1. Posted on Thursday 1 January 2009 - 08:11

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   Murtala

   

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   Murtala Mohamed Kamara, AfricaNews reporter in Freetown, Sierra Leone

   The Civil Society Movement of Sierra Leone has appealed to the Libyan Leader Col. Ghadafi to apologize to Sierra Leoneans for "inflicting suffering to the country in their 11 years civil war" when he embarked on a four-day state visit in the country.

   

   The Libyan leader arrived on Wednesday afternoon with a high power security network and will be there till next year 2009. He will be received by host President Ernest Bai Koroma and will be staying in his tent in Rogbere town some 65 miles off Freetown.
   
   The Libyan leader is accused of supporting one of the world’s most feared rebels groups, the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) during the Sierra Leone civil war which left more than 17,000 lives lost and many more amputated. According to a statement from Tripoli Ghadafi was quoted to have said he only support “Freedom Fighters” and the region and not “terrorists.”
   
   Many Sierra Leonean still believe that Ghadafi played a crucial role in the Sierra Leone brutal conflict. He was even accused by an official of the Special Court for Sierra Leone which was set up to try those that were greatly responsible for the conflict.
   
   The Libyan leader has supported the previous government now in opposition in the transportation sector, health and agriculture and has assured the ruling administration of his continued support.

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Reactions

1. Posted on Wednesday 14 January 2009 15:41

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   baibureh

   

   
   7 berichten
   Lid sinds January 2009

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   SIERRA LEONE PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC LEAGUE
   
   PDL
   
   Press Statement Date: 14 January, 2009.
   
   Email contacts: freedomsal@yahoo.fr; changethesystem@hotmail.com; salpedel@caramail.com.
   ___________________________________________________________
   “Everyone is free to express and defend his or her views on all subjects, but everyone has a responsibility to remain within the bounds of criticism, with a respect for personal rights and without damaging the public order. It is inarguable that those who transgress these bounds will be prevented from doing so by the judiciary”.
   ______________________________________________________________
   Statement:
   
   Subject: “ENOUGH WITH THE RED HERRINGS AND OBFUSCATIONS AGAINST LIBYA”.
   
   The Sierra Leone People’s Democratic League (PDL) has of late noticed that Sierra Leonean newspapers, particularly the pro-ethnic based « New People » has embarked upon the use of the technique of misleading the public to publish distressing, reckless, irresponsible, slanderous and misguided materials against Libya. Since the recent familiarisation tour of West Africa, by Libyan Leader Muammar al-Qathafi, shocking and invented headlines appeared in the New People newspaper: ““Shame on You, Merchants of Gaddafi” and “APC Red Carpet Welcome for RUF Godfather Provokes Civil Society Ire”
   ”. Those blaring headlines were followed in each case by an almost identical lead paragraph.
   
   The Sierra Leone People’s Democratic League (PDL) is affiliate member of the Green Charter International (GCI), for peace, democracy, human rights, rule of law, freedom and dignity, and as such believe there is need for the Organisation to respond to those outright lies, slander, hatred and bigotry the newspaper practices against Libya. Without doubt, many people, especially Africans on the continent and the Diaspora must feel embarrassed and distressed to read or hear the distorted, misguided and slanderous assault, in an attempt by the deceptive and prevaricator New People newspaper’s deliberate intent to cause offence to the Libyan Leader when the whole world already knows all the truth surrounding Sierra Leone’s bitter past. That newspaper has yet to accept the fact that the mess in which Sierra Leone finds itself today started with the bloody coup of 1967, two years before God Almighty used Muammar Qathafi to liberate the Libyan people from the shackles of Fascism, imperialism, pillage, plunder, Zionist terrorism, degradation and dehumanisation.
   
   What is worrying and even sad for the media profession in Sierra Leone is that at a time people around the world are in tears as they watch through satellite television screens US backed Israel’s unending butchering of Palestinian infants, children, women, elderly and chronically ill-people, the New People newspaper bothers not to question the brutal holocaust campaign and ruthless violation of the Genocide Convention in Gaza, but chose to devote its most precious time on bellicose and petulant behaviour. We believe the pages of opinion and news sections of the New People should be seen in the forefront of exposing and condemning Israeli’s unending crimes against humanity instead of publishing malicious, dubious and libellous materials intended to divert public attention from the holocaust campaign against the Palestinian civilian population. We believe the editorial writers of that deceitful newspaper should question why the Palestinian population should be left to perish under US backed Israeli terror campaign, instead of throwing out obfuscations in order to satiate or titillate its readers. We believe also that the editorial writers of that paper should view the current protests around the world in solidarity with the hapless people of Palestine and question who arrogated unto the Zionist state, the right to invade and annexed foreign lands and territories; to kill, maim and destroy humanity when and where it decides, instead of indulging in a criminal behaviour that is so brazen in twisting words out of context to mislead people.
   
   What is clear in the New People newspaper’s deceptive coverage about Libya’s Pan-African Project is not different from those ill-thought-out policies championed by the enemies of Africa. The Libyan Pan-African Project focuses on the realisation of a Union States of Africa built on the foundations of peace, stability and development. We are not sure why that newspaper chooses the recent visit to West Africa, by Muammar Al-Qathafi to pursue a vicious agenda.
   
   The New People journalistic tactics do not come as any great surprise to the PDL. It only helped to expose that newspaper’s type of “Salamy” tactics of baseless accusation that is traditionally employed by Zionists to smear their opponents and suppress decent discussion. We want to make it crystal clear however, that the Sierra Leone People’s Democratic League (PDL) will not allow these hate-filled propaganda and preposterous lies and deceptions to go unchallenged, and must be checked for veracity. It remains our policy not to bother irresponsible and reckless behaviours in the media. But for the sake of clarity, we would wish to re-visit recent anti-Libyan motivated misguided, slanderous, malicious and ridiculous publications in the New People newspaper, for the record.
   
   1. The New People Newspaper Online
   APC Red Carpet Welcome for RUF Godfather Provokes Civil Society Ire.
   01.02.2009
   FREETOWN:APA—Freetown [Sierra Leone] The honouring of Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gadaffi, last night, by the Sierra Leonean parliament, has provoked anger amongst certain sections of civil society and members of the public.
   Col. Gadaffi, who is on a four day state visit to Sierra Leone, was on Thursday made honorary Member of Parliament, the first such happening in the parliamentary history of the West African state.
   “This is unacceptable,” says the chairman of the Civil Society Movement, Festus Minah. “It is an insult to the people of Sierra Leone, especially the thousands that were killed or maimed during the country’s civil war.” READ MORE
   
   
   PDL: It is not uncommon, not strange that Sierra Leone no matter who is in power extends her hands of friendship to welcome visiting foreign dignitaries on its soil with great respect and honour. It is part of the country’s culture, values and tradition.
   
   The recent visit to the country by Libyan leader, Colonel Muammar Al-Qathafi was not the first, as other foreign dignitaries like former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and the Nigerian Marshall dictator, the late General Sani Abacha once visited the country, and were given more than red carpet welcomed at least.
   
   It is sad commentary that the New People designed stories or paid to do so against people they know nothing about except reading or hearing or culling stories about them from other equally corrupt media. It is a pity and hypocritical of the media to sit in judgement over others as the New People abounds with rude wordings, insinuations and vacuous nonsense against Libya. It is sad that the New People, which supposedly operating in an environment and atmosphere of democracy and decency, lacks the very innate capacity to reason well and question. Because, publishing irresponsible, reckless, misguided, ridiculous and misleading materials in the media is only practice in an atmosphere and environment where all norms and civilised standards of behaviours are abandoned for immorality.
   
   To exhibit its hypocrisy and arrogant display of biased and ridiculous reporting against Libya, the New People has deliberately keep its readers ill-informed, misled and therefore no one is able to question the flamboyant and costly program that were organised by the then government of Sierra Leone, led by President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah to welcome the Nigerian maximum dictator, late Sani Abacha in 1998, and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair in 2007. Can the New People dispute that Sani Abacha was never compensated with state property (like the Shell Refinery in Freetown) and Awarded Honour of “Father of Democracy” (the very principle the late dictator rejected in Nigeria as the opium of the people, and therefore not good for Nigeria). Can that paper deny that two prominent Streets in Freetown, Kissy Road and Kissy Street were renamed in 198 after Sani Abacha, something one cannot find in any corner of Nigeria, but in Sierra Leone, the SLPP and
   former ethnic based guerrilla fighters in the provinces worshipped the late dictator as demi-god.
   
   Can the malicious New People newspaper deny that Mr. Tony Blair was never compensated with an Awarded of Sierra Leonean Northern chieftaincy title of “Komrabai” and decorated with costly traditional consumes when he visited the country in 2007? Can Festus Minnah, who claimed to represent civil society groups in Sierra Leone deny that the first visit of the Libyan leader to Sierra Leone in 2007, he and other individuals never asked Muammar Qathafi for assistance on behalf of the people, including displaced, amputees, etc?
   
   Where honesty prevails, the New people must appreciate the fact that throughout the two visits by the Libyan leader to Sierra Leone, Qathafi did not stopped at the Air Port outside Freetown, but came into the country and tour the interior where he met and shook hands with the locals. “The guilty are always afraid” says the adage. The Ten Million United States Dollars (US$10, 000 000. 00.) question is that, who is guilty and stands indicted, Tony Blair, Sani Abacha or Qathafi, of responsible for the misery the people of sierra Leone went through in the last one and half decade?
   
   Muammar Al-Qathafi did not confined his visit to the country at the airport, as we Sani Abacha and Tony Blair did, but met with the people and he was given a powerful welcome everywhere he went in the country. But Sani Abacha and Tony Blair felt themselves unable to look the Sierra Leonean people in the eye, for the bad things they did to the country.
   
   This kind of blatant media practice is completely unethical and extremely dangerous for the New People to indulge in. What we know and believe is that, that paper practices a kind of belief that says: “if there is smoke there must be fire”. The thinking is that if there is a controversy about someone, then chances are the allegations are true at least in part. This belief is completely nonsense.
   
   2. The New People Newspaper Online
   TEXT OF Gaddafi's Speech in the Well of Parliament, Tower Hill, Freetown, Sierra Leone.
   01.04.2009
   FREETOWN: NEW PEOPLE SOURCE - Editorial lead: The text of the speech is incomplete as our insider source did not get the entire speech (because of technical difficulties) and she could not take pictures in the house because of very tight security regulations. Gaddafi spoke at length about African unity and the need for Sierra Leone to ratify his notion of a united Africa that would be the antidote to western "imperialist exploitation" and bullying. The unedited transcript follows.
   (In the name of Allah). First I would like to express gratitude and appreciation for the warm popular reception, I thank you for all the remarks I heard from members of parliament. READ MORE
   
   
   PDL: It is common to read in the New People newspaper rude languages such as idiotic, stupid when referring to compatriots, particularly Sierra Leoneans presumed enemies of the SLPP. It is also on record that this paper even addresses fellow Sierra Leoneans not by their names but by mother tongue, and preaches rude tribalism in its proxy campaign of hatred against sections of the Sierra Leonean society.
   
   Any sane person who may have read this article in the New People will observe the inaccurate and manipulation in that reports on Qathafi’s speech to the Sierra Leone Parliament. The whole reports in that paper tend to misinform and mislead its readers. It is understandable. The New People should not feel shy to accept the truth that Qathafi’s speech focused on promoting Libya’s Pan-African project and his country’s assistance to help the development process in Sierra Leone.
   
   In attempt to cover-up a sinister agenda, and in a futile attempt to hide the internationally known truth, and continues to mislead its readers, the New People deliberately and shamelessly misrepresented Qathafi’s speech as attacking Britain’s hegemonic and imperialist terrorism in Sierra Leone. Under the circumstances, growing culture of disseminating misleading news of this nature, based purely on speculation and hatreds, will only create a state of confusion in the minds of Sierra Leoneans.
   
   3. The New People Newspaper Online
   ZAINAB BANGURA & APC Government Support Gaddafi's Foreign Policy Goal to "Erase British Imperialist" Influence in Sierra Leone.
   01.05.2009
   FREETOWN: JAMES OSAIO KAMARA - The promises and goodies have been flowing to the APC government: two shiploads of rice, 30 tractors, providing 36 classrooms and 10 scholarships for higher educational pursuits, the rehabilitation of the Islamic College in Magburaka, building a five star hotel, developing the hydro power sector, developing the air transportation and health sectors, providing a brand new ferry to ply the Sierra Leone river, and stimulating investments, among other things. The price is simple and uncomplicated, according to The New People's sources who were present at the meeting held between Sierra Leone government officials and the visiting Libyan head of state: "If Sierra Leone "unclutters" its foreign policy by "lessening" the "British imperialist presence," then Libya will increase its largesse even more for the APC government of President Ernest Koroma's APC government. Gaddafi is quoted to have also said that Sierra Leone, like all African nations, must undertake a "persistent self-reliance campaign which will see it use its natural resources to leverage its relationship with the "imperialist puppet strings." Britain currently provides substantial budgetary support, technical assistance, and training personnel for the multinational IMATT team. READ MORE
   
   
   PDL: It is a good thing for conscious Sierra Leoneans to be wary of mercenary journalism and charlatans, deceivers of the public and heretics. The New People only believes in saying what it presumes and repeat “flying rumours” to cause mischief and malign others.
   
   Libya has never claimed to be the “police man” of Africa to impose on others its own system. Libya, like any other country on the continent is a victim of international imperialist gangsterism. For the New People to suggest that Libya attempted to dictate the direction of Sierra Leone’s foreign policy is to say that late General Maxwell Khobe was never given the reign of “De facto Head of State” of Sierra Leone following immediately after the invasion of Freetown that led to the bloody overthrow of the AFRC junta in 1998.
   
   The title of this editorial piece is deceptive, as the contents are blasphemous and not in anyway connected with the alleged Muammar Al-Qathafi’s meetings with government officials in Freetown. The New People is only interested in the “slanderous libel” tradition of detractors to Africa and makes this wild media coverage against Libya. This is totally laughable.
   
   We want to remind the New People that Muammar Al-Qathafi is not a Fascist, and one hopes he takes immediate and appropriate steps to sue the malicious paper for slander.
   
   4. The New People Newspaper Online
   THINK-TANK: Shame on You, Merchants of Gaddafi.
   01.07.2009
   FREETOWN: UMARU FOFANA (PRESIDENT OF SLAJ- New People editorial lead: With the foreign and information ministers of the APC government billing Gaddafi's visit without notice as an honour for the country and on the eve of the largest massacre of the Sierra Leone was when Gaddafi-trained and sponsored insurgents and their allies massacred more than 6,000 Sierra Leoneans in a gory frenzy of killing, looting, rape, and arson, Umaru Fofana asks, should Sierra Leoneans buy this rendition and laundering of the Gaddafi image?
   The Libyan leader, Col Muammar Ghadaffi started a 4-day visit to his “second home” of Sierra Leone on New Year’s Eve. His second home indeed! That’s how he referred to the country whose Truth and Reconciliation Commission report says he helped ravage by training and financing rebels who killed and maimed and pillaged. A report that recommended that he should admit his role in that internecine conflict and pay some form of recompense to the victims of his support to the RUF rebels! READ MORE
   
   
   PDL: The Sierra Leone People’s Democratic League (PDL) has time and again challenged anyone with proofs to indict Libya for supporting RUF rebellion in Sierra Leone. Even the authors of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) have until now unable to present one proof that Libya supported RUF rebellion in Sierra Leone. The report in the TRC that, the New People wanted its misinformed readers to buy against Libya was ill-calculated based on hearsay and mere assumptions.
   
   Foday Sankoh and his RUF had never been in the good books of Libya. Besides, Libya was among African countries that condemned the May 25, 1977 coup of Major Johnny Paul Koroma and called the reinstatement of constitutional order in Sierra Leone. It is on record that Libya played a major role in the 1999 Lome Peace Accord, especially in providing the resources to bring the signatories of that Accord on the mahogany table. A role the former President of Togo, the late Gnassingbe Eyadema and other world leaders referred to as “boast for Africa’s capability to provide solution to the numerous problems plaguing the continent”.
   
   There are more evidenced enough to indict former Prime Minister of Britain, Tony Blair for the following:
   
   1. Recruiting foreign mercenaries, from Europe, Canada, US, South Africa, Nepal, India, etc to cause mayhem on the Sierra Leonean population, and forcing the World Bank to bank-roll the maintenance of those mercenaries, who were hired and well paid in foreign currency to destroy Sierra Leone.
   
   2. Misusing British Taxpayers’ money to station Pirate Radio Station in the region, which was used by an ethnic based armed group in the countryside to incite violence, hatreds, malice and animosities amongst Sierra Leoneans.
   
   3. Illegal shipment of weapons (against international opinion) to an ethnic based terrorist group in the interior of Sierra Leone to commit the heinous crime of ethnic purification in the country. We ask the New People to read the reports by British Parliament on this issue.
   
   4. Helping to ruin the Sierra Leonean economy by supervising a criminal transaction involving Indian born Rakesh Saxene and leaders of an ethnic based terrorist group in the interior of Sierra Leone. It should be noted here that Rakesh Saxene signed a criminal deal with dubious Sierra Leonean exiled politicians at the headquarters of the Commonwealth in London. In that deal, Rakesh bankrolled the purchasing and illegal shipment of weapons valid Ten Million US Dollars (US$10, 000, 000.00) in exchange for Sierra Leone’s diamonds worth Hundred and Fifty Million Dollars (US$ 150, 000, 000. 00). Those weapons were used by the mercenaries and one ethnic based terrorist group in the country to cause havocs on people presumed are enemies and must be eliminated or maimed.
   
   5. Supporting the brutal invasion of Freetown in 1998 by hostile foreign mercenaries and local collaborators, and justifying the terror unleashed on the Sierra Leonean population as “Superb Job”.
   
   The New People will appreciate that the General Sani Abacha died over ten years ago, but the blood of Sierra Leonean innocent lives continues to hunt him today in his grave. The New People must tell the Sierra Leonean why was the brutal executions of 24 Sierra Leoneans in October, 1998 and victims had their bodies thrown into drums of sulphuric acid before thrown into their graves.
   
   From the above, it is clear that the New People Newspaper biased, unjust and propaganda terrorism, which is carried out under the cover of ‘freedom of expression’, is not only targeted towards smearing Muammar Qathafi, but also tailored to advance a politico-ethnic agenda in Sierra Leone. The remarks by some opposition politicians, particularly the Hon. Dr. Mrs Bernadette Lahai of Kenema (East of Sierra Leone), who is also representing the corrupt, ethnic centred and moribund Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) reinforced the malicious, fallacious and ridiculous propaganda to smear the Libyan leader, shows that the whole campaign against Libya is a concerted efforts by big party gurus of the SLPP for political gains. We would refer back to Dr. Bernadette to through the pages of the Sierra Leonean Constitution and tell the world which Section, Clause or Article in that national document that qualify Tony Blair to be honoured with the country’s
   traditional chieftaincy title of “Komrabai”, or that simply justify the decision to allow a foreigner, General Maxwell Khobe became head of state of Sierra Leone after the counter coup against the AFRC junta led by the late Johnny Paul Koroma?
   
   We take it upon ourselves to release this statement since we are not sure whether inventing lies, deceptions, conspiracies and misguided stories to smear the reputation of others is what is meant by freedom of expression. If the aim of the New People newspaper is to distort facts, or to deliberately disseminate malicious lies and stories to vilify Libya, it would be better for that paper and its allies, like the Standard Times to use ethics-based methods of reasoning. It would thus be better for the New People to allow reason confront reason in a democratic and logical fashion, in order to transform the culture of “disrespect” to a culture of “decency”, rather than spreading false information about others to advance illogical ethnic agenda in Sierra Leone.
   
   We reiterate our position that: “Libya did not support RUF rebellion in Sierra Leone”. If any information to disprove our position, we challenge any person or persons with such in a public forum to clear all doubts.
   
   For the heaven’s sake we appeal to the New People newspaper to advocate consolidation of peace and democracy in the country. It is not possible to blame others for the mess we Sierra Leoneans created for ourselves in the last three decades because of greed, rude tribalism and ethnic agendas, misdirection and backward mentality. There are countries, for instance Nigeria fought a brutal civil war but today no one conduct witch hunt against the other. Why we in Sierra Leone should not be thinking of moving forward as others are doing today, than indulging in activities that are not good for the development of the country.
   
   Finally, we, in the Sierra Leone People’s Democratic League (PDL) harbour no malice, hatred or grudge towards any in the New People, Standard Times or SLPP gurus or mercenary writers. The New People newspaper’s coverage of recent visit by Muammar Qathafi to West Africa is misleading, slanderous, ridiculous and misguided. An honest and objective assessment of that newspaper coverage and ranting by SLPP gurus provide damning indictment of the rotten politics of a group of traitors to the conscience of the people of Sierra Leone. The New People must be told honestly to stop its anti-Sierra Leonean motivated media campaign, inciting one ethnic group against the other. This is dangerous and unacceptable.
   
   If there is nothing to write about in the New People Sierra Leonean media, we beg that at least let the ethics of the profession seen respected and practiced in the country.
   
   God help Sierra Leone!
   
   Signed:
   
   ALIMAMY BAKARR SANKOH
   
   PDL LEADER AND CHAIRMAN
   
   For and on behalf of members and supporters of PDL.

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