Sierra Leone Telegraph: 20 August 2023:
Radio presenter – Musa Kamara who interviewed American Ambassador to Sierra Leone – David Reimer, about the curent post-election crisis in the country, has received death threats following that interview. In the radio broadcast, the Ambassador criticised President Bio’s approach to dealing with the crisis.
Kamara’s interview with Ambassador Reimer which was leaked last Wednesday, went viral on social media. In the interview, Reimer said that the position of the United States government is that the 24 June election results lack credibility, and called for an external investigator to lead a review of the elections.
Reimer also said that the US government has refused to congratulate President Bio since he was sworn-in as President to rule the country for a second term, and that development funds for Sierra Leone will be put on hold until the post elections fallout between the ruling SLPP and the main opposition APC has been resolved through peaceful dialogue.
Radio Democracy, Musa Kamara said: “It has been dramatic in the last 24 hours since that my interview with the outgoing US Ambassador to Sierra Leone, David Reimer,” and that he has received several threatening remarks on social media and personal text messages.
Radio Democracy 98.1 was taken off the air last Wednesday by the government, shortly before the pre-recorded interview with US Ambassador Reimer was due to be broadcast which prompted the leaking of the recording by unknown persons.
“The United States is concerned about irregularities in the results that were announced by the ECSL — that includes a big difference between the ECSL announced results and the parallel vote tabulation, as well as inconsistencies that were analysed by domestic and international observers,” Reimer said in the interview.
“All of these things raise questions in our mind… about the integrity of the official results.”
International observers had noted “statistical inconsistencies” and condemned a “lack of transparency” in the ballot count.
Sarah Van Horne, a US embassy public affairs officer, confirmed to AFP that the interview had been recorded on Tuesday to be broadcast on Wednesday, but that it was not aired until the following day – Thursday.
Meanwhile, Radio Democracy, Musa Kamara who is being threatened with death and is in fear told Sierraloaded: “Going forward I feel scared to do the job I love.”
Whiles the death sentence for committing an offence against the State – such as treason, may have been banned in Sierra Leone, mob justice perpetuated, encouraged, aided and supported by the government has become far too common.
Since his election to the presidency in 2018, President Julius Maada Bio as commander -in-chief of the security forces, has presided over the extra-judicial killing of hundreds of unarmed civilians in cold blood.
As one of the military leaders of the junta that led the bloody overthrow of the APC government of Joseph Saidu Momoh in 1992, President Bio has been held culpable for the brutal killing of dozens of people in the aftermath of his military takeover, including the execution of popular journalist Salami Coker.
Musa Kamara said that the threats he as received since his interveiw with the American Ambassador went viral last Wednesday, are a cause for concern. He has notified the radio station’s management and the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ).
No one should be surprised about the predicament of Musa Kamara given the Stalinist political environment in Sierra Leone today.Unless something is done we are heading for an era in which there will be a midnight knock on the door and somebody is taken out to goodness knows where – never to be seen again.
The only evil Musa Kamara committed was to interview the outgoing American Ambassador who expressed his Government’s views on the political situation in the country. Only on a couple of occasions did the interview become personal,such as when the Ambassador expressed regret for not having mastered Krio.
The aftermath of the interview underlines an administration which has lost control of its nerves and confidence. Bio does not know where to turn for salvation or relief as he comes to understand what international isolation means, especially for a country that is completely weak in all sectors like ours. And all of this is happening without any application of any formal international sanctions hitherto. Slowly Bio’s simulated cavalier attitude will evaporate to be replaced by uncanny realities. The outlook is bleak for mother Sierra Leone.
Never underestimate the power of abject stupidity; Her pathetic ways are not only so, very intricately intertwined with ignorance, self pity and self doubts…it causes its victims to be also shackled hopelessly by the “imposter Syndrome” a behavioral health phenomena, that could quite easily transform itself into outbursts of anger, violence that could callously quickly claim countless, fragile lives; This is one of the most visible, repugnant, annoying characteristic traits that belong to members of the inglorious, incongruous SLPP party;
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Its as clear as daylight…as obvious as it gets, these individuals are nothing for self seeking opportunists, having no regard whatsoever for the tenets of democracy and basic international law; They are not only foolish, childish and incongruously immature, these habitual “Tobacco chewing – Palm Wine Drunkards” have no integrity and morality whatsoever; Why keep on making idle, fool hardy threats? Release the original ESCL results and we can move on from there; What are you people trying to hide…in broad daylight when the sun is shining, bright and clear, with no shadows anywhere in sight? Its so sad is it not, that freedom of speech, one of the strongest pillars on which Democracy should stand is now being threatened by Triblaistic SLPP weapons, juju and guns? Maada Bio…Good Luck man, trying to hold the poor, innocent people of Sierra Leone as your hostages…and we are all waiting patiently to see how such a treasonous ordeal surely end.
Let allow democracy to justify itself democratically by so doing mama Salone will be sweet again
I personally believe that the internal power struggle between the board of directors and some of the staff at Radio Democracy 98.1 is the main reason behind this communication gap problem. The gab left by the “IRON LADY” Asmaa James is now occupied with speculations in the Social Media.
I am positive that Mrs. Asmaa James should have contacted live interviewed and asked the outgoing ambassador the critical question about APC’s party decision to disrespect our constitution and voters, by not following the process and procedures of filing their election results dispute with the Supreme Court of the Land. The 2000 presidential election between former President George Bush and former Vice President Al Gore, was settled by the Supreme Court and even the 2020 presidential elections disputed by former President Donald Trump against current President Joe Biden went through several judicial processes and procedures, and is still ongoing till 2024 . Probably, former President Trump had followed the June 24th elections in Sierra Leone, where Judge Adrian Fischer, suspended the corruption trial of Samura Kamara, and he is still pleading for the judges to copy the example from our country.
It was a missed opportunity by the APC party to test the newly electoral court which was recommended by the election observers after the 2018 elections.
I was fortunate to watch the Female World Cup final today when the captain from Spain protested about a handball which resulted in a penalty kick. The referee immediately went to the newly used VAR System to check and review the situation, and the players and officials respected the System after the process which eventually satisfied both teams.
Back then, the players used to even beat up referees and even supporters and fanatics used to vandalize stadium facilities based on the fact that whatever the referee says was final.
I hope and pray that the APC executive members are not trying to incite their fanatic and gullible supporters and sympathizers to once again continue to “make our country ungovernable” during their governance boycott.
Alusine, your comparison between the American Judicial systems and ours in slaone is insulting, laughable and unpatriotic. The two are incomparable and millions of miles apart in function, integrity, conscience and output. We operate as a kitchen court for the presidency, executing unlawful directives. In short, our judiciary is directly under the presidency, determining what can be done with cases. These two institutions can never be compared. Nigeria and salone share a very common destiny in their judicial functions- corrupt, inept and delirious. Both our police and judiciary decisions are affected by political leadership; in America, it’s considered a crime to do so.