News

By Kemo Cham

A magistrate court in Freetown has revoked a bail granted to an outspoken opposition politician fighting sedition charges.

Magistrate Dr Binneh Kamara of Court No.1 accused Jesmed Foday-Mami Suma of contempt of court for which he rescinded his 28 March decision to grant him bail.

The accused was also thrown back to jail at the central prison in Freetown and the case adjourned to 2 June.

By Mohamed T. Massaquoi

The outgoing United States ambassador to Sierra Leone has reiterated his government’s commitment to helping Sierra Leone in its development and democratisation journey.

Ambassador John Hoover said on Wednesday May 24 that his country had no hidden agenda with regards the country’s political situation, adding that they wished for Sierra Leone only what the West African nation desires in its development agenda. He was speaking at a round table discussion forum with journalists in Freetown.

By Mohamed T. Massaquoi

Sierra Leone’s Minister of Labour and Social Security, Mathew Theambo says irregular migration “poses grave dangers to the lives and fundamental rights of migrants.”

Speaking at the start of a four-day training of some 30 high-ranking and middle-level ministry officials on the “protection and empowerment of migrant workers and their families in Sierra Leone and destination countries, he said the issue was taking on “serious dimensions and alarming proportions”.

By Kemo Cham & Mohamed T. Massaquoi

Lack of integrity in the Sierra Leonean media is frustrating efforts in the fight against graft, the head of the Anti Corruption (ACC) has said.

By Kemo Cham

Last week Liberian authorities identified Meningitis as one of the suspect cases in an ongoing outbreak of a 'mysterious' illness.

The Ministry of Health (MoH) of Liberia said reports from test samples pointed to the tropical disease that affects the brain and spinal cord, even though the World Health Organisation (WHO) appears to be unsure of that explanation.

By Mohamed T. Massaquoi

Police have confirmed the death of a 12-year old girl, an alleged victim of a gang rape in southern Sierra Leonean district of Pujehun, a hotbed of sexual violence.

Officials at the Family Support Unit (FSU) of the Sierra Leone Police in the district said Mamie died in the Bo Government Hospital in neighboring Bo District. She was allegedly gang raped by a group of three men, the police say.

The police told Politico that the matter was first reported in February this year.

By Kemo Cham

West Africa is on the verge of becoming the first region to end statelessness after ministers from the 15-member ECOWAS group announced the adoption of an ambitious plan this week.

The regional action plan adopted at a ministerial meeting in the Gambian capital, Banjul tasked individual member countries to undertake polices in line with international standards to end a rising phenomenon human rights groups say has led to the marginalisation of millions of people across the world.