More than a dozen soldiers attacked a reporter and a graphic designer both working for Awoko newspaper, a Sierra Leone daily, according to a press release from the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ).
Journalist Poindexter Sama and graphic designer, Allie Turay were attacked on 2 August in front of their office allegedly by bodyguards of the country’s defence minister who seized their camera and other paraphernalia. The camera was returned to them much later. Sama sustained injuries to his mouth after he was punched repeatedly by the soldiers, while Allie was repeatedly hit with gun butts.
The two were taking pictures of the soldiers in the aftermath of an incident involving the defence minister and some aggrieved ex-servicemen.
The president of SLAJ, Umaru Fofana has called for an immediate and speedy investigation of the matter and for the attackers to be brought to justice. He referred to the incident as a “complete act of barbarism...at a time when [Sierra Leonean soldiers] serve in United Nations peacekeeping”.
Fofana says the latest incident follows a series of attacks by police who were never brought to justice and expresses concern that “with general elections in November, such an act of brutality by soldiers ...only goes to show how much danger journalists in Sierra Leone are”.
(c) Politico Online
