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Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF) has expressed concern over the death of journalist Saoman Conteh, whom it said was shot dead while covering Monday’s demonstration outside the house of Revolutionary United Front (RUF) leader Foday Sankoh.
In a letter on Thursday to President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, RSF called on the Sierra Leonean head of state to do everything in his power to ensure that those responsible for Conteh’s murder are identified and punished by prison sentences, according to an RSF press release.
RSF also urged Kabbah to ensure that journalists can work safely in Freetown. “Our organisation reminds you that eight reporters were killed by RUF rebels in January 1999 alone,” RSF quoted its general secretary, Robert Ménard, as saying.
RSF said it had learnt that Conteh - a reporter with the private Freetown weekly, ‘New Tablet’, was shot when people inside Sankoh’s house opened fire on the crowd outside and was confirmed dead on arrival in hospital. RUF members also killed four demonstrators.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions