''All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing'' - Edmund Burke

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S I E R R A  H E R A L D

Vol 10 No 2

The tendency sometimes to protect perpetrators for the sake of peace...doesn't help society. Impunity should not be allowed to stand. - Kofi Annan on Waki report

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Wednesday May 8, 2013 - Sir Alex Fergusson, the captain at the wheel of a football battleship called Manchester United Football Club announces that he will be leaving at the end of this season. At 71 and with some 26 years at the helm, getting a successor will be the next great task as players and team management as well as the billions of fans of the club come to grips with today's announcement.The king, his crown and his final goodbye - Sir Alex gives notice that he will quit Manchester United at the end of this season. We do wish him well in his retirement from the helm at Manchester United.One of the UK most, if not the most Sir Alex Ferguson. We wish him well in his active retirement

The speculations are now over. Sir Alex Fergusson the hard, uncompromising and always ready for challenges Manchester United team manager is going into retirement after twenty six (26) years at the helm. Sir Alex is leaving on a high never mind the fact that this season they could not make it to the finals of European competitions but he would take heart in the fact that this season he has won the country's top football league, the Premiership, well ahead of the end of the season.

Many will miss his face on TV screens as he takes his wrath to any referee whom he believes could have misinterpreted the rules against his beloved Manchester United and no matter how many times he is sent packing to the stands because of this, he would always remonstrate, most forcefully using appropriate and some would say inappropriate verbal missiles to make known his feelings when he is allowed back along those hallowed lines reserved for team managers on the edge of the pitch.

The next big task is getting a successor to man the affairs on and out of the field of play and that is not going to be easy. Pundits talk of the special one Jose Mourinho as being in the frame, while others pick the Everton manager David Moyes as the most likely but are also quick to warn that when it comes to managing a team like Manchester United you need to have the authority and respect that goes with the job. Respect and authority that will make you as a manager being in charge and deciding that David Beckham has to go and that other players who believe they could get away with acts Sir Alex considers disrespectful soon find themselves in other clubs either on transfers, loans or just sold away.

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Tuesday April 16, 2013 - Terror strikes in the United States again as double bomb blasts at the end of the famous Boston Marathon claim at least three lives, leaving many wounded and traumatised. US President Barack Obama vows that perpetrators would be brought to justice.The hand of evil's victims in Boston Update: Eight year old boy killed as he waited for his dad to finish the marathon.Martin Richard the eight year old victim of the bomb blasts that rocked the Boston Marathon. RIP.

Residents in Boston and indeed the entire United States of America as well as the world are waking up this morning to the stark realisation that while the good go about their daily chores and trying to make life a meaningful experience, there still lurks within them the messengers of evil, the praise singers of evil who would do any and everything to create chaos, unbridled mayhem within communities that give them succour, a chance to build and grow and the opportunity to develop talents and work on dreams in all spheres of human endeavour. As US citizens stood up as one and condemned the evils of 9/11 so have they vowed in the words of President Obama, that the hands, brains and minds behind the terror attacks would be caught and brought to justice. The timing and size of the blasts show that the perpetrators were bent on causing maximum chaos, death and injury close to the site of the finishing line where many would be gathered to cheer in those crossing that line as well as participants from all over the world who see the Boston Marathon as the place to be.

The Boston Herald carries this banner headline in its online edition - Blasts kill 3, injure at least 144 at marathon

Two suspects identified. Police manhunt kills one while other on the run captured late Friday night, Saturday morning hours.

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Thursday April 11, 2013 - "Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict" - that was one of the main items on the menu of the G-8 ministers meeting in London where other issues like the conflict in Syria and the madness spewing forth from North Korea were discussed. And there to make a point, asking that the international community do more were two key women.Sierra Leone's Zainab Hawa Bangura - has quite a lot on her plate. We wish her well.Angelina Jolie - Special Envoy for UN Human Rights Council

Our very own Zainab Hawa Bangura, the UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict was in London together with US film star and Special Envoy for the UN Human Rights Council Angelina Jolie and host UK Foreign Secretary William Hague. The Commonwealth and Foreign Office noted that - all Foreign Ministers endorsed the Declaration on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict. They called for urgent action to address comprehensively the culture of impunity and to hold perpetrators to account for acts of sexual violence committed in armed conflict. Ministers emphasised the need to promote justice and accountability for sexual violence in armed conflict by strengthening the existing framework for prosecution, and to provide more long-term support to prevent and respond to sexual violence in armed conflict, as part of broader development and humanitarian efforts.

In her appeal to the G-8 ministers and the international community to do more Angelina Jolie noted

"...hundreds of thousands of women and children have been sexually assaulted, tortured, or forced into sexual slavery in the wars of our generation. Time and again the world has failed to prevent this abuse, or to hold attackers accountable. Rape has been treated as something that simply happens in war; perpetrators have learnt that they can get away with it; and victims have been denied justice. But wartime rape is not inevitable. This violence can be prevented, and it must be confronted. There is no choice between peace and justice: peace requires justice.

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Monday April 8, 2013 - Britain's first female Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher passes on. Her death at age 87 was announced today after a period of ill health finally succumbing to the most recent attack of a stroke.Three times Prime Minister and first woman to occupy 10 Downing Street, Mrs Margaret Thatcher who has died today April 8th, 2013.Baroness Thatcher who has died - RIP

The UK leader who was dubbed the Iron Lady by friends and foes alike, the one and only Baroness Margaret Thatcher has departed to the great beyond at the age of 87 leaving behind a legacy that still has to be defined, but truly a legacy unequalled in British and world politics. There are those who insist that the first woman to occupy 10 Downing Street was too strong-willed, too stubborn in her determination at getting to a goal once she had made up her mind on issues she sees as raising the profile of the United Kingdom and by extension her reputation as "this lady's not for turning" refusing to back down. And she would not back down even if the results of her action were deemed unreasonable and unpopular as was demonstrated in her demolition of the trade unions more especially the mining communities dotted across the United Kingdom. She is reported to have destroyed many lives and families as mining activities came to a standstill and communities wrecked.

Margaret Thatcher will also be remembered for her decision to commit Britain to fight a war eight thousand miles away in the Falklands, a venture won by UK forces and which saw her re-elected to Number 10 after that momentous event.

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Thursday March 28, 2013 - Common sense at last as the UN approves the deployment of an intervention brigade in the Democratic Republic of Congo. More needed however on the role of MONUSCO, the UN peace keeping force and the notorious and unreliable national army.Zainab Hawa Bangura - the UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in ConflictThe symbol of all that is evil - armed beasts of no nation who terrorise the civilian population in the DRC

Common sense appears to have hit the guardians of international peace and security as represented by the United Nations Security Council with that body's approval of a special brigade that would target, and hopefully, render ineffective all those warlords and mini demigods terrorising the unarmed and vulnerable civilian population of the DRC, the rape capital of the world. According to the UN Security Council - The objectives of the new force – which will be based in North Kivu province in eastern DRC and total 3,069 peacekeepers – are to neutralize armed groups, reduce the threat they posed to State authority and civilian security and make space for stabilization activities. The brigade is established within the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in DRC (MONUSCO) for an initial period of one year, as set out in the resolution adopted unanimously today by the Council, which also extended the mission until 31 March 2014.

We are still at a loss as to why it took the UN Security Council all this long to make this long yearned-for decision given all those reports the UN system has of massive human rights violations against the unarmed and vulnerable civilian population especially women and children as well as the aged and infirm. Indeed the DRC case and the mandate of peace keeping troops all over the world have shown that the Security Council never ever gets it right first time round until after the deaths of so many - deaths that could have been prevented had the peace keepers been given the right and appropriate mandate and not wait until they are fired upon. This is a part of the mandate of MONUSCO - "Emphasizing that the protection of civilians must be given priority, the Council authorized MONUSCO to use all necessary means to carry out its protection mandate, including the effective protection of civilians, humanitarian personnel and human rights defenders under imminent threat of physical violence, as well as the protection of United Nations personnel, facilities, installations and equipment. The Mission would also support Government efforts to fight impunity and ensure the protection of civilians from violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, including all forms of sexual and gender-based violence."

And yet the violations continued with impunity and it took the public pronouncement of our very own Zainab Hawa Bangura, the UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict and others for the Security Council to come to its senses and realise that the victims of the massive violations are human beings whose only crime it would seem, is that the world just does not care.


Thursday March 28, 2013 - US President Obama meets with four African leaders including Sierra Leone's very own Ernest Bai Koroma and he is full of praise for all of them. However President Obama's remarks indicating that Ernest Bai Koroma is a paragon of democracy and good governance ring hollow, dangerously hollow. Who prepared President Obama's briefing notes?US President Obama going overboard in his praise for Ernest Bai Koroma in the area of good governance. Worrying signals, very worrying. Who prepared Obama's briefing notes?

US President Barack Obama has been playing host to four African leaders from Sierra Leone, Malawi, Cape Verde and Senegal and in an address to the press after that meeting was full of praise for each of the leaders in what he sees as the good points that should be strengthened and consolidated by these leaders. 

"The reason that I'm meeting with these four is they exemplify the progress that we're seeing in Africa. All of them have had to deal with some extraordinary challenges. Sierra Leone just 10 years ago was in the midst of a brutal civil war as we've ever seen. And yet, now we've seen consecutive fair and free elections. And under President Koroma's leadership, we've seen not only good governance, but also significant economic growth."

Oh yes, it was President Barack Obama singing praises from the hymn sheet of good governance in honour of Ernest Bai Koroma - a clear indication that whoever prepared the briefing notes for President Barack Obama must have just landed from another planet, in time to give a false picture to President Obama. Let us repeat President Obama's statement - "...under President Koroma's leadership, we've seen not only good governance, but also significant economic growth." Are we to interpret President Obama's statement as meaning that despite the massive display of intolerance to those viewed as being in opposition to the government, the murderous suppression of protests, the vicious and murderous attacks on women and other citizens, the massive looting of state coffers and the lack of accountability and transparency in the affairs of governance just what President Obama would like to see continued in Sierra Leone?

We hope not and we think not but for the President of the United States of America to make such remarks in the face of what goes on in Sierra Leone shows only too clearly that this time round, our man Barack Obama has really not done his homework - and we expected much from someone we believe should be smart enough to know what message his remarks is sending to the people of Sierra Leone.

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Wednesday October 12, 2011 - The truth is finally out. Now we know why the high priest at the altar of falsehood, profanities and indecency dedicated to the smoke and mirrors President expunged those articles from his web site reaffirming once more that for a few dollars more he would be willing to lie on oath in order to earn his supper. And this from a so-called man of the cloth who has been caught out more often than not - lying to his face and feeling good about it.The shameless ernest bai koroma worshippers - Photo: Sierra Express Media

We now know why those articles were expunged from the web site of the high priest who thinks nothing of lying through his teeth to please his masters at State House in Freetown. Remember what he wrote about the Bo incident in which one man was reported killed by the police, some structures belonging to the APC ruling party torched and the flag bearer of the main opposition SLPP Brigadier (Rtd) Julius Maada Bio got hurt? The pro-APC, pro_Ernest Bai Koroma publications had a field day with each tabloid trying to outdo the other in presenting a feel-good article that would be pleasing to their paymaster/s at State House. It was a time to write articles pleasing to their handlers at State House. And please recall too that when the President ordered an investigation, we pleaded that no comment be made that would somehow appear to blame anyone? This piece of advice given in good faith was ignored and just to please his master, his mammon at State House the high priest at the altar of lies, falsehood and profanities dedicated to his god ernest bai koroma published articles blaming people left, right and centre as well as here, there and everywhere and even going as far as to suggest that there was no one at the APC party office in Bo on that day? Well we now have a copy of that report and we can state here that the reason why those articles were expunged was because the report showed that what had been published, as usual was a big and deliberate lie aimed at keeping his master happy. And pleasing his master we doubt very much because we know that there are good and honest people at State House, real professional journalists and civil servants who would always frown on anyone who on one hand gloats about a diplomatic appointment while on the other becoming the chief fabricator and purveyor of lies, more lies and damned lies.

Below are some of the headlines, the articles of which were expunged and for which action we demanded an explanation. None was forthcoming, none was expected. That is what happens when you, as we say "broke congosah" on the gossiping liar's head.

Reports : SLPP rally in Bo was unlawful and unauthorized and was recipe for chaos orchestrated by Maada Bio, John Benjamin and Abbass Bundu

Journalist says the chaos in Bo was well-planned by the SLPP

Where is the blood ? The biggest hoax since ‘Janet Bundle’ ?

Exclusive : How Maada Bio got hurt in Bo

EXCLUSIVE : More ringleaders of the Bo disturbances named, as SLPP forms clandestine organization to drive out all APC supporters

Among the key findings of the report after investigating the Bo incident was

1. The SLPP thank you rally was legal.

2. That Rtd Brigadier Julius Maada Bio was indeed wounded during the attack.

3. That the APC Office was occupied by APC supporters on the day of the attack and that even before then preparations had been made to attack the Maada Bio march in Bo with instructions given to women allied to the APC to collect stones.

4. Stoning was started by APC supporters from their party office.

5. The SLPP supporters attacked and torched structures of the APC.

6. One bike rider was shot and killed by a named policeman who still remains free.

We will now bring you most of the expunged articles so that you can see further proof of the devious methods of a compulsive liar and we daresay the typical "kongosah bench" carrier.

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