?
"eliminated"? Can this be a Freudian slip?
John

----- Original Message -----
From: Abdul Karim Bangura <mailto:theai@earthlink.net>  
To: leonenet@lists.umbc.edu ; asamforay@aol.com ; leonenet@lists.umbc.edu ; JCKALLON2@aol.com
Sent: Friday, July 27, 2007 8:51 PM
Subject: Re: [Leonenet] Kula's fate/AKB

Except for Karmor Ed, the other EVIL SLPP folk, as opposed to the Good SLPP folk, are praying for BeLewa-Yodalaria to be eliminated. Of course, they will not admit it on this forum.

-----Original Message-----
From: asamforay@aol.com
Sent: Jul 27, 2007 2:00 PM
To: leonenet@lists.umbc.edu, JCKALLON2@aol.com
Subject: Re: [Leonenet] Kula's fate/AKB

Kinei Jaiah,

Your points are well taken with respect to Kula and the family's predicament.  If the Kula Samba fiasco was the only thing that Berewa did to get to the VP position, I will give him the benefit of doubt.  But Berewa has a pattern of vindictive activities including the bogus treason charges against Charles Margai for some high school palava between his supporters and Charles'.  Norman's problems with Kabbah though never cordial, was exerbated by Norman's refusal to accept Berewa as VP.  We will probebly never know what role Berewa played in the arrest, detention and murder of Chief Norman, but God knows and is no respecter of persons.

Berewa was a key participant in the Lome Accord and knew fully well that the CDF was immuned by Lome.  Yet in his negotiations for the so-called special court he failed to make any provision for the people who saved his butt twice from the rebels.  I have no compelling allegiance to the SLPP just because I am from the South.  The SLPP of Kabbah and Berewa is not the SLPP of my father.  Norman and Charles have their own reasons for leaving the SLPP.  Whether one likes Charles or not, one has to agree that the fact that his barely two year old PMDC is now a major contender and possible replacement for the old farts who have taken us to numerous coups and endless poverty, attests to Charles' hard work and organizational ability.

On the issue of the cabinet, as you well stated, Hinga Norman was Deputy Minister of Defence.  As such, HE WAS NOT a member of the cabinet and did not attend cabinet meetings.  That's what Kabbah did as Minister of Defence.  That's not to excuse any role Norman may have played in the AFRC executions.  But Norman was always upfront about the coup issue.  He told Kabbah that a coup was imminent and even took the coup leaders to Kabbah's office to underscore his point.  Kabbah ignored his warnings.  Norman also told the coup leaders in Kabbah's office that if they failed in the coup he will not fail in executing them if he got a chance.  But that was not necessarilly his call to make.

In any case, aren't you guys supposed to be on the phone to see if your man is still a presidential candidate?  I was told the Supreme Court decision was going to be today.

Good Day,
Sam.


-----Original Message-----
From: JCKALLON2@aol.com
To: leonenet@lists.umbc.edu
Sent: Fri, 27 Jul 2007 1:05 pm
Subject: Re: [Leonenet] Kula's fate/AKB

Dear Rev. SamForay, Karmoh AKB and Demia Toegondoe.:
I thank you all for the sentiments you have expressed about the tragedy involving Kula. It is almost nine years since it occurred. For your information, our extended family has been coping and finding ways to outgrow the grief.

One way we did not want to do that was to allow anyone to harvest political hay from the situation. In a civilian administration, even during the whirlwind Stevo-Momoh period, the signing of death warrants is a collective cabinet-level decision. In 1998, Attorney-General Solomon Berewa, Internal Affairs Minister Charles Margai and Deputy Defense Minister Hinga Norman were all senior members of the Kabba administration. The opposition APC did not register any protest either. That is all I am going to say about that.

Kula somehow found herself serving, for many months, in a military junta that had overthrown a legitimately elected civilian government. The junta's members were all military officers and their civilian commander-in-chief ordered them to give it up. Those who obeyed were later pardoned and returned to their posts. Those who didn't were punished according to the provisions of the constitution.

Like many of her co-defendants, Kula agreed at the court-martial that she really shouldn¹t have been a member of the AFRC. It was a very bad judgment, one that we who are her family have never tried to soften. We know that many Sierra Leoneans have been executed before that time for merely happening to know about a plot to overthrow the government. It is known in our law books as Misprision of Treason, and it needn't require the actual overthrow of the government, as was the case when Johnny-Paul Koroma formed his AFRC junta to replace President Kabba's government.

Rev. SamForay states that Kula "attended Bumpe High Scool and AKB seems to imply rightly or wrongly that her Bumpe roots which she shares with Berewa should have endeared her to the other Bumpe native, Solo B." My response is that had this been done, Karmoh AKB and others would be crowing about it to this day. Besides when Brigadier John Bangura, Dr. MS Fornah, Ibrahim Taqi, Francis Minah and Gabriel KaiKai were condemned to death for treason, Presidents Stevens and Momoh had no consideration for the fact that the men had all been very close political allies, some of whom had played pivotal roles in bringing these presidents to power.

Toegondoe seems to suggest that I should have severed relationship with the SLPP because of thia matter. My response is that jumping parties every time you disagree with the deision of its leaders is something the Karefa-Smarts and Charles Margais of Sierra Leone are more adept at. Frankly, I am not. I have got my own ways of dealing with disagreements in organizations.

Those who sympathize with the fate of Kula and the other exeuted individuals should focus on campaigning to change the laws that they don't agree with. I happen to believe that our court system works for much of the time. What doesn¹t work is the tendency by our governments to criminalize political differences as has occasionally happened over the past three decades; or citizens being detained/jailed for long periods of time without being given access to lawyers; or accused persons tried without the chance of an appeal.

These and other facts prove that we are not as free today as we were during the colonial period or during the early years of our independence.  If we are going to have a free country again, our constitution would need to be reformed. At the same time, our judges are going to have to step out and be strong. They must remember where we came from and where we want to go.

- Jaiah Kallon
___________________________________
On 7/25/2007, asamforay@aol.com writes:

Kinei Kallon,

I cannot pretend to answer for Bangura who is quite capable of doing that for herself.  I, howver, disagree with you that Maj. Kula (Kallon) Samba is like any other soldier executed for traeson in Sierra Leone.  First, she is the first and only woman ever executed for such an offence. Correct me if I am wrong.  Second, although Kula came from Kenema she attended Bumpe High Scool and AKB seems to imply rightly or wrongly that her Bumpe roots which she shares with Berewa should have endeared her to the other Bumpe native, Solo B.  But then, that did not spare Alieu Kondewa who is also from Bumpe as well.

Perhaps more importantly, Kula was engaged in non-combat, non-violent activities in the army where she was a nurse or medical administrator as well as the AFRC itself.  She spent her time in power, we are told, caring for orphans and perhaps never actually fired a gun in anger, kill or order any person killed as an officer and a lady of the SLA.  That aspect of her life as a peaceful warrior despite been bonded to the murderrs of the AFRC, perhaps does explain AKB's obsession with her, as you put it.

That all being said, just because everybody is speeding does not mean that no one is responsible for breaking the law.  Kabbah and Berewa had significant contact with Kula with the hope of using her as a plant in the AFRC.  You know very well that a cousin or brother was a senior aid to Chief Hinga Norman and we all used him as a contact person for Kula via the CDF.  Perhaps that was their motive for using her as an example.  Others were guilty of worse offenses in the AFRC and for whatever reason were speared the firing squad.

Kind Regards,
A. SamForay



-----Original Message-----
From: JCKALLON2@aol.com
To: leonenet@lists.umbc.edu
Sent: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 12:31 pm
Subject: [Leonenet] Kula's fate/AKB

Karmoh AKB:
Since the early 1970s, a countless number of our fellow Sierra Leoneans have been executed for political offences. All of them had served our country faithfully for many years as military officers, politicians and ordinary citizens. Many, like Kula, were tried only once and were denied the right to an appeal.  Many years from now, virtually all of the executions will be viewed as part of the time when our basic constitutional protections were not observed as most of us would have wanted.

Why, however, do you seem so obsessed with Ms. Kula Samba's fate alone? Is it not cruel propaganda to be using her family's grief for whatever political, personal or other purposes you may may have? Would it not be a better idea for you to use her fate and those of the many others to mount a credible campaign for the elimination of the death penalty for political offences in Sierra Leone as the noted activist that you are?

Sincerely,
- Jaiah Kallon
__________________________________
On 7/25/2007, theai@earthlink.net writes:

*First, he ensured Kula Samba's death.

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