%5D" width="194" align="right" border="0"></a> UNITED NATIONS (AFP) — UN chief Ban Ki-moon is proposing gradually scaling down the UN presence in Sierra Leone, according to a report released here Friday. <p>In his latest report on the UN Integrated Office in Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL), Ban recommended that the current operation be extended for a final period of nine months so that it can continue to assist Freetown in holding the local elections scheduled for next year and in bolstering state institutions. <p>"During this period, UNIOSIL would take steps to progressively reduce its strength with a view to completing its mandate by September 2008," the UN chief said in his report. <p>Ban said he planned to submit proposals on the drawdown of the mission, as well as the mandate, structure and strength of the successor office, to the Security Council next April. <p>The UN peace consolidation office in Sierra Leone is a successor to what was once the world's largest peacekeeping force with 17,500 personnel. <p>The West African country of 5.5 million people endured a decade-long civil war from 1991-2001 in which some 120,000 people were killed and thousands were mutilated. <p>The UN Security Council in 2005 judged conditions in Sierra Leone to have improved sufficiently to end the UN peacekeeping mission mandate there. <p>Three months ago the country held democratic elections, the first since UN troops withdrew, and a new leadership was ushered into office. <p>Ban noted that this summer's elections highlighted "deep-seated political tensions and cleavages" among the population along ethnic and geographical lines. <p>He warned that these have the potential to escalate in the run-up to next year's local elections. <p><a href="http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iezlFr_nH0I6b2y6aw2ukqjy0Vww">AFP: UN chief proposes reducing UN presence in Sierra Leone</a></p> paramount chiefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13622639425452650033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30115945.post-46548950134490403412007-12-09T11:02:00.005+01:002007-12-09T11:02:55.492+01:00Reading And Writing On the Decrease?<p><a href="http://lh3.google.com/eyeonsierra/R1u9S0-s5JI/AAAAAAAABGo/hwk8psf5zBU/image%5B3%5D"><img style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="244" alt="image" src="http://lh3.google.com/eyeonsierra/R1u9T0-s5KI/AAAAAAAABGw/umFO1uoegdo/image_thumb%5B1%5D" width="166" align="right" border="0"></a> A local writers organization has said Sierra Leoneans are losing the culture of reading and writing. <p>Essie James, a senior member of the executive of Pen Sierra Leone, an organization of Sierra Leonean writers and professors, has said fewer people spend time with a book or a pen than ever before. <p>Speaking at a Pen workshop Monday, James said her group is trying to resuscitate and retain the culture of reading and writing among Sierra Leoneans. "We are worried that we are losing this culture gradually and Pen wants to rekindle it," she said, adding that Sierra Leoneans should be able to use the skills and talents God has blessed the country with. <p>She said Sierra Leonean writers have so much talent in their midst to bring social change and develop community groups. <p>James said her organization aims to revitalize the spirit of writing among school children by setting up Pen clubs at secondary schools. <p>She said the country has great writers, but it still needs to do more to foster the literary arts. "We are rich in writers but it is unfortunate that we are not seeing much of it," she said, adding that the aim of the workshop is to identify members in Pen Sierra Leone that will engage in different Pen committees. <p> <p><a href="http://allafrica.com/sierraleone/"><b></b></a></p>Iranian Cultural Consul Mohamed Ghezel Sofla said intellectuals have a greater role to play for the development of Sierra Leone. <p>"Your writings should have messages that will enhance change," he said, noting that he has observed some developmental changes in the country over the years. <p>Aiah Senesie, a writer and participant, said the country has failed to succeed because its people have failed to plan for the future. "I believe if we work hard we will make it in the future," he said.. <p><a href="http://allafrica.com/stories/200712070814.html">allAfrica.com: Sierra Leone: Reading And Writing On the Decrease? (Page 1 of 1)</a></p> paramount chiefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13622639425452650033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30115945.post-54890615552112976142007-12-09T11:02:00.003+01:002007-12-09T11:02:50.869+01:00Ban on Timber Export Causes Job Lose in Sierra Leone<p><a href="http://lh4.google.com/eyeonsierra/R1u9RE-s5HI/AAAAAAAABGY/DKL9q-T7YPk/image%5B3%5D"><img style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="160" alt="image" src="http://lh6.google.com/eyeonsierra/R1u9Sk-s5II/AAAAAAAABGg/clINODvj-gE/image_thumb%5B1%5D" width="244" align="right" border="0"></a> Following the ban on the logging and exportation of timber by the government of Sierra Leone in May this year, investors in that trade on Wednesday 5th December 2007 disclosed to the press that a large percentage of the youth population in Freetown risks being thrown out of job if government does not revisit its decision. <p>One such group threatening to go on the sacking is the SLEPORT–SARL, a timber export company based at No. 2 Access Road, Kissy in the east end of Freetown. The Director of the company, Mr. Martinho Joaquim has disclosed to press men that his company currently employs about 120 young people in Freetown alone with an additional 50 in the Provinces. <p>He said the 4th May 2007 ban by the government on the export of timber from the country on grounds that the practice speeds up deforestation among other things, has greatly hampered the operations of the company. This in turn has engendered the laying off of a large percentage of their work force. He said he believes that since the company is registered to saw and export timber in the country, the ban should not affect them as there are foreign nationals doing similar business clandestinely making their export through the Republic of Guinea. <p>One of the youths, Mustapha Mansary whose job is at stake pleaded to government to review the ban as the investors have vowed to close their factories. According to him, this will bring the youths several steps backward which is not good for the country’s economy. <p><a href="http://news.sl/drwebsite/publish/article_20057140.shtml">Ban on Timber Export Causes Job Lose in Sierra Leone: Sierra Leone News</a></p> paramount chiefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13622639425452650033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30115945.post-39822575115897169632007-12-09T11:02:00.001+01:002007-12-09T11:02:36.174+01:00It would be a crime to end this dream<p><a href="http://lh3.google.com/eyeonsierra/R1u9N0-s5FI/AAAAAAAABGI/-dk-frncWoc/image%5B3%5D"><img style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="204" alt="image" src="http://lh3.google.com/eyeonsierra/R1u9O0-s5GI/AAAAAAAABGQ/Ca8aP_YfjS4/image_thumb%5B1%5D" width="132" align="right" border="0"></a> Rags-to-riches tale may end in tatters as nightmare of deportation hangs over teenage illegal alien <p>Morrissey, who headed up UK band The Smiths in the 1980s, is in trouble after a controversial interview with music rag NME last week. He raged against immigration, telling a reporter Britain had lost its identity and that you could not hear a “British accent“ in Knightsbridge. <p>This is the same Morrissey who was sued by two band mates a decade ago. A judge described the singer as “devious, truculent and unreliable”, so his comments are probably best ignored. <p>It’s against this background that the extraordinary case of Alhassan Bangura comes to light. <p>On the face of it, the midfielder is much like any other professional soccer player. He’s a star for Watford FC, earns a lot of money, lives comfortably and is adored by his fans. <p>Bangura is also an illegal alien, facing the prospect of deportation before Christmas. <p>His story is like no other. He was born 19 years ago in Freetown, capital of war-torn Sierra Leone. His late father had been the head of a secret society (Soko) that practised witchcraft. When Bangura was 15 his father died and he was told by village elders to take over the society. <p>Little is known about the cult, but Bangura told an asylum hearing in London last week its followers dismembered parts of their bodies and inflicted pain as part of its rituals. <p>Threatened with death for turning down the leadership, Bangura fled to Guinea. He was soon befriended by a Frenchman named Pierre. <p>“He pretended to be a friend but turned out to be the devil incarnate,” Bangura said. “He took me to France but wanted to get me into prostitution and the homosexual business, but I refused.” <p>Soon, Bangura found himself in London. While he was in Pierre’s company, two men tried to rape Bangura. Terrified, the 16-year-old fled, running into the street where he was taken to an immigration centre. <p>It’s at this point that Bangura’s life takes an unlikely turn for the good. He was encouraged to play soccer as part of his rehabilitation and took to it like a natural. One day, a Watford scout saw him playing at a public park. A year later, he was signed and made his Premier League debut at the age of 17. <p>Had you scripted a movie like that, you’d be asked to tone down the story line to make it more realistic. <p>But it gets better. His girlfriend, also from Sierra Leone, had his baby last week. “Al”, as Bangura is known, has become one of the club’s most dependable players. Fans have even dedicated songs to him. <p>Watford manager Aidy Boothroyd told the tribunal : “Sending him back to Africa would be like Frank Sinatra playing Batley Frontier Club in West Yorkshire instead of Wembley.” <p>Bangura pleaded to stay, saying he would die, or be subjected to mutilation, if he were forced to return. <p>The case will clearly challenge the minds of the tribunal, who have promised a ruling before Christmas. Bangura is plainly an illegal immigrant (in a country where immigration dominates the national agenda) and his misery is little different to thousands of others. He’s a soccer player and he’s hero-worshipped. But should he receive special treatment? <p>The flip side is that whether or not he is successful or talented, his claim for asylum should be judged like all others. If there is a well-founded fear of persecution, which must be proven, then the asylum process should kick in to provide refuge. It’s hard to believe Bangura’s fears aren’t well-founded. <p>Of course, bigots have popped up on blogs and letters pages railing against Bangura and others. They, like Morrissey, blindly propagate a Britain for Britons. <p>Too bad, because they’re wrong. Bangura’s case is a prime example of what sport can do for an individual, literally dragging them from the slums. The case also demonstrates a need for humanity and a recognition that players such as Bangura are heroes for the youth of Watford and elsewhere, yes, even Sierra Leone. <p>What good would it do sending him back to his Freetown hell? It would be tragic, stupid and cold-hearted. <p>What do you think? E-mail us at <a href="mailto:sportsletters@sundaytimes.co.za">sportsletters@sundaytimes.co.za</a> or SMS your comments to: 33971 <p>WHO says talent is everything? A birth date is just as important, according to findings of the Children of the 90s project, based at Bristol University. Researchers claim that youngsters born in spring (September to November in South Africa) are more active than those born in autumn. Some research of my own leads me to concur with the findings. Ernie Els and Allan Donald have birthdays in October, while Benni McCarthy, Ryk Neethling, Oscar Pistorius, Gary Player and Aaron Mokoena all share November birthdays. <p>According to the study, children born in autumn were 9% less active. <p><a href="http://www.thetimes.co.za/PrintEdition/Sport/Article.aspx?id=653909">The Times - Article</a></p> paramount chiefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13622639425452650033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30115945.post-78039539920083732612007-12-06T15:25:00.001+01:002007-12-06T15:26:05.066+01:00Tiffany Marks Success of Sierra Leone Project<p><a href="http://lh6.google.com/eyeonsierra/R1gGOU-s5DI/AAAAAAAABF0/8qsobcHdo9k/image%5B3%5D"><img style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="184" alt="image" src="http://lh6.google.com/eyeonsierra/R1gGPU-s5EI/AAAAAAAABGA/V1m1cky_bqo/image_thumb%5B1%5D" width="244" align="right" border="0"></a> Tiffany and Co. held an event Dec. 3 at its flagship store in New York to “celebrate the success” of the <a href="http://www.Tiffany.com">Tiffany and Co</a>. Foundation’s support for <a href="http://www.fess-global.org/tiffany.cfm">FESS, The Foundation for Environmental Security and Sustainability</a>, a governmental organization that reclaims land in Sierra Leone previously used for mining. <p>The project has put into motion a process to empower communities in Sierra Leone to reclaim land, develop alternative land use, increase food and livelihood security, and reduce the potential for conflict, a Tiffany statement said. <p>“By reclaiming mined-out diamond areas, we’re helping heal the scars of Sierra Leone and creating a new future for the people of Sierra Leone,” said Darci Glass-Royal, chairman of FESS, “Formerly pitted, unusable land now yields jobs, stability and food for the country.” <p>The event was attended by officials from Sierra Leone, including its U.S. ambassador, the Paramount Chief of the Kono Region, Paul Ngaba Saquee V, and singer-songwriter Ben Jelen who is known for his commitment to environmental causes.. <p>The event premiered a short film documentary, which showed how the communities in Sierra Leone have reclaimed their land at three project sites, and put it to agricultural use. <p>“When land reclamation takes place and is followed by agriculture, artisanal mining begins to lose its character as the employment of last resort for all-too-numerous jobless youths,” said Daniel Gbondo, FESS field representative in Sierra Leone. “Artisanal mining will continue for some time to come, but with land reclamation, the serious hazards posed by mining pits are significantly reduced, and artisanal mining can continue as part of a balanced transition for the region.” <p><a href="http://www.jckonline.com/article/CA6510007.html">Tiffany Marks Success of Sierra Leone Project - 12/5/2007 3:53:00 PM - JCK-Jewelers Circular Keystone</a></p> paramount chiefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13622639425452650033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30115945.post-28065135164320349492007-12-06T15:24:00.005+01:002007-12-06T15:24:48.077+01:00World Bank to review Bumbuna’s Project<p><a href="http://lh3.google.com/eyeonsierra/R1gGKk-s5BI/AAAAAAAABFk/5XnwSf56HVw/image%5B3%5D"><img style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="150" alt="image" src="http://lh4.google.com/eyeonsierra/R1gGL0-s5CI/AAAAAAAABFs/B4gXP3mB5Ds/image_thumb%5B1%5D" width="204" align="right" border="0"></a> A World Bank Safeguard Mission will be visiting Sierra Leone from 7-15 December to review progress with the Bumbuna Hydropower Project environmental and social aspects.<br>While in the country the mission will follow-up on the progress of the agreed pre-impoundment measures with special focus on the proposed Bumbuna Wildlife Conservation Area an associated conservation measures, and the proposed Bumbuna Watershed Management Authority and the Bumbuna Trust Company.<br>The mission will also finalise the agreed resettlement and compensation actions that also need to be completed to precede impoundment. It plans to do a site visit in Bumbuna to access progress in the construction of the environmental by-pass, de-stratification equipment and biomass clearing in the drawdown zone.<br>It is agree on the terms of reference and timetable for environmental studies in the wider Bumbuna conservation area and Loma Mountain offset site.<br>The mission led by two senior environmental and social specialists, Dr Maria J. Cruz and Mr Robert Robbelus, plans to do a site visit and assess progress in construction of resettlement housing and arrangements for compensation of project affected populations. It will also participate in the emergency food and livelihood support program in at least one food distribution centre.<br>A draft Aide Memorie including a follow-up action will be discussed between the mission and government.<br>It is expected that the minister of energy and power will lead a government delegation to participate in the official launch of the food aid programme for the project affected people at Bumbuna <br>Meanwhile, the Project Implementation Unit of the Bumbuna Hydroelectric Project is making all the necessary preparations to receive the World Bank team and to ensure the success of the visit which is considered critical to the completion for the Bumbuna project.<br>In a similar development, the task manager of the African Development Bank Group, Hemchand Rai Heeroo, is in the country to visit the Bumbuna Falls Hydroelectric Project.<br>Mr Heeroo is to have meeting with senior officials of the ministry of energy and power in order to discuss among other things the power situation in the country and complementary projects to distribute power from Bumbuna to customers. <br>He will also be discussing the institutional set-up to manage Bumbuna after completion. <p><a href="http://awoko.org/index.php?mact=News,cntnt01,detail,0&cntnt01articleid=1500&cntnt01returnid=15">Awoko Newspaper- Home</a></p> paramount chiefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13622639425452650033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30115945.post-52864721391390666472007-12-06T15:24:00.003+01:002007-12-06T15:24:31.045+01:00Ghana goods exhibition starts<h2>Made in Ghana goods exhibition organized by the Ghanaian High Commission in collaboration with the Association of Ghana Industries and Ghana export promotion Council was formally opened yesterday at the Presidential Lounge of the National Stadium in Freetown.</h2> <p><img height="180" alt="Sierra11.jpg" src="http://www.africanews.com/documents/3e/a6/3ea6c0869619526fec2597647773a631.article.jpg" width="240" align="right"> <p>Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Mohamed Koroma, performed the officially opening and also chaired the programme. He described the annual trade fair in Sierra Leone as an initiative to providing a unique opportunity in consolidating the long standing bilateral relationship between the two countries and strengthening the trade ties.<br>He went on to say that President Ernest Bai Koroma continued to lay emphasis on how he intends running the country as a business because previous government had failed the nation. On the other hand though, he stressed President Koroma zeal to prioritize the private sector which provides immediate result in every country.<br>The Deputy Minister also hopes that this annual Trade Fair will remain a permanent phenomenon of this cooperation through which new product and technology are introduced into our local market. <br>Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Mabinty Daramy on behalf of the President and the people of Sierra Leone express a great sense of pride and fulfillment to have yet another Ghanaian Trade Fair organized in our country which she says, all Sierra Leoneans know is usually a successful show, not only for Ghana but also for Sierra Leone.<br>Earlier on, High Commissioner of Ghana to Sierra Leone, Her Excellency Dr. Mokowa Blay Adu Gyamfi in her welcome statement recalled that since 2004 they have either organized or participated in trade exhibition in Freetown. Trade Fair, she says, is of great significance to her country and this fair which will exhibit only made in Ghana goods shows that her country’s private sector is really developing. <p><a href="http://www.africanews.com/site/list_messages/13703">AfricaNews - Sierra Leone: Ghana goods exhibition starts - RSS english</a></p> paramount chiefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13622639425452650033noreply@blogger.com