The Sierra Leone Crisis

[Jacques]

Rumors coming out of Liberia were addressed today as the government officially addressed a growing military presence on the border with Sierra Leone. To better deal with the thousands of displaced Sierra Leoneans trying to flee the ongoing conflict, Liberia's government has authorized the deployment of troops to bolster their border security. Liberian naval vessels are now patrolling off the Sierra Leonean cost, intercepting and returning vessels of refugees trying to flee to Liberian ports. Liberia strictly denies any allegations that Liberian troops have crossed the now unguarded border with Sierra Leone.

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Soldiers in Sierra Leonean military uniforms, with the flags and accouterments still worn by those forces loyal to General Wallace-Johnson and the government, reported to be involved in attacks on hastily formed refugee camps in south-eastern Sierra Leone, near the Liberian border. General Wallace-Johnson sternly denies any involvement by those forces loyal to the government, and accuses 'the foul traitors' that have sided with the Temne movement. General Katlego, leader of the Temne-aligned forces, accuses General Wallace-Johnson, or of those forces that have not openly aligned with either side in the conflict.

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There continues to be unconfirmed reports of rebels based out of the failed-state of Guinea. Contact was recently lost with the beleaguered Park Rangers in Outamba Kilimi National Park, where they had formerly been assisted by the Sierra Leonean military to protect what is believed to be the last herd of African Bush Elephants and one of the few stable populations of the Western Lowland Gorilla, who are commonly poached for their ivory and for the importance of their hearts in traditional tribal medicines, respectively.

Raiding by the Guinean warlords raises fears of a possible spread of the Ebola Virus, which has continued to plague the failed-state for the past three decades, into Sierra Leone, where higher population density and more reliable roads and infrastructure could lead to an epidemic spread of the virus in light of the current conflict.

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General Wallace-Johnson continues to publicly pressure the government that Martial Law should be declared, and control should be given over to himself, until such time as the Temne threat to the people of Sierra Leone is dealt with.

The remnants of the Sierra Leonean government, most of whom owe their lives either to General Wallace-Johnson or to the quick actions of Legion Premiere, are currently housed in the Parliament building under the protection of the military forces brought into the city by the General.

Opinions seem to lean towards one of two extremes regarding the General's demands for martial law, with some singing his praises and others chastising him for his apparent lack of control over his forces outside of Freetown.

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Legion Premiere public relations representatives still based in their company headquarters in Casablanca, Morocco, announced this morning the formation of temporary refugee camps at six locations throughout the country, with promises of the hasty delivery of shelters, food, water, and medical supplies as soon as possible.

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Chinese merchant marine vessels arrive in Freetown to begin the evacuation of Chinese nationals from Sierra Leone. Helicopters were dispatched throughout the country, ferrying in supplies to some of the Legion Premiere camps before extracting Chinese citizens. Due to the ongoing conflict in DV, evacuation by air from Sierra Leone to China has been deemed ill advised, and civilians will be moved by ship to South Africa, then by plane to Australia and into China.

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Australia announces the intent to provide $10 million in aid to Sierra Leone.

China announces the intent to provide $35 million in aid to Sierra Leone.

Most African countries as yet refuse any formal declarations of aid for Sierra Leone, although Liberia has begun forming a large camp to house refugees fleeing the territory of their beleaguered neighbor.

Morocco announces the 'donation' of their embassy in Freetown to serve as a headquarters for Legion Premiere and as a refugee camp and hospital, and the donation of $4 million in aid.

[Jacques]

The situation in Sierra Leone continues to deteriorate. Government forces have proven to have little authority outside of view of Freetown, while the rebels, under the leadership of General Katlego, are reported to have near unobstructed reign throughout much of the country's interior. But even their authority is now threatened by raids by Guinean warlords across the now undefended Sierra Leone-Guinea borders.

What few health care clinics running in the north and west edges of Sierra Leone are reporting that they have been swamped by survivors of these raids, and there are as yet unconfirmed reports of Ebola cases among those seeking the clinics' help.

Human rights organizations are only now beginning to get observers into the region, as travel to and in the country has become treacherous if not simply impossible. General Wallace-Johnson's forces continue to keep the country's main airport closed, siting damage caused to the infrastructure during the initial coup attempt, with no hint as to when the facility will be open again. Until then, all aid bound for the country is limited to over-land travel or by sea, neither of which are without their own risks.

Liberia has closed it's border with Sierra Leone when rumours of Ebola first began, and have thus far denied any requests by foreign aid organizations to land supplies there and crossing the border to Sierra Leone. In response to the rumours, the Liberian government has deployed further military forces to the border.

The peace General Wallace-Johnson has fought hard to achieve in Freetown continues to prove elusive, as three more MPs have been killed by Temne-sympathizers, and another has taken his own life, seemingly unable to cope with the growing pressure on the nearly broken government.

[Jacques]

Breaking news out of Dijbouti, Africa

Reports out of the tiny African country of Djibouti are sketchy, but the picture is already bleak. This tiny country is located at the joining of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, and bordered by Eritrea to the north, and the Failed-States of Ethiopia to the west, and Somalia to the south.

Unconfirmed reports out of Somalia and Ethiopia have been hinting at a strengthening support of the uprising in Dominance V. In recent weeks, Mogadishu has reportedly been dominated by a single faction that had swept all other warlords and 'district leaders' aside, and a sudden increase in refugees fleeing both Somalia and Ethiopia for the more stable regions of Eritrea, Djibouti, and Kenya.

Although the Djibouti government had declared it's borders with Somalia to be closed, thousands of refugees have been able to pour into the small country's territory, and it is believed that most of the foreign fighters that launched the attacks on Djibouti came in with these refugees, linking up with indigenous supporters of the uprisings in Dominance V.

The initial attacks have included possibly dozens of car bombings in the capital and outlying communities, targeting government, civil service, and military facilities. The level of coordination and ease with which the insurgents seem to have been able to bypass the country's internal security forces lends some support to accusations made by (ruler of Djibouti), before his state of emergency broadcast was cut short by the bombing of the state broadcasting agency.

President Hikmat Abdulrashid had leveled accusations of bribery, corruption and out-right sedition against three high-ranking members of the Djibouti government, including the second-in-command of the state's military and internal security services, General Imram-Ali, who had been reported absent without leave since Monday.

Prime Minister Jabril El-Hashem was reportedly hospitalized in critical condition when his motorcade was hit by a suicide bomber mere minutes after leaving his home this morning.

The Eritrean government has refused to comment on the violence in it's south-eastern neighbor's borders, although they have declared a state of emergency and have begun mobilizing their military reserves and doubled their border-guard details.