Opinion

New APC ?

19 May 2006

By Saidu Bangura, Atlanta, Georgia. In his address to a cross -section of the Sierra Leonean public in Atlanta, Georgia on Sunday,05-14-06,the leader of the ALL PEOPLES CONGRESS(APC),Mr. Ernest Bai Koroma said that is he heading a new APC that will run on the platform of positive change. I wish to point out some facts that I would like my fellow Sierra Leoneans to know before they hope to see a new APC. I will start from the last Sunday town hall meeting in Atlanta. The APC promised us (...)

How Long Will Kabbah Prolong Norman’s Detention?

15 May 2006

By Alfred Munda SamForay The integrity of the so-called special court for Sierra Leone is on the line and has been since Counsel for Chief Sam Hinga Norman filed a motion of subpoena ad testificandum which, if approved by the Trial Chamber would require President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah to appear as a witness for the defence. For that matter, so is the integrity of the President of Sierra Leone who at the inception of the court stated in no uncertain terms that with respect to the UN-backed (...)

My Name Is Karamoh Kabba

5 April 2006

A Rejoinder to S.L.P.P. Secretary General’s State of the Party My name is Karamoh Kabba, I am the People’s Movement for Democratic Change (P.M.D.C.) interim Spokesperson for the Washington DC Metro Area chapter. We at the P.M.D.C. applaud the Secretary General of the S.L.P.P., Mr. Jacob Jusu Saffa, on his statement recently, especially, on the democratic process that is underway. We absolutely agree with the Secretary that the 2007 general elections would put our hard earned (...)

Deceptive Living and other Dilemmas of Sierra Leone

19 March 2006

By Gbakanda Kamara in Norway The developing political atmosphere in Sierra Leone of late is a very good source for all to do some introspection and reflection. It is a must for all true and well meaning Sierra Leoneans who think of the future of that country, not of the self. It is time for some HARDTALK and hard thinking, if our posterity does not have to blame the ineptitudes of our generation and see us as useless forefathers. These introspections and reflections are a must because as (...)

"Ah Sweh to Mi Mami, Martial Law"-----Lansana

23 February 2006

COMMENTARY By Gbakanda Kamara in Norway Reading the latest news from the special court and the evidences that have been given so far in that trial, it is clear that government in power is as culpable as any of the parties to the war in Sierra Leone. Also a scenario similar to those in Congo, Rwanda and Angola is beginning to emerge. The former colonial masters of these countries have been very much involved in the dismantling of these inexperienced and semi- independent nation-states. (...)

Penfold: The Ultimate in Mass Deception?

11 February 2006

By Gbakanda Kamara in Norway Peter Penfold’s subpoena to give evidence at the Hinga Norman trial is news received with mixed feelings and high expectations, like the story of Dr. Manet and the French citizen sent by the bank to free him in Dickens’ Tale of Two Cities. He is a key factor in the direct British involvement in the Sierra Leone war ten years after the bloody and indiscriminate maiming, killing and ransacking of the lives of the poor and suffering masses had (...)

When Rogues Fall Apart...

4 February 2006

By Alpha Saidu Bangura, Washington DC Alhaji Ahmed Tejan Kabba and chief Sam Hinga Norman were best of friends.As a manifestation of true friendship,after the 1996 elections, president KabbaH appointed chief Norman to the position of deputy minister of defense. Because of the wonderful job Hinga Norman and the kamajors did during war, kabbah promoted chief Norman to the position of minister of Internal Affairs. It is true that the kamajors acted for and on behalf of the Tejan Kabbah (...)

What is President Kabbah Hiding?

1 February 2006

By Alfred Munda SamForay The Attorney General and Minister of Justice of Sierra Leone, Fredric Carew, may well be a legal genius of unmatched proportions or, as they say in Alabama, he may have entirely lost his cotton picking mind. If somehow, the Attorney General can convince the justices of the Sierra Leone Supreme Court that the so-called special court for Sierra Leone is independent of and has primacy over the national courts and at the same time convince the justices of the (...)

Those Inaugural Speeches: A Reflection

23 January 2006

By Karamoh Kabba Sierra Leone and Liberia have many things in common: They are Anglophon neighbors and hosts to liberated slaves; they had two identical menaces-Charles Taylor and Foday Sankoh -and two recently ended brutal civil wars; and have two postwar presidents who are former employees of the United Nations. Notwithstanding these striking similarities, the seeming dissimilarities in President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah of Sierra Leone’s postwar inaugural speech in 1996 and that of the (...)

Vice President Berewa Mourns His Wife

13 January 2006

Mrs. Deborah Berewa, the wife of the Vice President of Sierra Leone who recently passed away in the United States, has been buried in Freetown. Here is a rare insight into the life of the late woman by her husband himself: A Short Reflection On The Life of The Late Deborah S. B. Berewa by her widower Solomon Berewa. Here I have chosen to write down a few words of my reflection on the life of my late wife Deborah. In the present circumstance it is the only way I can talk about her and (...)