Media Freedom

Gambian Lawyers demand protection for  Sierra Leone academic ahead of visit to the country

By Mark Feldman and Nik Harris A law firm in the Gambia is demanding security protection for Sierra Leonean academic and journalist, Dr. Chernoh Alpha Bah, ahead of his proposed visit to his home country of Sierra Leone. Attorneys at Modou Drameh and Associates say they have sent a letter to Sierra Leone’s President Julius […]

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Free Speech and Academic Freedom in Sierra Leone: The Case of the Africanist Press

By Chernoh Alpha M. Bah  Last month, the Committee of Concerned Scientists (CCS) invited me to speak at their annual meeting. Held on Sunday March 30, this year’s annual CCS meeting also featured science journalist, Olga Dobrovidova, who gave a presentation on science in Russia, and Louisa Greve who spoke on the current situation of the Uyghur people.

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DRC journalist Émérite Amisi Musada reports being abducted, tortured over war coverage

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has expressed concerns over the abduction and torture of Congolese journalist Émérite Amisi Musada. A CPJ statement issued on Monday confirms that the Congolese journalist was abducted by men in civilian clothes on April 15 after being threatened over his reporting on the eastern Democratic Republic of

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The Anti-Democratic Appetite of Sierra Leone’s Political Elites Needs to be Stopped

By Chernoh Alpha M. Bah Last week, we informed you that Sierra Leonean politicians have created a new anti-terrorism law that contains unconstitutional provisions designed to curtail citizens’ fundamental civil rights. The proposed legislation would have been voted into law on Thursday morning (January 23), but the vote, which was deferred for Tuesday morning (January

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Sierra Leone: Politicians Plan on Seeking Trump Administration’s Support to Silence Critics

By Matthew Anderson and Mark Feldman  Few days ago, we reported in the Africanist Press that Sierra Leonean politicians have created a new anti-terrorism law that contains unconstitutional provisions designed to curtail citizens’ fundamental civil rights. The proposed legislation would have been voted into law on Thursday morning (January 23), but the vote has been

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Sierra Leone: Parliament Endorses Sweeping Anti-Democratic Law to Silence Critics

By Chernoh Alpha M. Bah, Matthew Anderson, and Mark Feldman In a shocking move, Sierra Leonean politicians have created a new anti-terrorism law that contains unconstitutional provisions designed to curtail citizens’ fundamental civil rights. The proposed legislation will be voted into law on Thursday morning (January 23), without any of the usual public consultation and

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Africanist Press to launch new book on Corruption and Dictatorship in Sierra Leone

By Matthew Anderson and Mark Feldman Democracy Betrayed: Corruption, Dictatorship, and Authoritarianism in Sierra Leone is a new book scheduled to be launched by the Africanist Press in June 2025; two years after the disputed June 2023 elections in Sierra Leone. The book, written by Africanist Press editor Chernoh Alpha M. Bah, examines the root

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Sierra Leone journalist forced into exile after revealing government corruption, seeks refuge in the U.S.

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island — From a young age amidst the harsh realities of poverty, my mother and uncle raised me. Where I grew up in Sierra Leone, many families lived in mud houses with thatched roofs. Ours was made of cement, creating a visible contrast. We adapted to the lack of basic services like running

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From Meliandou to Koindu to Evanston: How My Investigation of a Disease Narrative Changed My Life and Career

By Chernoh Alpha M. Bah Eight years ago, on 28 October 2016, I was invited to Evanston, Illinois, as a guest speaker by Northwestern University’s Program of African Studies (PAS). A few months earlier, my book on the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak had just been published and I was on a self-funded book tour

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American Scientists Ask US Diplomats to Pressure Sierra Leone to Respect Academic Freedom

By Anne B. Wallis, PhD The Committee of Concerned Scientists (CCS) in the United States has asked US Secretary of State, Antony John Blinken to use the power of the State Department to urge the government of Sierra Leone to improve its human rights record and stop the targeted harassment of historian and journalist, Dr.

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