Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06FREETOWN321
2006-04-19 15:57:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Freetown
Cable title:  

MEDIA PLACEMENTS FOR MARCH 2006

Tags:  OIIP KPAO SL 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0031
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHFN #0321/01 1091557
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 191557Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY FREETOWN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 9692
UNCLAS FREETOWN 000321 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR OIIP, AF/PD-A.HUSBANDS AND SAM WESTGATE
DEPT ALSO FOR IIP/G/AF

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KPAO SL
SUBJECT: MEDIA PLACEMENTS FOR MARCH 2006

REF: FREETOWN 0067

UNCLAS FREETOWN 000321

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR OIIP, AF/PD-A.HUSBANDS AND SAM WESTGATE
DEPT ALSO FOR IIP/G/AF

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KPAO SL
SUBJECT: MEDIA PLACEMENTS FOR MARCH 2006

REF: FREETOWN 0067


1. Post and Mission Activities/Press Releases:


A. Post issued a press release on the Nationwide
HIV/AIDS education tour. The US Government, through the
US Department of Defense, sponsored the tour. Sierra
Leone's internationally acclaimed musician Steady Bongo
and the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces Musicians
performed throughout the country giving free concerts
where they sang songs from their newly recorded album
"RSLAF and Steady Bongo."

The local press reported as follows:
"US Government supports HIV/AIDS campaign tour" CONCORD
TIMES 3/2,
"US Government sponsors free steady Bongo/RSLAF tour
promoting the dangers of HIV/AIDS" INDEPENDENT OBSERVER
3/3
"US Government sponsors Steady Bongo/RSLAF tour" THE
POOL 3/6
Private owned FM 98.1 News 3/1 & 3/2
Govt. owned FM 99.9 News 3/1 & 3/2
Private owned SKYY FM 106 News 3/1 & 3/2


B. Post launched a new website for Sierra Leone at
http://freetown.usembassy.gov. It allows the Sierra
Leone public to log on to activities of the US Embassy
in Freetown, visa instructions, commercial information,
press releases, and provides easy access to useful US
Government information.

The local press reported as follows:
"US launches new website for Salone" THE NEWS 3/7
"US Embassy launches new website" THE NEW CITIZEN 3/7,
STANDARD TIMES 3/7,INDEPENDENT OBSERVER 3/8, THE
EXCLUSIVE 3/9, THE SPECTATOR 3/13
"US Embassy gets new website" CONCORD TIMES 3/7
Govt. owned FM 99.9 News 3/7 & 3/8
Private owned SKYY FM 106 News 3/7 & 3/8


C. The Deputy Chief of Mission awarded 720
scholarships as part of the Ambassador's Girls
Scholarship Fund. The ceremony took place on February

22. The 720 recipients were from 24 schools in the
Bombali District, Northern Sierra Leone. This is a
continuation of the US Ambassador's Girls Scholarship
(AGS) that the Ambassador launched in June 2005. The
AGS fund is initially providing assistance to 3,000
girls in 5 districts in Sierra Leone.

The local press reported as follows:
"American scholarships for 720 girls" INDEPENDENT
OBSERVER 3/10
"720 GIRLS BENEFIT FOR US Ambassador's scholarship" THE
NEWS 3/13
"US Ambassador's Scholarship benefit girls" THE
SPECTATOR 3/13
"720 girls in Bombali District benefit from the

Ambassador's Girls Scholarship Initiative" THE
EXCLUSIVE 3/13


2. KEY MEDIA STORIES


A. The issue of ex-President of Liberia Charles
Taylor's return to Liberia took a dramatic turn in
March. Liberia's President Sirleaf-Johnson asked the
Government of Nigeria (GON) to return Charles Taylor to
Liberia from his 3-year asylum in Nigeria. On March 27,
Taylor tried to escape from Nigeria, was caught by
Nigerian authorities who immediately put him on a GON
plane for Monrovia where he was transferred to UN
helicopters for onward transfer to Freetown and the
Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL). The SCSL
indicted him on 11 counts of war crimes (amended from
17 counts). Taylor made his first appearance at the
Special Court on April 3 and pleaded not guilty to all
counts. The public debate continues over whether,
because of security concerns in Sierra Leone and
Liberia, he should be tried in Freetown or by the SCSL
sitting in The Hague. There is strong editorial
opinion on both sides. Post reports these in daily
press summaries.

The local press reported as follows:
"Obasanjo urged to surrender Taylor" CONCORD TIMES 3/3
INDEPENDENT OBSERVER 2/6
"Nigeria may extradite Taylor" CONCORD TIMES 3/13
"Obsanjo plays cat and mouse game over Taylor THE
INDEPENDENT 3/13
"Charles Taylor's wife warns against arrest."My husband

is still influential in Liberia"" INDEPENDENT OBSERVER
3/14
"From Calaba to Lagos airport. Obasanjo writes Charles
Taylor" STANDARD TIMES 3/14
"Charles Taylor's asylum discussed" AWOKO 3/15
"Charles Taylor arrives" THE EXCLUSIVE 3/16
"Obasanjo, Johnson-Sirleaf hang heads on extraditing
Charles Taylor" INDEPENDENT OBSERVER 3/16
"Obsanjo, Sirleaf, discuss Taylor's asylum" AFRICAN
STANDARD 3/17
"President requests surrender of Taylor" THE EXCLUSIVE
3/20
"Obasanjo to hand over Taylor after consultations"
CONCORD TIMES 3/20
"Calls for rapid handover of Taylor" THE TRUMPET 3/20
"Taylor's sins coming home to roost? INDEPENDENT VOICE
3/21
"We await Charles Taylor's extradition" INDEPENDENT
OBSERVER 3/21
"RUFP says trying Taylor is dangerous" CONCORD TIMES
3/22
"As Sirleaf gives the green light.Taylor to arrive
soon" THE EXCLUSIVE 3/23
"Forum of Conscience supports Charles Taylor hand over"
AWARENESS TIMES 3/23, INDEPENDENT OBSERVER 3/23
"Surrender Taylor now - AI, COJA urge" NEW VISION 3/24
"Amnesty campaigns for Taylor to face Special Court'
AWOKO 3/24
"Taylor under fire" THE EXCLUSIVE 3/24
"Charles Taylor at cross roads" NEW VISION 3/24
"Whether Taylor comes or not.who cares" THE EXCLUSIVE
3/24
"Taylor's trial not important for Salone" TRC Chairman"
CONCORD TIMES 3/24
"Nigeria to give up Taylor" THE DEMOCRAT 3/27
"Warrant of arrest for Charles Taylor" AWOKO 3/28
"Take Charles Taylor elsewhere" THE SPECTATOR 3/28
"Taylor, Taylor, Taylor Bullshit!" THE EXCLUSIVE 3/28
(Comment: The local press is often startlingly robust
in the use of the vernacular. End Comment.)


B. In an interview with the British Broadcasting

Cooperation (BBC) Minister of Health Abator Thomas said
that the government of Sierra Leone is concerned about
the bird flu threat and has set up a committee that is
currently looking into the threat the disease poses.
She also told the BBC that the US Embassy, UNICEF, WHO
and the International Military Assistance Training Team
(IMATT) are complementing the work of the committee.

The local Press reported as follows"
"Bird Flu scare - Health Minister speaks out" THE NEW
STORM 3/8


C. Three members of the Revolutionary United Front
(RUF) rebel group who were standing trial at the High
Court in Freetown were sentenced to 30 years
imprisonment on March 10. Each accused person has 3 ten
years sentences to be served concurrently. They were
found guilty for conspiracy to murder and shooting with
intent.

The local press reported as follows:
"3 RUF members jailed 30 years each" THE EXCLUSIVE 3/13
"3 RUF jailed for 10 years" THE NEWS 3/13
"Ten years imprisonment for 3 RUF men" INDEPENDENT
OBSERVER 3/13


D. Advanced Industrial Minerals Incorporated, an
American company based in Brunswick, Georgia, is
currently involved in ilmenorutile and gold mining in
Kemendugu town in Bumbuna, northern Sierra Leone. The
Bumbuna Paramount Chief Alimamy Bokari Yillah Koroma
expressed appreciation over the fact that the company
has employed 160 people from the community and
rehabilitated the 11-mile road from Kemendugu to
Bumbuna.

The local press reported as follows:
"American Company rescues Bumbuna" NEW VISION 3/17


E. Editor of the Concord Times Newspaper, Sahr Musa
Yamba, was arrested on March 20 by plain-clothes
policemen, and taken to the Criminal Investigation
Department. The policemen said that they had orders from
the Attorney General (AG) Frederick Carew to arrest
Yamba. Yamba told PolAsst that he was arrested on the
orders of the Attorney General for publishing an article
in his March 17 edition, entitled: "Golley brands
Attorney General a liar." He said the AG threatened to
bring charges against him, and said that members of the
press are trying to damage his reputation. Yamba was
released and asked to report the following day, but when
he did so, he was told that the affair has been dropped.

The local press reported as follows:
Concord Times editor arrested" THE NEW CITIZEN 3/21,
THE SPECTATOR 3/21
"Concord Times editor detained" THE NEW VISION 3/21
"Editor arrested" THE EXCLUSIVE 3/21
"Why CID arrest Concord Times editor?" AFRICAN CHAMPION
3/21


F. Journalist and broadcaster Mariama Coker is among
14 journalists from 12 African countries in Washington
DC attending the April 1-22 the Edward R Murrow Program
for Journalists. She gave a presentation in the
Information Resource Center as part of Women in History
Month. The text of her talk was printed in full in
Salone Times.

The local press reported as follows:
"Veteran female journalist for training in America"
SALONE TIMES 3/28


3. GENERAL ARTICLES ABOUT THE US

"Video shows Bush Katrina warning" AWOKO 3/3
"Bush praises Afghanistan progress" EVENING SCOOP 3/3,
NEW STORM 3/3
"Bush finalizes India nuclear deal" THE NEWS 3/3,NEW
VISION 3/3, THE SPECTATOR 3/3
"Bush praises Pakistan terror role" THE SPECTATOR 3/6
"Pentagon reviews Guantanamo names" INDEPENDENT
OBSERVER 3/7
"Republicans defy Bush over Ports" AWOKO 3/9
"Congress sets up fight with Bush" FOR DI PEOPLE 3/13
"US seek further pressure on Iran" FOR DI PEOPLE 3/13
"US hostage in Iraq confirmed dead" THE DEMOCRAT 3/15
"US hostage shot, tortured" NEW CITIZEN 3/13
"Bush immigration bill causes sleepless nights" THE
INDEPENDENT 3/13
"Bush adviser charged with theft" THE DEMOCRAT 3/14
"US panel to study policy in Iraq" NEW CITIZEN 3/20
"US warns over Iran talks tactic" INDEPENDENT OBSERVER
3/20
"US captures 13 Somali Pirates" NEW VISION 3/21,
CHRISTIAN MONITOR 3/21
"Bush upbeat on Iraq anniversary" NEW VISION 3/21
"America celebrates three years stay in Iraq with
violence" AFRICAN CHAMPION 3/22
"US Military probes Iraq killings" AWOKO 3/23


4. Ratio of Positive to Negative stories about the US
was 10:8. STEWART