Colleagues at the Concord Times newspaper must be praised for organising a memorial lecture that brings to life the work of a colleague, James Oguoguo who was targeted and killed by junta operatives during their murderous January 1999 campaign against civilians and all those they perceived as enemies. Journalists perceived to be supportive of the democratic process and had condemned the May 25, 1997 take-over by the junta were favourite targets as were Nigerian civilians and woe betide you should you combine both qualities as James did. James Oguoguo was a Nigerian and a journalist who had settled in Sierra Leone and was a keen commentator on issues affecting the country. He was marked for death.....and even after all this, the anti-Nigerian sentiment reared its ugly head again when even though the APC party led by Ernest Bai Koroma had been declared the winner in the 2007 elections, Nigerians and their property were attacked and comprehensively looted. Why this anti-Nigeria feeling? Because it was the Nigerian-led ECOMOG forces that prevented the massive slaughter of civilians when the junta seized power on May 25, 1997. Had ECOMOG withdrawn as demanded by the junta, Rwanda on a ratio scale, would have been like just another Sunday picnic!!!! So now you have an idea just why AFRC Mk 11 led by Ernest Bai Koroma was not that keen to be reminded of the atrocities committed by "persons" he's so desperate to protect - like Idrissa Kamara aka Leatherboot.

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As the Beijing Olympics draw to a close the Sierra Herald salutes the winners and losers - more especially those losers who took defeat on the chin knowing that at the end of the day, winners and losers will, in true traditional sense, live to compete another day in true sporting spirit. And we pay a very special tribute to the Chinese - for organising such a wonderful and we daresay awesome experience that kept TV viewers all over the globe glued to the screen. We salute the Chinese for graciously accepting the judges reversal after Team GB launched a protest against their female Taekwondo double Olympic champion and a star in her own rights 25 year old Chen Zhong. We think the "most un-gentlemanly" conduct medal has to be awarded to Cuba's Angel Matos in the same sport who lost it and is now banned for life as reports the Guardian.

And may we ask, whatever happened to the Sierra Leone contingent and dream? With just 2 athletes accompanied by 6 or more officials, little wonder that one website commenting on the chances of Sierra Leone getting a medal noted - "Beijing Outlook: Sierra Leone is not expected to contend for a medal at the Beijing Games"

It was on this day, August 18, eleven years ago in 1997 during junta occupation that beasts in human forms calling themselves operatives of the unrecognised thing which was passing itself as a government showed another side of its true colour. Students had vowed that despite threats they were going out on the streets all over the country to protest against the massive human rights violations that were being committed against what was effectively a hostage civilian population. They were calling for the re-instatement of the barely one year old civilian government of President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah and condemning the illegal junta for ousting the democratically-elected government. What followed was raw terror visited upon students, anyone who looked like a student and indeed anyone who was believed to be supporting the student action. Up to this day, no one knows exactly how many were killed, raped, dispossessed or traumatised beyond imagination. It was during those days of sheer terror that Allieu Kamara, junta spokesman went on the BBC to tell the world that students had been found in possession of AK-47 rifles.

On this day, August 18, let us remember all those who perished, who were subjected to acts of sheer terror and deprivation by drug-infused gangs of the junta. Let us pray for the sweet repose of the dead and continue to pray that the Good Lord in His mercies will continue to comfort surviving victims.

And among those who planned and carried out this assault on students and other civilians is a beast hand-picked by President Ernest Bai Koroma to feed off the sweat of those he had murdered, tortured, dispossessed and raped - junta activist Idrissa Kamara aka Leatherboot. Not true? Then let there be an investigation into the activities of this killer who was also implicated in the murder of protesters around Foday Sankoh's residence.

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THAT RECENT STATE HOUSE ATTACK ON JOURNALISTS - NOT THAT STRANGE UNDER JUNTA RULE IN 1997.....SO LIKE AFRC LIKE THE ERNEST KOROMA ADMINISTRATION? WE HOPE NOT....

Quite a lot has been said and written about the police attack on journalists at State House who went to cover one event. It was sad, very sad and unfortunate, but then if you were to analyse all the operatives of the Ernest Koroma government, you would notice that what is posing as a democratic government is in reality, the AFRC/RUF beasts of no nation minus its RUF component. Be so good as to ask one survivor, Kelvin Lewis, Editor of the AWOKO newspaper how he was detained, harassed and threatened when he went to cover an event at State House during junta rule. He could well have disappeared, but for the timely intervention of the late A K Sesay who had been a respected member of the Njala University College fraternity during his college days. So like the junta in 1997, so would this Ernest Koroma thing evolve into another lawless, vile and anti-people set-up if the people fail to check the excesses of the present administration. And do not believe any apologist who claims that Ernest Koroma is not aware of these cases of violence and intimidation. You can bet your bottom dollar that he is a part and parcel of all that goes on under his watch!!!!

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A booklet dealing with the mother country's history has now been released. Titled "Sierra Leone - The milestones in the history of a country in important date from 500 BC to 1902 AD", the compiler of this publication states that the booklet has been put together as a means of learning about the history of Sierra Leone in the important dates. Arnold Awooner Gordon, the author believes that at one time Sierra Leoneans could be found heading the civil service in Nigeria, Ghana and the Gambia. Sierra Leone merchants chartered ships and traded between the United Kingdom and West Africa and was one of the first West African countries to train other Africans in professions such as medicine, law etc"

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“Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.”
And so do we, at the Sierra Herald say "Hearty Congratulations" to Kelvin Lewis, Editor of the AWOKO newspaper for his untiring effort to make the work of staff and himself not only wholesome, but would give readers just the kind of newspaper this humble son of the soil had always desired.

Here is a man who throughout the troubles in Sierra Leone persevered after so many personal horrors visited upon him including his incarceration in a metal container at Cockerill during junta rule after he had his back slashed by a drug-infused machete-wielding junta thug on August 18, 1997. Here is a man who braved all the odds to save all within his reach including mother Mrs Harolda Lewis when beasts in human form attempted to raze Freetown to the ground, putting all in their way to the sword. Kelvin Lewis survived it all and today the Sierra Herald is proud to be associated with his newspapers and his efforts to make things better. Whoever said good things cannot come out of the mother country?

 Congratulations and long may the Good Lord in His mercies reward you and yours for all the good work you continue to do in the mother country.

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GOOD NEWS DOES COME OUT OF THE MOTHER COUNTRY - THE STORY OF ALIE KAMARA

The Freetown-based "AWOKO" newspaper has, on its online edition this week, a story which is bound to bring joy, immense joy to the faces and hearts of the good and well-meaning. According to the AWOKO report, PIKIN BIZNESS, a philanthropist organisation based in Freetown saw the plight of Alie Kamara and did all it could to save the life of one more Sierra Leonean still in his teens. Good show PIKIN BIZNESS and the Sierra Herald would urge other organisations and individuals to emulate this kind of noble venture that helps the less-privileged in the mother country. All thanks and praise to the Lord for the life of Alie!!! Here was a young man suffering from a terrible affliction that could have been corrected, but was left to the vagaries of the country's health delivery system until the intervention of PIKIN BIZNESS.

And a message to some of those occupying the seat of power. Kindly do not forget that you used boys and girls of Alie's age in your orgy of rape, murder, forced recruitment and beastly conduct. You can start atoning by helping children like Alie as well as your surviving victims.

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The wheels of justice may seem to move slowly when it comes to exposing and catching human rights abusers, putting them on trial and allowing justice to take its course. It may look slow, sometimes very slow and frustrating but eventually the good who refuse to be put off end up winning and putting murderers, torturers, rapists and their supporters behind bars. And so it is with the Beast of Bosnia aka the Butcher of Bosnia, who thought nothing wrong in murdering civilians in cold blood. Radan Karadzic was this morning flown to the Hague where he faces a number of counts relating to war crimes, crimes against humanity and murder. This monster will be tried by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and it should be noted that among the charges are those relating to wilful killing.

Update: Thursday July 31 - The Beast of Bosnia is finally in court

The Sierra Herald would therefore encourage all those who have evidence of Idrissa Kamara (Leatherboot) and his type, now serving their chief patron Ernest Bai Koroma to forward same to the Sierra Herald so that he and his type will stop their gloating over surviving victims. There will be no protection from President Ernest Bai Koroma, you can be assured. No blanket amnesty will protect Leatherboot and his type from individual wilful killings.

The murder last evening of prominent Somali journalist Nasteh Dahir Farah in his own home country Somalia highlights once more the dangers faced by journalists who brave all odds to report events on the ground as they unfold and as witnessed by them. Nasteh Dahir Farah who is also Vice President of the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) and in his mid-thirties was reportedly shot at close range by so far unidentified gunmen. The Press rights group, the International Federation of Journalists is among many such that has unreservedly condemned this latest murder of a journalist for going about his lawful duties. According to IFJ, the NUSOJ has not only condemned the murder of its Vice President but was of the considered view that "he was the victim of a targeted assassination as he returned to his home. He was attacked by an armed gang who shot him several times in the stomach and chest. Nasteh, who worked for the BBC Somali Service, the Associated Press, AP as well as for Reuters died within minutes of being admitted to hospital.

“Once again a leading journalist has been struck down in appalling circumstances,” said Jim Boumelha, IFJ President. “It’s time for action not words from governments to address the crisis in Somalia and to protect our people.”

Like Freetown during junta days?

And the constitution according to the Ibrahim Seaga Shaw and Gibril Koroma Expo Times during junta rule