The News Review:
- Death of a killer
- Sierra Leone | The devils dancing on the water | Economist.com
- Diary of a Liberian aid worker VI
- National Review Online (http://www.nationalreview.com)
- 2,700 non-national children referred to Eastern Health Board
- Athletics chief defends ‘defectors’
Death of a killer
Al-Ahram Weekly – Aug 28, 2003
Reacting to the news of Sankoh’s death at the end of last month, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said: "This was a man who terrorised his people and almost destroyed Sierra Leone. In the end, he died an indicted war criminal, a lonely and broken man. "
Sankoh, a former army corporal and TV cameraman, founded the RUF in 1991 and fought successive governments in Sierra Leone. Lacking a coherent political ideology, the initial aim of the RUF was simply to rid Sierra Leone of the then-ruling corrupt political elite that was plundering the country’s mineral wealth. But what started out as an idealistic movement, with quite laudable objectives, quickly degenerated and developed into one of Africa’s most savage rebel organisations. Sankoh promised to fight corruption and to ensure equitable distribution of Sierra Leone’s vast diamond wealth. But it soon became clear that RUF fighters were more interested in looting and enriching themselves than rescuing their compatriots from tyranny.
Sierra Leone | The devils dancing on the water | Economist.com
economist.com – Aug 28, 2003
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Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone’s recent past
Aug 28th 2003
From The Economist print edition
IMAGINE drunken gunmen hammering on your door in the dead of night. If they are your government’s men, they may only rape your wife and daughters. If they are the rebels, they will also hack off their limbs, cut out your tongue, and burn your house down. Outside, a child is screaming: “The cut-hands men are here.
Diary of a Liberian aid worker VI
BBC News – Aug 28, 2003
I’ve been out on another of those look and see missions, trying to locate where the real problems are now that the fighting has died down. We know a lot about how bad they are in the city but for the first time in months we can now get outside into some other parts of the country. Today it was over to the West again, towards the Sierra Leone border along the coast. About half way is this little town called Robertsport. That was the target for the trip. I didn’t know until I got there but it’s a magical little place. The most beautiful natural setting on hills around a bay, with a lagoon and beach.
National Review Online (http://www.nationalreview.com)
National Review Online – Aug 28, 2003
political hopes for West Africa. Its troops are meant
eventually to supplant American Marines in Liberia and to maintain peace
among its other neighbors, such as Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast. But if
Nigeria succumbs to radical Islam or, more likely, becomes a chaotic and
failed state, it will effectively become the regional center for the export
of an anti-democratic and anti-American ideology. Since its introduction
three years ago, 10,000 people have died in Nigeria under the rule of
sharia law. Amina Lawal’s fate
is rightfully important to human-rights groups such as Amnesty International
and Human Rights Watch, but it should also be a warning sign to conservative
realists. It both marks and measures the growth of an ideology antithetical
to genuine freedom.
2,700 non-national children referred to Eastern Health Board
Ireland Online – Aug 28, 2003
More than half of these children have made applications for asylum. The main countries of origin, according to the Separated Children Seeking Asylum in Ireland report, were Nigeria, Romania, Sierra Leone, Congo and Moldova. The Refugee Council report said these separated children face many problems in Ireland, including unsupervised hostels and inadequate diets. The children also have less educational opportunities due to a lack of guardianship and their situation leaves them open to possible abuse or sexual exploitation. The report said the monitoring system for these children is insufficient, with 160 failing to appear for their first asylum interview. In many cases, their whereabouts are still unknown.
Athletics chief defends ‘defectors’
BBC News – Aug 28, 2003
“In 1980, when I think I would have done well in the Olympic Games, I was denied the chance. “I think there are all kinds of sins, but I don’t think [changing countries] was one of them. ”
Certainly, Shaheen is not the first African athlete to change federations – Wilson Kipketer (800m) moved to Denmark, Nigeria’s Gloria Alozie (100m hurdles) went to Spain, while Sierra Leone lost silver medal winning heptathlete Eunice Barber to France. But ironically, the 2003 World Championships has also seen a number of African athletes making a point of their nationality. Cameroon’s triple jump silver-medallist Fran?se Mbango dyed her hair the national colours, for example, while 400 metre bronze medallist Amy Mbacke Thiam has pointed out she continues to compete for Senegal despite overtures from France. And Mr Obeng added that he did not think that the Qatar federation’s actions would trigger a scramble by rich nations to poach Africa’s best athletes. “Not on the basis of nationality – on the basis of competition, yes,” he said.