The News Review:
- Strange light in a nation in darkness
- Ex-defence minister Dave Pratt joins Red Cross
- John Prendergast, LA Times —
- Tributes paid to Benin air crash victims
Strange light in a nation in darkness
The Age – Dec 26, 2004
Photo: Supplied Arriving at Lungi, the major airport outside Freetown, thecapital of Sierra Leone, one of the first things you notice in thedecrepit immigration area is that the clock on the yellowing wallshas stopped. Indeed, the longer you spend in Sierra Leone, the more it seemsthat time itself has stood still for this nation. It is the world’spoorest, according to the United Nations. The British gave the country its independence in 1961. It isdifficult to believe that as recently as 50 years ago, Sierra Leonewas the second-wealthiest nation in west Africa. In Freetown, the capital of the former colony, the grandcolonial buildings are peppered with bullet holes…
Children make up almost half Sierra Leone’s population. Many inFreetown’s Brookfields district are visibly malnourished. Recentreports on life expectancy give children born in Sierra Leone a 57per cent chance of not reaching 40 years of age. Nights are spent in near darkness. The city’s power grid wasdestroyed by war and mismanagement long ago. Many people have nooption but to live in pre-industrial conditions. They cannot affordgenerators and must make do with candles or kerosene lamps.
Ex-defence minister Dave Pratt joins Red Cross
CTV.ca – Dec 26, 2004
In a sense, at 49 Pratt is renewing himself after a 16-year political career. His qualifications fit well with the needs of the Red Cross. He has a track record in places such as Sierra Leone, where the Canadian Red Cross runs several aid and community rebuilding projects. He was Canada’s special representative for Sierra Leone five years ago and worked to broker an international treaty on so-called blood diamonds, the illicit trade in gemstones that helped financed brutal wars in West Africa. He also finds that his years in Ottawa municipal politics are as helpful as his federal work when it comes to his new job. “I served on the board of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and one of the things that we’re doing these days is working with…
His qualifications fit well with the needs of the Red Cross. He has a track record in places such as Sierra Leone, where the Canadian Red Cross runs several aid and community rebuilding projects. He was Canada’s special representative for Sierra Leone five years ago and worked to broker an international treaty on so-called blood diamonds, the illicit trade in gemstones that helped financed brutal wars in West Africa. He also finds that his years in Ottawa municipal politics are as helpful as his federal work when it comes to his new job. “I served on the board of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and one of the things that we’re doing these days is working with.
John Prendergast, LA Times —
Arab News – Dec 26, 2004
Militias the Revolutionary United Front in Sierra Leone and the Lords Resistance Army in northern Uganda have specialized in the amputation of limbs and the abduction of children. And echoes of last years civil wars in Burundi and Liberia continue to haunt residents of Africa. The world responds to these atrocities with statements of grave concern that are rarely backed by substantial action. Instead, feckless military observer missions provide front-row seats to the slaughter, and planeloads of humanitarian Band-Aids reassure us that we are indeed doing something. Why is Africa so susceptible to these complex emergencies? And how can people maintain interest and compassion when the problems seem endless and intractable?It must be noted that the positive stories emanating from Africa usually dont make the news.
Tributes paid to Benin air crash victims
Daily Star – The Daily Star – Dec 26, 2004
December 26, 2004 Metropolitan Tributes paid to Benin air crash victimsStaff CorrespondentSpeakers at a meeting yesterday paid tribute to the memory of 15 Bangladesh Army officers, killed in an air crash in the West African country of Benin a year ago. The officers — ranking from captain to lieutenant colonel — had been deployed to Sierra Leone and Liberia on the United Nations peacekeeping missions. Recalling the contribution of the 15 officers to the mission, the speakers said the armed forces have been playing a significant role in brightening the country’s image abroad through peacekeeping activities. Rhythm Cultural Society organised the meeting at the National Press Club to commemorate the first death anniversary of 15 Bangladeshi peacekeepers. Presenting the keynote paper, Brig.