As The Opposition Wins in Senegal, is Democracy in Africa Really 'Backsliding'?

The term ‘democratic backsliding’ Is much in vogue.

But it is misleading, and for Africa, wrong.

Senegalese women cast their ballots in the presidential elections in February

The term ‘democratic backsliding’ Is much in vogue. But it is misleading, and for Africa, wrong.

We all know to what it refers: the recent flurry of coups in Africa, the unconstitutional changes of government, the growing number of 100% predictable election results, the ‘legislative manipulation’ or legal maneuvers to limit the number of candidates or restrict the number of voters to increase the chances of an incumbent (or their party) winning again, the constraints on journalists, media and free speech to obstruct or limit opposing views … These are real and worrying developments.

But the phrase also carries assumptions about what democracy is, how it should behave, and what form it should take, which may not be either appropriate or useful.

It is possible to see what is happening in an alternative light: that democracy in Africa is evolving, just in a different direction than that presumed by many outside observers. The debate over the best form(s) of governance in Africa is real and live: one frontline lies between the Alliance of Sahelian States (AES) and the remaining members of ECOWAS. But it also encompasses the long-running dispute over the viability of the relatively authoritarian ‘developmental state,’ with Rwanda and (once upon a time) Ethiopia seen as the models.

It is no coincidence the Sahel juntas have been sending missions to Rwanda to learn how to do it, though they should remember that this model can all too easily slide towards civil war: the attempt to repress differences can lead simply to a more violent expression of them.

This debate matters not just for Africa, but globally. China and Russia are explicitly challenging the ideological hegemony of Western-style democracy, along with its supporting infrastructure of human rights, multilateral organizations, and the international rule of law, as the best model for achieving peace and prosperity. At the least, they argue, other countries should be free to decide whether these norms are right for them.

In 2023, Xi Jinping launched China’s ‘Global Civilisations Initiative, its ‘Global Development Initiative’ and a ‘Global Security Initiative’.  Like the old Belt and Road Initiative, these are designed to re-orient the world towards China, in this case ideologically rather than physically.  While their substance remains vague, the initiatives provide an alternative to the ‘Western’ norms embodied in the UN, its multilateral institutions, and the multiple charters and agreements promulgated under its auspices.

They are an integral part of efforts to re-frame the debate from one of ‘democrats vs. authoritarians’, to ‘the Global South and its reliable friends in the Global East vs. the neo-colonialist exploitative West’.  The latter narrative is gaining traction in Africa, boosted by the Gaza crisis, where Western countries are seen (hypocritically) as quick to condemn Hamas but slow to criticize the huge death toll Israel has inflicted on Palestinian civilians. 

Recent polling by Afrobarometer suggests that an average of 66% of Africans want to live in a democracy, but not necessarily the one they’ve got.  Only 38% are satisfied with the way their democracies operate, while 53% are now willing to contemplate military intervention if elected leaders fail in their duties. 

This reflects the ease with which electoral democracy has been manipulated, making people feel increasingly disenfranchised. In Senegal we have just seen popular protest, international pressure and robust judicial institutions stop one attempt to prolong a presidential term – and ultimately lead to the dramatic defeat of the government, even though the election was anything but free and fair. 

Elsewhere, however, as in Guinea or Gabon, military intervention may be the only way to change the regime. The question is not whether a country has the trappings of democracy, but whether the system works, enabling people to change a ruler when they want to.

The key criteria for a system of governance that people will trust are whether it provides adequate accountability, balance, and a mechanism for peaceful succession. A fully functioning, robust democracy can provide all these things, but even the oldies (like the UK or the US) can find it difficult. Many other countries, not just in Africa, are still searching for their formula to meet these criteria.

Balance, for example, requires that powerful groups, peripheral regions, or minorities feel their views or interests are adequately represented in governance structures. Elections alone rarely provide this. Accountability and trust will be lacking where too many people feel that the formal mechanisms benefit only an elite who decide when it is ‘their turn to eat.’

In the Sahel, five countries now have de facto military governments, but Mauritania and Chad have been more successful at maintaining an adequate balance as well as a modicum of democratic forms. They have also remained closer to ‘the West’ while the three juntas have explicitly realigned themselves with Russia. Is it therefore their international allegiance rather than their governance structures that matter in how they are viewed?

I would argue it is more than that. Whatever their original motivation for seizing power, and their use of anti-French rhetoric to legitimize their rule, the juntas in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger seem determined to resist any external accountability to ECOWAS or AU norms of governance and reject the notion that civilian rule should be re-established within a time-limit. Hence their apparent determination to leave ECOWAS despite the economic hardship it would inflict on their people – unless, of course, they can change the balance of power within ECOWAS to support new, more flexible norms.

So democracies along the coast have good reason to be wary of the juntas’ intentions. To protect themselves, they – and their rulers – need to be more scrupulous in respecting the current norms, and reflecting their citizens’ views in government so that citizens have a greater sense of ownership and will resist efforts to overthrow it. This is the best defence of democracy and in effect what we have seen in Senegal. But governments in Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, and Togo need to take urgent note.

My conclusion is that the current crisis of governance in Africa may just as likely lead to a renewal of democracy as a further slide into authoritarianism.  It is the less accountable systems – in Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and Togo – that are most at risk.  Nevertheless, Africa’s norms, embodied in the AU Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance, are under threat as authoritarian governments can now find willing international supporters to back them up.

The fate of democracy in Africa is in the hands of the African people themselves. But those trying to strengthen it deserve all the support we can give.

Nick Westcott for DiA— Nick Westcott is Professor of Practice in Diplomacy at SOAS University of London and former Director of the Royal African Society.

I Didn’t Know What My Dreadlocks Meant Until I Cut Them Off

David Moinina Sengeh

On Jan. 23, I represented my country’s government before the U.N. Security Council, where I called for a cease-fire in Gaza and justice for all parties. The following day, International Day of Education, I gave a lecture at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education on ‘radical inclusion,’ a strategy for social justice outlined in my 2023 book with that title.

Then I did something that got people’s attention. I cut my hair.

Specifically, I cut off the dreadlocks I had worn for 17 years.

Dreadlocks hadn’t been my hairstyle choice when I was growing up in Sierra Leone, because they were associated with drug users, school dropouts, and others on the fringes of society. But I came to the United States to study at Harvard, where I became interested in soccer and music, and the locs seemed to fit. They had the added advantage of being simple — no weekly haircuts. They continued to be part of my image as I earned a Ph.D. from MIT and then took a job as a scientist and, eventually, a manager at IBM Research Africa in Nairobi.

And they remained when I joined Sierra Leone’s government — first in 2018, as chief innovation officer, eventually as chief minister. The locs weren’t without issues. I’ve had doors closed in my face because people didn’t believe I was a minister, and opponents called me derogatory names during policy debates. While my boss, President Julius Maada Bio, never made negative comments about my hair, some in government made snide remarks to my face and behind my back. Others told me to respect our ‘culture’ and called me a foreigner in my homeland.

But times were changing. More people started growing dreadlocks. Positive references to locs began appearing in public spaces, from youthful graffiti to inspirational sayings. Meanwhile, I was gaining recognition in Sierra Leone and abroad as a spokesman for inclusive and transformative education.

Sometime in 2023, I began thinking about changing my hairstyle and, right after the Harvard talk, I decided it was time to do it. Perhaps because Harvard is where I started the locs in the first place. That evening, my cousin helped me find a barber a Jamaican friend in Boston whose shop stayed open after 8 PM.

As I heard the snipping sound of the scissors, I felt lighter — even relieved, though I wasn’t sure why.

David Moinina Sengeh

I gathered up each of the 103 locs of shorn hair. I might keep them safe for my grandkids. Or maybe donate them to an organization helping people with hair loss resulting from medical conditions.

Perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised at what happened next. But I was. I was shocked at the public response: a mix of relief, disappointment, grief, anger, and inspiration.

People from many places — not just Sierra Leone, but Togo, Rwanda, Scotland, Australia, the United States, and France — reached out in person and online to tell stories on how my hairstyle had influenced them. As a young, Black, African man wearing dreadlocks while occupying spaces of power typically filled with White, Western men with gray hair, they said, I had given them a different kind of hope. They said it was great to hear someone call for justice before the Security Council, but what inspired them even more was I did it in locs.

I gathered up each of the 103 locs of shorn hair

Some stories came from officials (male and female) in other governments. One diplomat told me she finally grew dreadlocks because she had seen mine. Other ministers wrote that when they had seen me sit close to my president at global meetings with my hair flowing down my back, it encouraged them to display the difference in their own cabinet rooms — not just in how they looked but also in their radical ideas.

Young professionals who thought their dreadlocks had finally gained the “blessing” of their parents and bosses sent me screenshots of those same people asking them when they would cut their hair now that I had cut mine.

Community leaders who had told me that my hair forced them to question many of their own stereotypes reaffirmed a commitment to their new position: they still believed in radical inclusion.

Back in Sierra Leone, people who thought they knew me were shocked when they couldn’t recognize me. Close colleagues and family members couldn’t hide their amusement. Meanwhile, the social media chatter over my hairstyle went on.

So much emotion over one small, personal decision.

But why did I cut my hair? Everyone keeps asking. Am I declaring my intent to run for president? No, I’m not. (On the contrary, I think a president with dreadlocks would be very cool.) The answer is simple: I am not my hair. I am me, as you are you. My locs didn’t start as a public statement, though that became loud enough over the years. I just liked them. Now, I like my short, simple hair that doesn’t make any statement. I like no longer being easily recognized in a crowd.

I am ‘me’ — a hip-hop-rapping, pick-up-soccer-playing politician who travels Sierra Leone, and the world, advocating radical inclusion. And I doubt my next hairstyle will change that.

Centenary Launch of the Regent Olympic

Sierra Leone Grammar School — Regent Olympic

1924 — 2024

16th March 2024 at 4:00 PM at the School grounds

Fellow Regentonians!

Principal Emeritus Akiwande J. Lashite calling on all to be a part of the centenary celebrations of the Regent Olympic.

In video: All are invited on 16th March 2024 at 4:00 PM at the School grounds.

Centenary Launch of the Regent Olympic Invitation

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Deported to Sierra Leone, He Lost Everything. He’s Fighting to Return

'Friday the 13th. Would you believe?' 

Samuel Anthony said

Deported to Sierra Leone, he lost everything. He’s fighting to return.© Family photo

Because he was a permanent U.S. resident — he had a green card but not citizenship — he went straight from prison to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Under the Trump administration, the rhetoric against immigrants was rising. An immigrant from Africa with an arrest record, even if it was nonviolent, was a target.

“There was nothing but darkness. And you just know that everything’s over,” said Samuel Anthony, remembering the night he was forced to leave his home. “It was like being placed in a coffin. But you’re still alive.”

Anthony, 51, was talking to me from Sierra Leone, where he has been since 2019 when an immigration officer escorted him onto a plane at Dulles Airport that took off into the dark sky across the Atlantic to a country he left as a little boy.

To the Department of Homeland Security, Anthony is just one of 359,885 people deported from the United States that year.

To the family he left behind, he’s a man of promise, taken. Imperfect, as we all are. But in a national moment of reconsideration for those who’ve paid their dues, his loved ones say he never truly got a second chance.

“He struggled with addiction,” said Samilia Anthony, his sister. D.C. in the 1990s was awash in crack. Even the mayor — Marion Barry — was swept up in the mania that left thousands dead in a decade when Washington statistically became the nation’s murder capital.

Anthony went to one of D.C.’s best public high schools, went to college at St. Augustine’s College in North Carolina, and still fell into the life, struggling to overcome demons of childhood abuse that are finally being talked about, they both told me.

In 1996, he pleaded guilty to a drug charge and got a harsh, 20-year sentence for over 50 grams of crack cocaine, according to court documents. Possession of crack in those years got sentences that averaged 4.8 times longer than if the cocaine had been powdered, according to the Department of Justice.

As sentencing reforms began to address the disparities in how our justice system approached the drug epidemic, particularly in the nation’s Black neighborhoods, Anthony’s sentence was reduced, and he was released early. But because he was a permanent U.S. resident — he had a green card but not citizenship — he went straight from prison to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, where he was back in custody until his successful release in 2014.

Anthony got out of immigration custody in time for some family milestones. The next year, he was deported back to their native Sierra Leone. © Family photo

He did everything our system asked of him. He checked in regularly, got a job running a stock room at a grocery store, drove Uber, and started getting his commercial driver’s license. He bonded with his daughter and was the sibling who always checked in on mom. He bought a newly constructed townhouse in a revitalized section of Deanwood.

“Samuel was all about D.C.,” his sister said. He loved go-go music and the mom-and-pop joints around town. “He was making up for the time he lost in prison, spending a lot of time with family.”

He began a nonprofit mentoring teen who flirted with the life he left behind. But even living straight, he always felt scrutinized and endangered.

The United States deported just under 70,000 people in 1996, when Anthony went to prison, according to government data. As he was reentering life in D.C. in 2013, under the Obama administration, our nation reached its highest deportation numbers to date — 432,228.

Last year, the Biden administration doubled the number of immigrants it deported the year before, as immigration becomes a key talking point in the upcoming election.

Anthony lived straight, did all his check-ins, and didn’t tangle with the law again.

Anthony was in the United States long enough to see Shanel, his brother, married in 2018. © Family photo

Anthony was taken to Texas, where he was held for a while, then brought back to Dulles, where he was eventually put on a plane with nothing but the clothes he wore, a toothbrush, and some thermal underwear he got in the Texas facility.

Then, in 2019, when he showed up for an annual appointment with the local ICE office, he was taken in. This was under the Trump administration, and the rhetoric against immigrants was rising. An immigrant from Africa with an arrest record, even if it was nonviolent, was a target.

Anthony was taken to Texas, where he was held for a while, then brought back to Dulles, where he was eventually put on a plane with nothing but the clothes he wore, a toothbrush, and some thermal underwear he got in the Texas facility.

“Friday the 13th. Would you believe?” he said.

The plane laid over in Morocco for 15 hours, then he was taken to Sierra Leone, where he hadn’t been since the 1970s. There were new sounds, new smells, new foods, and different people. He had some family members. Mostly, he was alone.

“All it was? It was depression. It was suicidal thoughts,” he said. “I was going to the beach and just wanting to go into the water and never come back.”

He’s found work here and there. But he hasn’t found a community. His accent is D.C., his mannerisms are D.C., and he doesn’t belong to either of the ruling political parties in Sierra Leone, which he says is the only way to get work. His return is seen — in society — as a badge of shame, he said.

He missed his mother’s death and couldn’t get a special visa to return for her funeral.

“Even though I was born here, I wasn’t raised here. I wasn’t brought up with this type of environment,” Anthony said. “America to me is everything. I went to school there, I was at university there, went to prison there, did everything there. To be honest, prison was easier than this.”

He is working with the National Immigrant Justice Center to try to get home.

That’s how I met him, through their associate director of policy, Nayna Gupta.

I first met her when she was trying to get Howard Bailey home. Bailey was a veteran who built a life, a trucking company, and a family in Virginia when he was suddenly deported back to his native Jamaica — in a shocking 5:30 a.m. raid on his home in 2010 — because of an old marijuana conviction.

This veteran finally gets to return after being deported more than a decade ago

I followed his nightmare for years, as Gupta and the immigration lawyers she works with pushed for his return. It took 11 years. His wife had moved on, his company dissolved, but he returned, and we were there as he stepped off the plane.

Last year, I watched him get sworn in as a U.S. citizen.

Howard Bailey, a Navy veteran, finally became a U.S. citizen after a naturalization ceremony at the federal courthouse in Richmond 13 years after he was deported to his native Jamaica because of an old marijuana conviction. His mother, Jean, was there for his ceremony on June 21, 2023. © Petula Dvorak/TWP

Anthony’s road may be harder. Unlike Bailey, his drug conviction was not pardoned.

“His story really resonates with me during Black History Month,” Gupta said. “It’s a glaring example of how we have tried to fix the worst harms imposed on Black families from the war on drugs but failed to do so for Black families who immigrated to the U.S. decades ago.”

In our infancy, still, on righting our wrongs, this nation of immigrants should dig deeper.

Life In Sierra Leone

Since his deportation, Samuel has suffered a high degree of mental suffering. He is completely isolated because he has no friends or family in Sierra Leone, he does not speak any of the native languages, he does not understand the tribal laws in the country, and he is shunned as a criminal deportee. As a result of this deportee status, he cannot get a job. Samuel feels suicidal due to his isolation and the burden of financial dependence on his family.

Samuel has a pending U-Visa application with U.S. Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS) and has asked DHS to grant him humanitarian parole so that he can reunite with his family and seek the mental health support he needs while pursuing his U-Visa status. Samuel has also requested that DHS exercise prosecutorial discretion to agree to reopen and dismiss his immigration case so that he can come home.

Samuel is represented by Sarah Gillman at Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights.

Credit: Story by Petula Dvorak

Sierra Leone allows ex-president Koroma to leave country on medical grounds

FREETOWN (Reuters)

Updated Wed, January 17, 2024 at 1:23 PM EST

FREETOWN (Reuters) -A Sierra Leone high court on Wednesday allowed ex-president Ernest Bai Koroma, charged this month with treason, to travel abroad on medical grounds.

Koroma, 70, was charged with four offenses for his alleged role in a failed military attempt to topple the West African country's government in November.

There are concerns Koroma's indictment could stoke tension brought by a contentious election in which President Julius Maada Bio was reelected for a second term in June 2023. The main opposition candidate rejected the results and international partners questioned the vote.

Months later, on Nov. 26, gunmen attacked military barracks, a prison, and other locations in Sierra Leone, freeing about 2,200 inmates and killing more than 20 people.

The government said afterward that it was a foiled coup led mostly by Koroma's bodyguards. They summoned the ex-president for questioning at the start of December.

Koroma condemned the attacks shortly after they happened. His lawyers have called the charges "trumped up" and part of a "political vendetta".

The magistrate overseeing the case on Wednesday ruled in favor of Koroma's lawyers, who had asked the high court to grant Koroma a trip abroad for medical reasons.

The ex-president will be allowed to travel to Nigeria for no more than three months, the magistrate said before adjourning the case to March 6.

Sierra Leone's attorney general declined to comment.

Koroma was not in court on Wednesday, a Reuters reporter said. He was granted bail when the court indicted him on Jan. 3 and has since been confined to his home in the capital Freetown.

Nigeria had previously offered to host him temporarily, which he had accepted, according to a letter from West Africa's main regional bloc, the Economic Community of West African States, seen by Reuters.

According to Sierra Leone's penal code, a person found guilty of treason could face imprisonment for life.

Twelve other people also have been charged with treason in connection with the failed coup, including ex-police and correctional officers and a member of Koroma's security detail.

(Reporting by Umaru Fofana Writing by Sofia Christensen Editing by Nick Macfie and Toby Chopra)

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Related

Sierra Leone Failed Coup

Information Minister commented on Al Jazeera on the court's ruling granting ex-president Bai Koroma permission to travel to Nigeria on medical grounds.

Chernor Bah, the Information Minister, commented on Al Jazeera on the court's ruling granting ex-president Bai Koroma permission to travel.

Former President Ernest Bai Koroma Formally Charged With Treason

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Sierra Leone Civil War

January 6, 1999

Human Rights Watch

January 6, 1999, rebels of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) launched an offensive against the Sierra Leonean capital, Freetown.

In the early hours of January 6, l999, rebels of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) launched an offensive against the Sierra Leonean capital, Freetown, capturing it from government troops and the soldiers of the Nigerian-led peacekeeping force known as ECOMOG, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Cease-fire Monitoring Group. The battle for Freetown and the ensuing three-week rebel occupation of the capital was characterized by the systematic and widespread perpetration of all classes of atrocities against the civilian population, of over one million inhabitants, and marked the most intensive and concentrated period of human rights violations in Sierra Leone's eight-year civil war.

As the rebels took control of street after street, they turned their weapons on the civilian population. By the end of January, both government and independent sources estimated that several thousands of civilians had been killed. The rebels dragged entire family units out of their homes. They murdered them, hacked off the hands of children and adults, burned people alive in their houses, rounded up hundreds of young women, took them to urban rebel bases, and sexually abused them. As the ECOMOG forces counterattacked and the RUF retreated through the capital, the rebels set fire to neighborhoods, leaving entire city blocks in ashes and over 51,000 people homeless.1 And, while the RUF took with them almost no prisoners of war, they withdrew to the hills with thousands of abductees, mostly children and young women.

This latest rebel offensive brought to the capital the same class of atrocities witnessed in Sierra Leone's rural provinces over the last eight years and is the latest cycle of violence in an armed conflict that has claimed an estimated 50,000 lives and caused the displacement of more than one million Sierra Leoneans. Since launching the rebellion in l991, the RUF has fought to overthrow successive governments it accuses of widespread corruption, nepotism, and mismanagement of the country's vast diamond and mineral resources. However, since its inception, the RUF has failed publicly and clearly to articulate an alternative political agenda and has consistently committed gross and large-scale atrocities against civilians.

The rebel offensive brought to the capital the same class of atrocities witnessed in Sierra Leone's rural provinces.

In December 1998, following the capture of the diamond-rich Kono district and subsequently Makeni, Sierra Leone's fifth largest city, thousands of RUF fighters started moving towards the capital. By early January 1999, they had reached the peninsula on which Freetown is located and gathered less than twenty miles west of the capital city. On January 6, the rebels broke through the highly stretched and poorly manned ECOMOG defenses, ill-prepared for a rebel offensive in force, and proceeded to march through the eastern suburbs and straight into the city center.

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Sierra Leone Remembrance Day, January 6

January 6, 1999, rebels of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) launched an offensive against the Sierra Leonean capital, Freetown.

Sierra Leone Remembrance Day, January 6.

Video Courtesy: Al Jazeera

Former President Ernest Bai Koroma Formally Charged With Treason

Four offenses include treason, misprision of treason, and two counts of harboring

By Theo Edwards

Sierra Leone's former president, Ernest Bai Koroma, has formally been charged with treason. The 4-court charge borders on his alleged involvement in a failed attempt by security forces to overthrow the government of Sierra Leone on November 26, 2023.

Ex-Presendent Bai Koroma court appearance

Ministry of Information Press Release

The government has disagreed with ECOWAS Terms set out in a letter ref: ECW/PC/DC/2024-001/oat dated January 2, 2024, addressed to the President of State of the Republic of Sierra Leone.

ECOWAS Terms set out in a letter ECW/PC/DC/2024-001/oat dated January 2, 2024

The Attorney General of Sierra Leone requested the matter stand down; later, reports indicated that charges were filed.

The former president is represented by lawyer Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara and other lawyers. The Ex-President Koroma was granted bail by a High Court order on condition. The case was adjourned to January 17, 2024.

Former President Ernest Koroma's Treason indictment and bail conditions

Former President Ernest Koroma's Treason indictment and bail conditions

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Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara, the lead-lawyer representing ex-president Ernest Koroma, comments on AYV tv on the legal matter and implication against his client _a former head of State. 

The former President was arraigned on a four-count indictment including treason and two counts of harboring. The charges stem from alleged involvement in an attempt to overthrow the Sierra Leone Government on November 26, 2023.

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FILE - Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma, center, on arrival for talks with Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh, in Banjul, Gambia, Dec. 13, 2016. Former President Ernest Bai Koroma was charged with treason for his alleged involvement in a failed coup attempt in November, Sierra Leone's government said Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024.

Sylvain Cherkaoui/AP

Nightmare Before Christmas

A loaded container slides off a container chassis and crushes pedestrians to death

By Theo Edwards

The gruesome incident happened on the evening of December 21, 2023. At the time we went to press, there were 16 people in the hospital, 1 in critical condition, and two people lost their lives.

The Mayor of Freetown, Sierra Leone, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, on Facebook, expresses her thoughts and prayers with victims of the trailer accident at Eastern Police.

The gruesome incident happened on the evening of December 21, 2023, by Eastern Police.

Pretty Strong Uppercut Delivered to George Weah in Liberia’s Election

Liberia Presidential Election

PRESS STATEMENT

President George Weah accepts his electoral defeat. Mr. Weah congratulates former VP Joseph N. BoaKai as the Winner of the 2023 presidential run-off election. He called Mr. Boakai via telephone following the announcement of provisional results by the National Elections Commission.

Liberia Presidential Run-off Provisional Result

The United States congratulates the people of Liberia on holding a peaceful presidential runoff election. And call on all citizens to follow President Weah’s example and accept the results.  

Read the Liberia Presidential Elections Press Statement By The U.S DEPARTMENT of STATE

THE U.S DEPARTMENT of STATE PRESS STATEMENT

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Mom Who Spends 30 Years Working Abroad to Support Son Is Surprised by Him as Her Pilot on a Trip Home

This is certainly true for a woman who left Ethiopia for Lebanon, where she worked as a maid for 30 years.

October 24, 2023

Many immigrants have incredible stories of hard work, often times involving a parent moving to a place with more opportunities to give their kids a better life.

Certainly true for a woman who left Ethiopia for Lebanon, where she worked as a maid for 30 years. Back home, her son long wished to become a pilot, further inspiring her to work hard and support his dream. As a powerful tribute, the devoted mom got a special surprise on her grand return home. As she boarded the plane, a flight attendant pushed back a curtain to reveal her son was actually the plane pilot.

The touching moment is caught on camera. In the clip, which has since gone viral, the mom boards the plane as a regular passenger, unaware of the surprise to come. Once the team confirms it’s her, the big reveal is set in motion. The pilot greets his unsuspecting mom with a big flower bouquet under his arm, as well as a cake and a bottle of champagne.

Mom who worked as a maid for 30 years to support her son's long wish to become a pilot.

The gifts are nothing compared to seeing her son, and the mom breaks down in tears of joy. They then embrace and kiss each other's faces repeatedly—almost to make sure it's not a dream. Amid all the commotion, the mom also makes sure to thank those who helped with the surprise, bowing her head in gratitude to each of them.

The sweet video is a testament to the undeniable love between a mother and her son, as well as the pride that they feel for one another. Being away and working hard to provide for your kids is a highly commendable endeavor —it's scenes such that this reminds many of why it is done in the first place.

This article is by REGINA SIENRA. Regina Sienra is a Staff Writer at My Modern—Met. Based in Mexico City, Mexico, she holds a bachelor’s degree in communications with a specialization in Journalism from the National Autonomous University of Mexico. She has 10+ years of experience in Digital Media, writing for outlets in both English and Spanish. Her love for the creative arts—especially music and film—drives her forward every day.

Yumkella Shocks No One

Op—Ed Culled ‘Rasta Rambles

‘My late wife Philomena and I have always believed that the NGC Party was not meant to be “MY” party but rather a vehicle and an institution for change.'

Former Flag Bearer of the National Grand Coalition (NGC) Honorable. Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella finally resigned from the party and switched over to the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP).

The inevitable can’t be resisted, even in the best of faith. Yumkella formally resigned from the NGC to return to the SLPP. No one’s shocked. What alliances? It was always a game for him and those who did his maneuvering.

Yumkella played and disrespected his colleagues and supporters from start to finish. How can you resign from a junior partner you led into a coalition only to defect to the majority partner with such callousness?

Hurling further insult at those who were prepared to take bullets for him, he wrote, ‘My late wife Philomena and I have always believed that the NGC Party was not meant to be “my” party but rather a vehicle and an institution for change’.

What an ingrate. They sped up, almost put that thing together for him! Now he’s disowned it.

He not only undermined the NGC’s genuine momentum-building efforts but plotted its fatality. The final blow was joining it with the SLPP months before an election. The NGC got wiped out. Three months later, he resigned. He publicly humiliated those who stayed with him when Dr. Dennis Bright and others left the party in disgust at his selfishness.

But, of course, the plan played out as he wanted. He’s got a job in government. The NGC is deceased, and therefore sod his supporters and those who tied their political ambitions to what they thought was a credible party.

To think that a lot of people saw Yumkella as a positive departure from the rotten political class is perhaps the greatest misplacement of trust in Sierra Leone’s politics. 

Suddenly, the realization couldn’t be more pronounced: Yumkella is the archetype, the sample of the Sierra Leonean politician: prioritizing himself and the cult of personality ahead of building and operating within institutional integrity. 

Just like a common sycophant, ‘Enti Fos Lady dae for witness,’ he sought validation from the president’s unelected missus while addressing the party faithful in rhetoric. He knows too well, that the people he’s talking to, out of desperation for better lives, would cheer anything but have zero stake in government. But he’s fooling them anyway. Telling them the government is answerable to them. Until a sentence later, the mask slipped. He title-checked the real boss, the person those in the current government are under oath to submit to: Bio’s wife.

Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella (KKY) returns to his roots

Even the visually impaired and the cognitively challenged can read Yumkella’s simplistic rationale for destroying the NGC. He thinks he’s Bio’s successor in the SLPP’s next leadership race and as president after 2028. In his thinking, even the opposition does not exist. Somebody should read him something about Hilary Clinton’s arrogance against Obama and her eventual defeat by Donald Trump. If that’s pushing it, he can read the story leading up to the 2018 elections, where he was a Major protagonist.

But it’s Sierra Leone. The government is the judiciary, the police, the army, and most importantly, the electoral commission.

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Sierra Leone 2023 - Final Report on General Elections June 2023

European Union Election Observation Mission Sierra Leone 2023

Dated 10.10.2023

Tabulation and announcement of results proved to be the tipping point for the credibility of the elections. The entire process was opaque, meaningful observation was impeded and the declaration of winners was not followed by the publication of disaggregated results per polling station. On 27 June, the ECSL declared Julius Mada Bio of the Sierra Leone Peoples’ Party (SLPP) elected for a second term, passing the constitutional threshold of 55 percent in the first round by 1.17 percentage points. Following the declaration of the results of the parliamentary elections a few days later, it was clear that result totals published by the ECSL showed several statistical inconsistencies and mathematical improbabilities. 

These included notable discrepancies in the number of average valid votes per polling station between the first and second batch of presidential results, varying from a decrease of 75 percent to an increase of 31 percent per district; a difference of up to 23 percentage points per district between the turnout for the presidential and parliamentary elections, with some districts registering substantially lower parliamentary turnouts and others showing significantly lower presidential turnouts; turnout above 90 percent in five districts; and only 0.4 percent of invalid votes nation-wide. These inconsistencies, combined with the ECSL’s decision not to publish disaggregated results, undermined the credibility of the tabulation process and voters’ confidence in the outcome of the polls.

Overall, the 2023 general elections underscored a clear commitment among Sierra Leoneans to the democratic processes, while also proving an urgent need for further reforms focusing on transparency, trust-building, and inclusion. The EU EOM is offering 21 recommendations for improving the way elections are organized, managed, and conducted and for upholding regional and international commitments. 

There are seven priority recommendations:

1. Publish the final voter register per polling station and per polling center in a timely manner and allow voters to verify and correct all their details.  

2. The ECSL to establish and publish detailed procedures for the tabulation and announcement of results, as well as put in place a robust, transparent, and easily verifiable results processing system well ahead of elections. 

3. Publish on the ECSL website comprehensive election results data by polling station, including results per candidate and per party, the number of registered voters, and of valid and invalid votes, in a timely manner and in an easily trackable and downloadable database format. 

4. Ensure safety and security for all candidates through a timely conclusion of investigations, holding perpetrators of violence accountable, and enabling the PPRC to act effectively upon violations of campaign rules. 

5. Ensure enforcement of legal restrictions on the misuse of state resources and explicitly prohibit the use of official functions, as well as government websites and social media accounts for campaign purposes. 

6. Ensure transparency in campaign finance by introducing caps for campaign revenues and expenses and clear rules of reporting and public disclosure before, during, and after the elections, including by the media, and by implementing robust sanctions for noncompliance. 

7. Protect freedom of expression by clearly aligning the definitions of “cyber-terrorism”, “cyber-stalking”, “cyber-bullying” and “incendiary information” with relevant regional and international standards. 

Click to see the full document

Visa Restriction Policy on Undermining the Democratic Process in Liberia

Statement by Secretary of State Anthony J. Blinken

September 27, 2023

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced visa restrictions for individuals who he said were 'undermining democracy' in Liberia ahead of the country's elections in October.

'The United States is committed to supporting and advancing democracy in Liberia and around the world. Today, I am announcing a new visa restriction policy under Section 212(a)(3)C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act for those undermining democracy in Liberia. This policy will take effect in advance of the upcoming election.'

The visa restriction policy announced today will apply to specific individuals and is not directed at the Liberian people or the Government of Liberia.

Video Captures TSA Agents Allegedly Stealing From Passengers' Luggage

Two Transportation Security Administration agents are facing charges for allegedly stealing from passengers' luggage

Miami-Dade State Attorney Office

They're supposed to be checking your bags for any forbidden objects, but two TSA agents have been accused of taking some passengers' most prized objects, too.

The two agents in question — Josue Gonzalez and Labarrius Williams — were allegedly caught in the act on camera, with the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office releasing surveillance footage of the crimes.

The video clips show the agents monitoring passengers' luggage at the Miami International Airport security checkpoint on June 29. Then they seemingly decide on some to unzip and pocket their findings straight from the conveyor belt.

Gonzalez, Williams, and a third agent, Elizabeth Fuster, were arrested on July 6 for the alleged thefts, though charges against Fuster have since been dropped.

Arrest records obtained by Scripps News alleged the trio were observed on several instances conspiring together to distract passengers as they were being screened to steal monies from their belongings.’

The arrest affidavit also said a detective researched theft reports from the checkpoint and found a recent one had been filed, pushing authorities to review surveillance video. This footage captured Williams and Gonzalez removing at least $600 from a passenger's wallet while they were in the screening process, the report said.

The suspects were charged with organized scheme to defraud. 

Gonzales's attorney told CBS News his client agreed to a deferred prosecution program. If he completes the program, his case will be dismissed.

Miami-Dade Clerk of Courts records show a trial date is set for Williams next month.

Credit Source: SCRIPPS News: By Alex Arger: Posted: 7:29 p.m. EDT Sep 15, 2023

The Rising Cost of Living, Especially Food and Energy

Tin tranga! 

That is the new national anthem as hardship grips the motherland.

Tin tranga! That is the new national anthem as hardship grips the motherland. The cost of essential commodities keeps soaring, making the cost of living unaffordable for many. 

Sierra Leone

From food to fuel and utilities to higher education, everything is going out of reach for the average Salone man. Even those with deep pockets (and there aren’t many) are feeling the pinch. What is the government doing?

According to Statistics Sierra Leone, Consumer Price Inflation stood at almost 45% in July this year. When you focus on food and non-alcoholic beverages alone, you get a staggering 59.93% for the same month. These figures are alarming, but the reality of people, as far as the cost of living is concerned, is even more terrifying, with high levels of hunger and food insecurity. According to the World Food Programme, 78% of the country’s population is food insecure.

The rising fuel prices and impending increase in EDSA tariff in Sierra Leone definitely put a strain on the finances of its citizens. The situation is going to be difficult for everyone, regardless. When fuel prices go up, so do the prices of goods and services transported. 

‘_slogans and gimmicks but no real solution.’ Hardship for the people of Salone.

In only a few months, there has been a significant increase in fuel prices. The cost of electricity is about to increase. Last year, the cost of telecoms services—calling credit and mobile data—also increased significantly. Whether eating at a cookery baffa or a posh restaurant, you will still pay a lot more today. Recreation is a pure luxury.

The rising cost of living, especially food and energy, is commonly attributed to global market forces and, more recently, to the coronavirus pandemic and the ongoing Russia-Ukrainian war. While all of this might make sense, it is helpful only to an extent and is irrelevant to the people who struggle to live day by day. 

While global food and fuel prices decreased in 2022, Sierra Leoneans experienced a steady hike as the Leone depreciated by 60% in 2022. The economy has been on life-support for the most part, and according to the World Bank, inflation and currency depreciation reached record levels. So, the ‘global’ argument passed on from government to government does not pass muster. 

It is hard to understand and accept this type of behavior. It is a state of austerity for everyone except the administration. It is business as usual with an expanding wage burden—new and additional appointees, new institutions and offices, new big cars, and over-the-top spending. 

Thanks to the ensuing pressure of Bretton Woods and a broke State that constantly needs money, subsidies are being removed on fuel. You struggle to see the effort the State is making to cut costs. Everyone else bears the biting hardship while political appointees get subsidized by the very State—that is taking away subsidies from the struggling masses. 

Teachers must hustle their way to work with high transportation costs of NLe600—NLe800 (mere US$40) monthly SALARY, while senior state officials enjoy the comfort of a chauffeur-driven guzzler, with fuel paid by taxes of the poor teacher. 

Government institutions have normalized renting private properties for office use at the taxpayers' expense, while many public buildings remain underutilized or neglected. No one is interested in cutting those costs while the poor have to pay for it. Government events continue to be held at luxury venues with overpriced catering. Constant supply of free fuel to officials at the expense of the taxpayer. Let us not even talk about the expensive trips on chartered planes. What happened to 'The Land That We Love, Our Sierra Leone.'

'Knowledge and truth our forefathers spread,

Mighty the nations whom they led;

Mighty they made thee, so too may we

Show forth the good that is ever in thee.'

Until radical cuts to wasteful spending are made, the government will have no ground to stand on to offer plausible explanations for the hardship. It is possible that such cuts would not solve the problem. Still, the people should be able to see that their government is not only using global cost of living excuses to justify the increasing poverty but also doing something about it.

We are at a point where it would make sense to declare a state of austerity and adopt comprehensive cost-cutting measures that start from the very top. With food inflation at almost 50% and a currency that is withering away, there is no shame in saying that we are in a terrible situation that warrants drastic cuts—not the unjustifiable and untimely removal of subsidies, but on wasteful spending that is avoided and there is a lot of it—from the V8 Landcruisers to the trips and unnecessary events and fuel.

It is getting to a point where the government needs to stop explaining why people suffer from a constantly increasing cost of living and start taking steps and doing what responsible parents do when things are hard in the home. 

The discussion must no longer be about what is causing the hardship. There has to be a shift towards government action to cushion the impact on its people.

No Immunity Could Justify Such Arrogance

Evariste Touadera

Son of the President of the Central African Republic Faustin-Archange Touadera

Evariste Touadera, the son of the President of the Central African Republic Faustin-Archange Touadera, was caught on video hitting two health workers in Kislovodsk, a town in southern Russia. He was recently admitted to a rehabilitation center in Kavminvody, Moscow, a decision made in response to his ongoing struggle with drug-related issues.

It reports that Evariste Touadera came to Kislovodsk for rehabilitation but tried to escape from the attendants.

In the video, Touadera punched one of the men and attacked a woman, the therapist accompanying him on the trip. The video soon went viral on social media.

Recently, Evariste was admitted to a rehabilitation center in Kavminvody, Moscow, a decision made in response to his ongoing struggle with drug-related issues. Touadera was caught on video hitting two health workers.

In the video, a health worker can be heard saying to Call the father.

According to information, the president's son has been in Russia for about two weeks, accompanied by a small delegation _a specially hired psychologist and therapist. However, Evariste did not want the help to rehabilitate himself and spent most of his time in amusements and pleasant fuss.

On August 28, Evariste was supposed to leave Kislovodsk to fly to Moscow. In the hours leading up to the flight, the president's son manages to slip away from the escort personnel accompanying him.

Found at the station, they tried to dissuade him from his intentions to escape and instead got angry and attacked the health delegation. However, despite the violent altercation, the victims refused to press charges. They eventually escorted him to Moscow, and he was handed over to the staff of the CAR embassy.

Visa Restriction Policy on Undermining the Democratic Process in Sierra Leone

Statement by Secretary of State Anthony J. Blinken

August 31, 2023

The United States is committed to supporting and advancing democracy in Sierra Leone and around the world.  Today, I am announcing a new visa restriction policy under Section 212(a)(3)C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act for undermining the democratic process in the June 2023 Sierra Leone election.

The visa restriction policy announced today will apply to specific individuals and is not directed at the Sierra Leonean people.  

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98.1 Radio Democracy Journalist Musa Kamara Receives Threat Over Interview With US Ambassador

“I have been dramatic in the last 24 hours since that my interview with the outgoing US Ambassador to Sierra Leone, David Reimer.”

— 98.1 Radio Democracy Journalist Musa Kamara

US Government Rejects Election Outcome in Sierra Leone as Mayor Aki Sawyerr Discloses Rigged Results

The US government published this statement: “The United States continues to be concerned about irregularities in the election results announced by the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL). Independent parallel vote tabulations and analyses by accredited national and international observation missions raise questions about the integrity of the official results.

See the Mug Shots in Trump's Georgia Case

Meadows, Giuliani, Powell, Ellis, Chesebro and others

Defendants who have been booked on charges connected with efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia

"It is not a comfortable feeling — especially when you've done nothing wrong," said Trump, whose 2024 Republican presidential campaign quickly began selling merchandise featuring his mugshot to raise money.

Donald Trump

The former president was booked Thursday night and released on a $200,000 bond.

Charges: Thirteen counts — three of solicitation of violation of oath by public officer; two of conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree; two of conspiracy to commit false statements; two of false statements and writings; one of violation of the Georgia RICO Act; one of conspiracy to commit filing false documents; one of filing false documents; one of conspiracy to commit to impersonating a public officer.

Image: Former President Donald Trump was booked at the Fulton County jail in Atlanta on Aug. 24, 2023. (Fulton County Sheriff's Office)

Mark Meadows

The former Trump White House chief of staff was booked Thursday and released on a $100,000 bond.

Charges: Two counts — one of violation of the Georgia RICO Act; and one of solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer.

Mark Meadows. (Fulton County Sheriff's Office)

Rudy Giuliani

The former Trump attorney was booked Wednesday and released on a $150,000 bond.

Charges: Thirteen counts — three of solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer; three of false statements; two of conspiracy to commit false statements and writings; two of conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree; one of violation of the Georgia RICO Act; one of conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer; one of conspiracy to commit filing false documents.

Rudy Giuliani. (Fulton County Sheriff's Office)

Jeanna Ellis

The attorney who advised Trump during his alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election results was booked Wednesday and released on a $100,000 bond.

Charges: Two counts — one of violation of the Georgia RICO Act; one of solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer.

Booking photo of Jenna Ellis released on Aug. 23, 2023. (Fulton County Sheriff's Office)ce.

Kenneth Chesebro

The lawyer associated with Trump's campaign who came up with the legal theory behind the so-called fake electors scheme was booked Wednesday and released on a $100,000 bond.

Charges: Seven counts — two of conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree; two of conspiracy to commit false statements; one of violation of the Georgia RICO Act; one of conspiracy to commit filing false documents; one of conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer.

Kenneth Chesebro. (Fulton County Sheriff's Office)

Sidney Powell

The former member of Trump's legal team was booked Wednesday and released on a $100,000 bond.

Charges: Seven counts — two of conspiracy to commit election fraud; one of violation of the Georgia RICO Act; one of conspiracy to commit computer theft; one of conspiracy to commit computer trespass; one of conspiracy to defraud the state; one of conspiracy to commit computer invasion of privacy.

Booking photo of Sidney Powell released on Aug. 23, 2023. (Fulton County Sheriff's Office)

Ray Smith

The attorney who represented Trump in 2020 election lawsuits in Georgia was booked Wednesday and released on a $50,000 bond.

Charges: Twelve counts — three of solicitation of violation of oath by public officer; two of false statements; two of conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree; two of conspiracy to commit false statements and writings; one of violation of the Georgia RICO Act; one of conspiracy to commit filing false documents; one of conspiracy to commit impersonating public officer.

Ray Smith. (Fulton County Sheriff's Office)

David Shafer

The former Georgia state senator, allegedly a fake GOP elector, was booked Wednesday and released on a $75,000 bond.

Charges: Eight counts — three of false statements; two of forgery in the first degree; one of violation of the Georgia RICO Act; one of impersonating a public officer; one of criminal attempt to commit filing false documents.

David Shafer. (Fulton County Sheriff's Office)

Cathy Latham

The former Coffee County GOP chair was booked Wednesday and released on a $75,000 bond.

Charges: Eleven counts — two of conspiracy to commit election fraud; one of violation of the Georgia RICO Act; one of impersonating a public officer; one of forgery in the first degree; one of false statements; one of criminal attempt to commit filing false documents; one of conspiracy to commit computer theft; one of conspiracy to commit computer invasion of privacy; one of conspiracy to defraud the state; one of conspiracy to commit computer trespass.

Cathy Latham. (Fulton County Sheriff's Office)

John Eastman

The former Trump-allied attorney was booked Tuesday and released on a $100,000 bond.

Charges: Nine counts — two of conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree; two of conspiracy to commit false statements; one of violation of the Georgia RICO Act; one of solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer; one of conspiracy to commit filing false documents; one of filing false documents; one of conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer.

John Eastman mugshot released by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office on Aug. 22, 2023. (Fulton County Sheriff's Office)

Scott Hall

The 2020 Fulton County GOP poll watcher was booked Tuesday and released on a $10,000 bond.

Charges: Seven counts — two of conspiracy to commit election fraud; one of violation of the Georgia RICO Act; one of conspiracy to commit computer theft; one of conspiracy to commit computer trespass; one of conspiracy to defraud the state; one of conspiracy to commit computer invasion of privacy.

Scott Hall mugshot released by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office on Aug. 22, 2023. (Fulton County Sheriff's Office)

Harrison Floyd

The former leader of Black Voices for Trump was booked Thursday. No bond agreement has been set.

Charges: Three counts — one of violation of the Georgia RICO Act; one of influencing witnesses; and one of conspiracy to commit solicitation of false statements and writings.

Harrison Floyd. (Fulton County Sheriff's Office)

Jeffrey Clark

The former Trump Justice Department official was booked early Friday and released on a $100,000 bond.

Charges: Two counts — one of violation of the Georgia RICO Act; and one of criminal attempt to commit false statements.

Michael Roman

The former Trump staffer was booked early Friday and released on a $50,000 bond.

Charges: Seven counts — two of conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree; two of conspiracy to commit false statements; one of violation of the Georgia RICO Act; one of conspiracy to commit filing false documents; one of conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer.

Robert Cheeley

The Atlanta attorney was booked early Friday on a $50,000 bond.

Charges: Ten counts — two of conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree; two of conspiracy to commit false statements; one of violation of the Georgia RICO Act; one of conspiracy to commit filing false documents; one of conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer; one of solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer; one of false statements; one of perjury.

Shawn Still

The alleged fake GOP elector was booked early Friday and released on a $10,000 bond.

Charges: Seven counts — two of forgery in the first degree; two of false statements; one of violation of the Georgia RICO Act; one of criminal attempt to commit filing false documents; one of impersonating a public officer.

The following defendants have not yet surrendered

Stephen Lee

The Lutheran pastor from Illinois is expected to be booked by noon Friday and released on a $75,000 bond.

Charges: Five counts — two of criminal attempt to commit influencing witnesses; one of violation of the Georgia RICO Act; one of influencing witnesses; one of conspiracy to commit solicitation of false statements.

Trevian Kutti

The former publicist for Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, is expected to be booked by noon Friday and released on a $75,000 bond.

Charges: Three counts — one of violation of the Georgia RICO Act; one of influencing witnesses; and one of conspiracy to commit solicitation of false statements.

Misty Hampton

The former Coffee County elections director is expected to be booked by noon Friday and released on a $10,000 bond.

Charges: Seven counts — two of conspiracy to commit election fraud; one of violation of the Georgia RICO Act; one of conspiracy to defraud the state; one of conspiracy to commit computer theft; one of conspiracy to commit computer invasion of privacy; one of conspiracy to commit computer trespass.

This article was originally published on

© 2023 NBCNews.com

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"It was always going to end this way, wasn’t it?" wrote Sykes, a frequent critic of the former president and the party that elected him. "If you elect a serial liar and conman, a narcissist, bully, wannabe mobster, with the vocabulary of an emotionally insecure 9-year-old, you can’t really be shocked at how it turned out, can you?"

Rented Crowds! Fried Chicken and Chips. How Rallies in Political Campaign in Africa Shaping Up

Zimbabwe 80-Year-Old President, Emmerson Mnangagwa

August 20, 2023

The convergence of free sustenance, repeated speeches, and the challenge of addressing essential needs like electricity in rural areas underscores the multifaceted nature of political events and their implications for the populace.

The candidate of the ruling Zanu-PF party, nicknamed 'The Crocodile,’ because of his callousness and more autocratic than his predecessor, analysts judge him as lacking Mugabes' intellectual flair and ideological vision, seek to cement his leadership on Wednesday, August 23, 2023; election few expect to be free and fair.

In a recent development from Zimbabwe, a journalist has taken to Twitter to share a revealing video that sheds light on an intriguing aspect of political rallies in the country.

The video, which was allegedly suppressed, captures a significant scene of multitudes of Zimbabweans leaving a speech by President Mnangagwa while he was addressing the public. 

This is the video they didn’t want you to watch;
Multitudes of Zimbabweans walking away as President Mnangagwa was speaking yesterday.

This video confirms what we have always known, these rural people who are bussed to these rallies go there for the free food being dished out.… pic.twitter.com/YyCPOaxVvE

— Hopewell Chin’ono (@daddyhope) August 20, 2023

After eating chicken and chips, they walk away and wait in the buses.

The journalist's tweet suggests that the video provides evidence for a long-held suspicion: the people attending these rallies, especially those from rural areas, are primarily motivated by the promise of free food. 

The scene depicted in the video portrays individuals partaking in a meal of chicken and chips provided at the event before subsequently departing from the venue. 

The claim is that these attendees, often transported via buses to these rallies, have possibly become familiar with the President's speeches due to repeated attendance at various rallies.

Interestingly, the journalist raises a poignant question in relation to the content of the President's speech. The question revolves around the paradox of celebrating the provision of electricity to rural communities that have previously lacked access to it. _a familiar talking point in African politics. 

This juxtaposition prompts contemplation on the significance of such speeches and the genuine impact of the announcements on the lives of the rural population.

The incident showcased in the video and; the journalists' commentary highlights a complex interplay of political engagement, socioeconomic factors, and public perception. The convergence of free sustenance, repeated speeches, and the challenge of addressing essential needs like electricity in rural areas underscores the multifaceted nature of political events and their implications for the populace.

Tagged: Twitter

98.1 Radio Democracy Journalist, Musa Kamara Receives Threat Over Interview With US Ambassador

“I have been dramatic in the last 24 hours since that my interview with the outgoing US Ambassador to Sierra Leone, David Reimer.” 

August 18, 2023

A senior journalist at Radio Democracy, Musa Kamara said he has received several threats following a controversial interview with the US Ambassador to Sierra Leone, David Reimer.

“I have been dramatic in the last 24 hours since that my interview with the outgoing US Ambassador to Sierra Leone, David Reimer,” Kamara said.

He added that he has received several threatening remarks on social media and personal text messages. He noted that the threats are a cause for concern and notified the radio station’s management and the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ).

“Going forward I feel scared to do the job I love,” Kamara said in an interview with Sierraloaded.

Kamara’s interview with Ambassador Reimer was leaked on Wednesday. In the interview, Reimer said the United States is concerned about the 24 June election results. He added that they want an independent institution to investigate the results.

The 2023 elections are believed to be one of the most controversial multitier elections Sierra Leone has conducted in recent times.

The outcome of the elections currently harbors an impasse between the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party and the main opposition party, All People’s Congress (APC) The APC has boycotted government and governance citing statistical inconsistencies with the announced results.

Tagged: #Sierraloaded

Refer to the audio at https://yame.space/whats-up-africalinks/us-government-rejects-election-outcome-in-sierra-leone-as-mayor-aki-sawyerr-discloses-rigged-results

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U.S. Embassy Position on the Sierra Leone Election Results and the Country's Economy; Ambassador Reimers' announcement on Radio Democracy 98.1. (Last Updated August 16, 2023; 7:35 AM EST.)