(RSF/IFEX) – In an 11 May 2000 letter to President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah, RSF expressed serious concern about the death of Saoman Conteh, a reporter with the private weekly “New Tablet” in Freetown. RSF called on him to do everything in his power to ensure that those responsible for the murder of Conteh are identified […]
(RSF/IFEX) – In an 11 May 2000 letter to President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah, RSF expressed serious concern about the death of Saoman Conteh, a reporter with the private weekly “New Tablet” in Freetown. RSF called on him to do everything in his power to ensure that those responsible for the murder of Conteh are identified and punished by prison sentences. RSF also urged him to ensure that journalists could work safely in Freetown. “Our organisation reminds you that eight reporters were killed by RUF rebels in January 1999 alone,” Robert Ménard, RSF’s secretary-general, added.
According to the information collected by RSF, Conteh was shot dead in the streets of Freetown on 8 May 2000 as he was covering a demonstration outside the home of Foday Sankoh, vice-president of Sierra Leone and Revolutionary United Front (RUF) leader. People inside the house opened fire on the crowd and Conteh was struck by a bullet. He was confirmed dead on arrival at Connaught Hospital a few hours later. RUF members also killed four demonstrators. Thousand of people were protesting against the detention of United Nations soldiers by RUF rebels.
On the same day, Corinna Schuler, a Canadian journalist working for the American daily “Christian Science Monitor”, was attacked by RUF rebels outside Sankoh’s house. She was arrested by rebels who threatened to kill her. One of them bit her arm and asked for money. She was then released.
