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

 

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