(CPJ/IFEX) – CPJ is greatly alarmed by the arrest on 10 June 1999 of Sorie Sudan Sesay and Jerry Tryson, Jr., editor and reporter, respectively, of the Freetown-based biweekly “Independent Observer” newspaper, and by the raid on their offices. The two men were arrested along with a secretary, by soldiers of the Nigerian-led West African […]
(CPJ/IFEX) – CPJ is greatly alarmed by the arrest on 10 June 1999 of Sorie
Sudan Sesay and Jerry Tryson, Jr., editor and reporter, respectively, of the
Freetown-based biweekly “Independent Observer” newspaper, and by the raid on
their offices.
The two men were arrested along with a secretary, by soldiers of the
Nigerian-led West African peacekeeping force (ECOMOG), at 10 a.m., at the
offices of the Independent Observer on Short Street in central Freetown. The
arrests were led by Maj. Tanko of the ECOMOG force.
ECOMOG soldiers raided the newspaper office after an alleged tip-off that
arms and ammunition were being stored there. Eyewitnesses told CPJ that when
they arrived at the scene, a wide variety of pistols, cartridges, and other
ammunition, as well as radio handsets, were displayed outside the office.
Eyewitnesses further reported that a total of five newspaper staffers,
including the three that were subsequently taken away to an ECOMOG base,
were sitting on the ground with some items of their clothing removed. This
is said to be a common procedure when ECOMOG soldiers carry out arrests.
There was, however, no indication that the five had been physically harmed.
The newspaper’s managing editor, Jonathan Leigh, is reported to be in
hiding. He had previously been detained for about 48 hours by ECOMOG
soldiers, who accused him of sending sensitive information to an Internet
website said to be run by sympathizers of the rebel Revolutionary United
Front (RUF).
During the raid on the newspaper office, ECOMOG reportedly found letters
containing sensitive information, addressed to Leigh, sent to him by Ibrahim
Seaga-Shaw, former editor of the now-defunct Freetown-based “Expo Times”
newspaper. “Expo Times” was closed after being branded an “RUF newspaper” by
the Sierra Leone government in 1997, and Seaga-Shaw fled into exile.
Independent observers have expressed concern that the arms cache was planted
by ECOMOG, because the newspaper had published certain articles that were
critical of the peacekeeping force.
The situation exacerbates an already tense atmosphere in Freetown, in the
run-up to the opening of parliament on 11 June. Peace talks between the
Sierra Leone government and the RUF, taking place in Togo, are currently in
deadlock.
