Abdulai Jumah Jalloh

African Champion

February 3, 1999, in Freetown, Sierra Leone

Jalloh, news editor of the independent newspaper African Champion, was killed by a West African peacekeeping force (ECOMOG) soldier in central Freetown, according to local journalists. Jalloh and the newspaper's editor, Mohammed D. Koroma, were on their way to a printing company near the state house when a passerby claimed-in the presence of ECOMOG soldiers-that Jalloh was a Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebel and accused him of arson. Jalloh denied the charge, as did Koroma, who told the ECOMOG soldiers that RUF rebels had burned Jalloh's house.

The soldiers warned Koroma not to continue defending Jalloh. An unidentified ECOMOG officer then took Jalloh aside and executed him at point-blank range.

Medium: Print

Job: Editor

Beats Covered: War

Gender: Male

Local or Foreign: Local

Freelance: No

Type of Death: Murder

Suspected Source of Fire: Military Officials

Impunity: Yes

Taken Captive: No

Tortured: No

Threatened: No

Related Articles:

• Two journalists killed by gunmen; two others wounded , May 25, 2000
• Attacks on the Press 1999: 1999 Death Toll: Listed by Country, March 22, 2000
• Attacks on the Press 1999: Sierra Leone, March 22, 2000