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Sierra Leone: President’s bodyguards attack Journalists

Sierra Leone’s government has said it will be constituting a committee to investigate the alleged attack on three local journalists.

The journalists were “beaten” by presidential bodyguards in an attack at a football match.

The Sports Writers Association of Sierra Leone said in a statement on Monday that two female TV commentators and another reporter were attacked while covering a World Cup qualifier between Sierra Leone and Liberia on Sunday in the capital Freetown.

Frances Barnard and Esther Marie Samura from the state-owned SLBC TV station and freelance journalist Alimmamy Kamara were “seriously beaten and manhandled”, SWASAL said.

The sports union also claimed that two bodyguards of President Julius Maada Bio who attended the match carried out the alleged assault.

“One of the guards, by the name of ‘Sweet’ threatened to shoot and kill (the journalists) with his pistol”, it said.

The office of the President has said the matter is being investigated.

Sports minister Ibrahim Nyelekeh told AFP that “We condemn this unfortunate incident against journalists doing their job”.

The said match saw Liberia qualify to the next stage but was marred by clashes.

Source: Africafeeds.com

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