West Africa

Electricity Corruption in Sierra Leone: Cumulative Costs Between Ernest Bai Koroma and Julius Maada Bio

By Chernoh Alpha M. Bah In mid June 2024, Sierra Leone’s Julius Maada Bio and his cabinet officials held an event in Freetown to launch the construction of a US-funded electricity power plant in Freetown. The $412 million electricity infrastructure project promised to construct a new 126.5-MW Liquified Natural Gas Power Plant in Freetown, Sierra […]

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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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Sierra Leone: Historian to speak at Annual Meeting of Scientists

By Matthew Anderson and Mark Feldman The annual meeting of the Committee of Concerned Scientists (CCS) will on Sunday March 30 hear a Sierra Leone voice for the first time since its establishment. This year’s annual CCS meeting will also feature science journalist, Olga Dobrovidova speaking on science in Russia, and Omer Kanat speaking on

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Crisis, Disease, and Charity: A Reflection on Aid and Corruption in Sierra Leone

By Chernoh Alpha M. Bah Ten years ago, a local newspaper in Sierra Leone reported that Ernest Bai Koroma, then president of Sierra Leone, had called on international organizations to account for millions of dollars they had received on behalf of Sierra Leone for the fight against the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Koroma’s statement

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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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Legislative Deadlock and Democratic Challenges in Liberia’s House of Representatives

By Tyson Smith Berry Jr. Since October 2024, Liberia’s House of Representatives has faced a serious democratic crisis filled with leadership conflicts, internal rifts, and growing public frustration. This turmoil has not only interrupted the legislative process but has also raised significant concerns about the stability of Liberia’s democratic institutions and governance. The core of

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International Peace Bureau (IPB) Calls for Unity Among  Liberia’s House of Representatives

By Matthew Anderson and Mark Feldman The International Peace Bureau (IPB) has called on members of Liberia’s House of Representatives  to unite and end the ongoing parliamentary deadlock that has affected the country’s legislative activities since October 2024. “Liberia is at a crucial point where the challenges of economic recovery, governance, peacebuilding, and social unity require

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A Reflection on Corruption, Dictatorship, and Disease in Sierra Leone

By Chernoh Alpha M. Bah About ten years ago in mid-April 2015, reports emerged in Freetown that ten people – all of them opposition party activists – were arrested from their various homes across the city. The arrests followed a massive police raid in response to a youth protest that occurred three days earlier at

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