by Alpha R. Jalloh, Sierra Leone, December 1997
THEME = SOCIAL CONDIT.
The crisis in Sierra Leone has caused
widespread starvation.
The situation, caused mainly because of ECOWAS' action
against the country, is biting deep
What's the present situation? Essential commodities have shot up in price; rice, Sierra Leone's staple food, is difficult to obtain due to persistent hoarding; it's no easy matter to travel up country because of shortage of fuel; the electricity supply has become erratic; and a sign that things are going badly - the number of beggars on the streets of Freetown has increased dramatically.
Kambia lies to the north of Sierra Leone. Here, the local Catholic parish priest, Father Franco, has embarked on a US $ 28,000 development project. A report from the Sierra Leone News Agency describes how this particular project is involved with agriculture and vocational training. The agricultural project is intended to introduce rice farming. A rice mill will also be constructed. The vocational project will train farmers in working with metal - sharpening agricultural implements like hoes and cutlasses, and welding and cutting through iron.
Amadu Sesay hails from Kambia. He lives in Freetown but frequently travels to Kambia on business. He says the project will greatly alleviate the suffering of local residents.
The threat of military intervention by outside states to reverse the 25 May 1997 coup d'etat, has caused many people to flee to Kambia which is close to Sierra Leone's border with Guinea. Other towns near the border have also become overpopulated.
An Agreement was signed in Conakry, Guinea, by the military junta's Armed Forces Ruling Council, with member-states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), to reinstate ousted President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah. Despite this Agreement, the junta has continually stated through the local Media, that "the coup is irreversible". This is a clear indication that Tejan Kabbah will not be reinstated on 22 April 1998, as stipulated in the Conakry Agreement. The ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG)'s field commander, General Victor Malu, stationed in neighbouring Liberia, has threatened to invade Freetown if the junta does not adhere to the Conakry Agreement.
At the time of writing, there are sporadic clashes between the Kamajor (a local militia), and a combined force of former rebels and soldiers. The Kamajor were originally formed by the ousted government, to fight alongside the army in an attempt to defeat the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels. On 25 May 1997, the army overthrew President Kabbah and invited the RUF rebels to join with them in running the country. The Kamajor, on the other hand, have vowed to continue fighting until President Kabbah is restored to power.
There are many factors contributing to the crisis. Many Christians consider Kabbah to be a Muslim fundamentalist. He is always seen in public - even in his office - dressed in long Arab- styled clothes, wearing shoes that point upwards. Many members of the All People Congress (APC) have joined hands with the junta. It should be noted that the APC is the arch-rival of the ousted Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP), ever since the early days of independence. There is also the tribal factor - the junta is believed to be northern dominated, as against the southern dominated SLPP.
Several attempts have been made by the international community to persuade the junta to quit, but they seem to be playing with time. Food supplies are running low. Relief supplies are held up in neighbouring Guinea because the junta can't get clearance from ECOMOG. Even the Catholic Relief Service's head office in Freetown can't operate effectively. A secretary there says: "We are just sitting idly around all day. We are caught because we can't even receive our salaries".
The prevalent fear is that any invasion of Freetown will result in carnage, and the Kamajor militia is determined to have a hand in this!
END
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