The News Review:

- Sierra Leone: Zain Bags African Telecoms Awards Holds Weekly Draw
- Thousands mourn Guinea dictator
- Indigenous music of Sierra Leone: A literary appraisal
- For Sierra Leone diamond mine kids school is worth a gem
- Guinea Coup : Sierra Leone Government releases statement
- Starting up: New Boise-based charity targets ‘starting up’ for …

Sierra Leone: Zain Bags African Telecoms Awards Holds Weekly Draw
AllAfrica.com Washington 
GA_googleFillSlot( “AllAfrica_Story_Inset” );The weekly draw have always seen Zain subscribers win millions of leones worth of items including plasma televisions laptop computers DStv satellite and other valuable goods. The company’s brand and communication manager Ann-Marie Ansumana said they decided to take the draw to Bo because they wanted their subscribers to know that Freetown was not Sierra Leone. She said the weekly draw was conducted in a free and fair manner adding that that was why they would always invite auditors from KPMG to witness the draw. Ansumana said her company would continue to do more for the development of the country as they are always ready to response to the needs of Sierra Leoneans.

Thousands mourn Guinea dictator
International Herald Tribune France 
“I ask the people of Guinea to forgive the general for all that he did that was not good” Touré said. Conté's coffin sat on a stage with two of his three wives who wore dark sunglasses and clutched tissues. Also attending were the presidents of Sierra Leone Liberia and Guinea-Bissau along with and Jean Ping chairman of the African Union Commission. Presidential guards used belts to beat back mourners who wanted to push their way in. Aboubacar Somparé the leader of Parliament who had been next in line to be president under the Constitution remained at large following the expiration of a deadline that coup leaders set for government members to present themselves. The European Union has urged Guinea to hold “democratic and transparent” elections within the first three months of 2009. The United States said the military must restore civilian government as swiftly as possible.

Indigenous music of Sierra Leone: A literary appraisal
Patriotic Vanguard Sierra Leone 
Sierra Leone’s indigenous music is embedded in a cocoon of mystic obscurity deserving scholars’ unquenchable thirst for anthropological inquisition. Probably a novelty to the west today: where its exposure is craving for a fighting chance. The African continent constitutes 53 independent nations with each distinct geographic boundary culture and diversified ethnic groups. Curiosity lured the producer of Earth CD Luke Wassermann to visit this exotic West African country – Sierra Leone. He would eventually discern a multifaceted pool of traditional musicians.

For Sierra Leone diamond mine kids school is worth a gem
AFP 
Some children as young as 10 walk several kilometres a day to attend school and work in dilapidated mining pits under scorching heat lured by money from mine owners who keep the gems. “We provide the money and get these boys to work for their living. Is it not a fair deal?” said the Senegalese owner of one mine. Government figures put the number of under-age miners at over 600 but experts here say the real number could be three times higher.

Guinea Coup : Sierra Leone Government releases statement
Cocorioko Sierra Leone 
The Government is using this opportunity to express heartfelt condolences to the people of the sister Republic of Guinea on the loss of their fatherly figure who had always stood by Sierra Leone during periods of crises in this country. The government wants to register its acknowledgement of the fact the late President Lansana had played the unique brotherly role to host three former heads of Sierra Leone during periods of political crises in this country. It should be recalled that when Sierra Leone was engulfed by a rebel war Guinea was one of the countries under the leadership of President Lansana Conte to contribute troops to help Sierra Leone. During the political interregnum in the country President Conteh and other Guineas opened their arms and played host to thousands of Sierra Leonean refugees.

Starting up: New Boise-based charity targets ‘starting up’ for …
IdahoStatesman.com ID 
Each time the camera flash fired they cheered more loudly and edged closer to the camera. By the third picture the cheers were deafening. ur group Village Hope Inc. a public charity based in Boise and started this past January went to Sierra Leone to work on “social entrepreneurship” – helping people in poor communities achieve sustainable improvements in health education and economic security. Sierra Leone is one of the poorest countries in the world but is rich in natural resources including good soils and more than 9 feet of rain per year. After a terrible 10-year civil war that ended in 2002 it now has a new government praised for both honesty and competence and respectable economic growth of 6-7 percent a year. The problems in Sierra Leone however are difficult for many of us to appreciate.
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