100 DAYS OF WAR IN SUDAN: WHY AFRICA?
One hundred days ago the people of Sudan were approaching what looked like the end of another difficult chapter in the life of their country. The military administration was about to take a critical step towards a return to civilian rule after months of clashes between the security forces and pro-democracy protesters led by professional groups in that country. Then the country woke up one morning to the sound of small arms fire and even heavy artillery. The two leading army generals running the country had disagreed and were now ready to demonstrate superiority without any regard for their innocent people.
The big powers immediately rushed in and evacuated their people. Ordinary Sudanese fled and are continuing to flee across their country’s seven borders, the bulk of them to Chad. The host country has its own internal worries and should never be expected to take care of those continuing to stream across the border.
This is not to suggest that Africa hasn’t paid attention to the trouble in Sudan rather want to urge the African Union to redouble their efforts to end the senseless killings in Sudan.
1. We know that powerful outsiders have called both sides to talks but those talks have failed. In fact, the African Union should build on that effort and get the job done. We shouldn’t depend on outsiders to solve our problems despite the fact that we need them as partners.
2. We may be wrong but we believe the two generals and their main commanders have never been charged with crimes against humanity like their big brother in Russia. What more evidence does the Prosecutor need?
3. The big guys must stop selling arms and encouraging both sides in Sudan to kill their people. As long as that trade continues they will not stop. The profit will go to mainly powerful and stable western countries but African blood will continue to be shed on African soil rather needlessly.
THE HARD LESSONS FROM THE FALL OF KAMBOI EAGLES
The Sierra Leone Premier League has come to a chaotic end. The chaos was at the bottom of the table as teams struggled to beat the drop. The top end was settled weeks ago when Bo Rangers strolled home with a second win in as many years. They cleared the bar with more than FIFTEEN points to spare. If the rules of football allowed it they could have brought their neighbors from relegation to mid-table but alas, Kamboi Eagles would now have to fight their way back to the Premier League from Division I. This is the first time in their more than FIVE decade history to find themselves in that position.
There’s a lot of soul-searching going on now in Kenema as to where the team went off the rails just how to pick themselves up again and run. It’s not an easy job and to make things even more difficult they have started on the wrong side by blaming everybody they can see around.
We believe there are a few lessons others should learn from this humpty-dumpty like fall by one of the greatest football clubs in this country.
1. The management system in place at Kamboi Eagles since the previous season was very weak and choked up with infighting over, God only knows what?
2. On the other hand their neighbor just one hour away had managed to put a sound management system in place. Yes they had a strong man who was ready to flex his powerful muscles in the early stages of their rebuilding but today the support network for Bo Rangers has grown wide and the sense of ownership is now felt on the streets of our second city and indeed Freetown.
3. Kamboi Eagles management allowed the team to become a mighty political football. Some political figures in the New Direction tried their hands at making Kamboi Eagles the pad from which to launch their bid to lead the district. As expected others got in on the act and a damaging ego battle ensued.
4. They changed coaches so frequently that the players became unable to determine which system to play on match days. Kamboi Eagles sold key players to their prosperous neighbors without asking for some good players who were benchwarmers in Bo. All they wanted was money.
5. Frankly, the players who took them through this league are simply not good enough and should be ashamed of themselves. Some of them should simply retire from football and do something else.
6. Kamboi Eagles should position themselves as a professional outfit. Politicians and business people can fund the club but let professionals take decisions on the field of play. The team belongs to the district.
THE MENACE OF OKADA TOUTS CONTINUES AT MODEL JUNCTION
If you are driving to Model Junction on the Hillside bypass road heading east from Dwazark Junction you will see a group of young men to your right and dozens of motorcycles taxis behind them. Those young people are engaged in a very dangerous struggle for passengers for those OKADAS for a small fee. It’s from what they collect on that road that they survive so we understand why they are so desperate and sometimes very reckless.
Hundreds of people from the mountain villages of Leicester, Regent and Gloucester and hundreds of FBC students assemble in that place in the morning and evening to commute to work and school and the way the OKADA touts go about getting them into their taxis or on the back of their OKADAS is dangerous. The boys operate in the middle of the main road and in some cases literally pluck people from the back of one OKADA to the other.
We hope it never happens but the day a vehicle malfunctions on approach to Model Junction from Albert Academy, we will be in for something very serious. The whole Model Junction area is becoming a totally impossible place.
We see police officers around with some Road Safety Corps but we don’t think that bringing order to that place is what they are trying to achieve. We are told FCC workers also collect dues from traders there.
We’ve been calling attention to various issues around Model Junction on the Hillside bypass road for some time now. We are happy to be ignored again and again because sometimes it feels really good to come back and say WE TOLD YOU SO.
ROGUE WATERLOO BUS DRIVERS STEALING FROM PASSENGERS
People traveling along the Waterloo – Freetown route go through hell every day because of the actions of very corrupt bus drivers. And these men conduct themselves in a way as if they are a law onto themselves. No questioning, no arrest by the police. The reckless act by the drivers is done during morning and evening rush hour. Seeing the teeming crowd of commuters in the morning in Waterloo they would say their final stop is Ferry Junction. The limited availability of commercial vehicles forces the commuters to board though in reality their normal and authorized point of disembarkation is PZ in the business district of the city.
They are constrained to pay for the Ferry junction journey in desperation and immediately they leave the vehicle, the bus driver or apprentice would call out again that they would be going to PZ. Those who can afford the extra fare would jump on board with others opting to walk the rest of the way into the city.
In the evening, the same Waterloo drivers pick up passengers from PZ and present Jui junction as their final destination. They again collect fares and the passengers disembark but just about then again, they call out that they would be going to Waterloo. The passengers would then board once more, for what is another fare. So in reality, passengers spend twice or even more daily than what is the legitimate fare authorized by the Transport Ministry.
The traffic division of the police knows that what the bus drivers are doing is illegal. But why can’t the police get these crooks arrested and punished? In this period of COVID-19 and its harsh economic conditions, the people commuting must not be fleeced by such a bunch of rogue bus drivers.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (26/07/23)
