The Sierra Leone Telegraph: 6 December 2013

Leaders of Africa are meeting in Paris, amid global outpouring of grief and sadness over the passing of Nelson Mandela. They are looking for solutions – including military, to ending the civil conflict that is now raging in the Central African Republic (CAR).

And as always, the international community is being accused of intervening too late – with too little.

After its successful military intervention in Mali, alongside African Union Forces, France has been given the go ahead by the UN to take all measures necessary in CAR to protect the lives of civilians, in a conflict that is being fuelled by religious hatred.

African Union forces are being stretched to the limit. They are currently in Somalia, the Congo, Southern Sudan and Mali, where soldiers from Kenya, Tanzania, Sierra Leone and others are struggling to prevent rebellious forces from taking control.

In its latest Africa Briefing Report – ‘Central African Republic: Better Late than Never’, the International Crisis Group says that; “the immediate and primary focus should be on restoring law and order, protecting civilians, providing humanitarian relief and documenting human rights abuses.”

Is the Central African Republic at risk of disintegrating? And what practical actions should the African Union and the UN pursue now?

This is what the International Crisis Group says in its Report:

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The Sierra Leone Telegraph: 3 December 2013

Top musicians in Sierra Leone have not only vowed to bury the hatchet after a series of gang-style violence in the capital Freetown, but are now getting into the recording studio to record an album that will reflect the true spirit of brotherly and sisterly love.

Sierra Leone’s music supremo – Emmerson, will be joined by Jimmy B, Kao Denero, LAJ, M2, Naser Ayoub, Kman, Innocent, Steady Bongo, Star Zee, Vida and many others in collaboration to release the ‘United Sierra Leone album’.

It is expected that the initiative will send a strong message to local politicians who are in the habit of using the poor, unemployed youths to carry out their dirty and divisive politics of intimidation and violence.

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John Baimba Sesay

The Sierra Leone Telegraph: 3 December 2013

I read with extreme curiosity, a recent press release released by the main opposition Sierra Leone Peoples Party, about the performance of President Ernest Bai Koroma and his government in the last six years.

The assessment looked at government’s performance in the promotion of good governance, infrastructural development, human development and the economy.

In one simple description, I would say the assessment is not only a true display of illogical presentation of national affairs, but also a true representation of unrealistic efforts by the opposition in its usual bid to achieve a level political prominence, in a country it has been absolutely rejected for almost a decade now by the citizenry.

This still takes into account the quagmire the opposition SLPP faces, since their 2007 political fall that eventually saw the rise to fame and governance of President Ernest Bai Koroma.

President Koroma came to power at a time the country was in a state of neglect and in need of leadership.

To suggest that the last six years of governance by President Koroma have been “wasted years” falls short of any display of maxim of ‘country first’ – but a pointer to the belief that: ‘either we are in power or country is doomed’.

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The Sierra Leone Telegraph: 30 November 2013

Sierra Leone’s main opposition party – the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) has called into serious question, the government’s management of the economy and the poor delivery of it’s so called Agenda for Change.

The government’s celebration of six years in office this week, has been comparatively low-keyed, perhaps State House recognising that there is very little to shout about.

With rising poverty and rapid crumbling of most of the recently constructed road networks, which the government has lauded as success, it is difficult to see how ministers will justify the hundreds of millions of dollars spent on infrastructure development at the expense of tackling massive unemployment and poverty.

And the opposition SLPP’s analysis of the current situation in the country, especially the plight of millions of Sierra Leoneans who are suffering as the result of poor governance is quite poignant.

In a press statement released this week, the opposition SLPP says that the “first year into APC’s second term has brought nothing but abject poverty, lawlessness and despair” for the people of Sierra Leone.

This is what the statement says:

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The Sierra Leone Telegraph: 29 November 2013

As government ministers and ruling party chiefs celebrate six years in power in Sierra Leone, there are millions of hungry stomachs and unemployed poor citizens roaming the streets in search of a livelihood.

Sierra Leone is teetering on the edge of once again becoming a charity case.

And there is very little hope in sight of a better future: No electricity, no water, poor roads, poor communication systems, poor health service, poor education, poor housing, massive corruption in high places.

Despite bogus attempts by ministers and media handlers of the Koroma government to present Sierra Leone as a country that is fast moving forward economically, the reality on the ground proves otherwise.

Poverty is rising as joblessness and falling standards of living continue to inflict pain on communities across the country.

And as Mohamed C. Bah of Atlanta, Georgia, USA, wrote in his analysis of events two months ago, president Koroma indeed has very little to be proud about, after six years in office.

This is what Bah said:

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