The News Review:
- Sierra Leone Asks to Move Liberian’s Trial
- Half of Sierra Leone’s athletes missing
- Police Find Missing Sierra Leone Athletes; Cameroonians Vanish
Sierra Leone Asks to Move Liberian’s Trial
New York Times – Mar 31, 2006
Secret talks between the Special Court for Sierra Leone and the Dutch government about transferring Mr. Taylor to The Hague began several weeks ago.
Half of Sierra Leone’s athletes missing
The Age – Mar 24, 2006
Two unnamed cyclists are the latest to disappear, having phonedthe team camp last night and said they planned to stay inAustralia. Sierra Leone attache Robert Green confirmed that 11 Sierra Leoneteam members have been reported to police as missing. One of the athletes contacted their coach to say they would notbe returning to the athlete’s village, according to Mr Green. “What I said was that one of the missing athletes spoke to theircoach, and said they would not be returning to the athlete’svillage,” Mr Green said. Their absence followed news earlier today that two Sierra Leoneboxers, Gibrilla Kanu and Alie Kargbo, had failed to return to theGames village on Wednesday afternoon. It takes the number of missing Sierra Leone athletes to 11 fromtheir total athlete contingent of 22…
One of the athletes contacted their coach to say they would notbe returning to the athlete’s village, according to Mr Green. “What I said was that one of the missing athletes spoke to theircoach, and said they would not be returning to the athlete’svillage,” Mr Green said. Their absence followed news earlier today that two Sierra Leoneboxers, Gibrilla Kanu and Alie Kargbo, had failed to return to theGames village on Wednesday afternoon. It takes the number of missing Sierra Leone athletes to 11 fromtheir total athlete contingent of 22. Police are now looking for 13 foreign competitors, including theseven other Sierra Leone athletes went missing on Tuesday, andTanzanian boxer Omari Idd Kimweri and Bangladeshi 400m runnerMohammad Tawhidul Islam who left the village on Monday. Prime Minister John Howard said today the circumstances ofathletes who applied for asylum would be assessed individually. “We don’t give blanket asylum to people who leave sporting teamsvisiting the country unless they have some bona fide reason, but itwould have to be a bona fide reason,” Mr Howard told Southern CrossBroadcasting.
Police Find Missing Sierra Leone Athletes; Cameroonians Vanish
Bloomberg – Mar 26, 2006
Nine members of Cameroon's teamhave disappeared. The three men and three women from Sierra Leone plan toapply to stay in Australia and immigration officials have beencontacted, New South Wales Police said in a statement. Sierra Leone team officials yesterday informed police that14 of the West African country's squad of 22 remain missing. TheCommonwealth Games Federation yesterday canceled theiraccreditation, meaning their visas — which were valid untilApril 26 — expired at midnight.