Ahead of November 2012 Elections in Sierra Leone – West Africa

This November Sierra Leone will hold its third national election since the end of their civil war. And while the war may be over, the risk of violence remains.

In the days leading up to, and following the vote, JHR will work with local journalists and media partners to ensure responsible and transparent coverage of the election.

Given the vital role media plays in setting the tone of an election, our presence could mean the difference between a peaceful election or a return to violence.

Source: Journalist for Human Right http://www.jhr.ca/en/sled.php

US Consulate staff killed in Libya, following Egyptian protest

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has confirmed that a U.S. State Department officer was killed in an attack on the U.S. consulate in Libya on Tuesday, and she has since condemned the violence.

Libyan protesters pulling down a US flag (Photo CNN.COM)

Earlier a Libyan security official reported an American was shot to death as protesters burned the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, and in Cairo, protesters scaled the walls of the U.S. embassy and replaced an American flag with an Islamic banner.

“Some have sought to justify this vicious behavior as a response to inflammatory material posted on the Internet. The United States deplores any intentional effort to denigrate the religious beliefs of others,” she said in a statement. “But let me be clear: There is never any justification for violent acts of this kind.”

According to the BBC, it is believed the protest was held over a US-produced film that is said to be insulting to the Prophet Muhammad. The building was set on fire after armed men raided the compound with grenades.

The BBC reports that a similar protest have also been held at the US embassy in the Egyptian capital, Cairo. In the attack in Benghazi, unidentified armed men stormed the grounds, shooting at buildings and throwing handmade bombs into the compound. Security forces returned fire but Libyan officials say they were overwhelmed.

Map of Libya

Libya’s deputy interior minister Wanis al-Sharif told AFP news agency “One American official was killed and another injured in the hand. The other staff members were evacuated and are safe and sound,”

The identity of the US official killed is not yet known.

AP news says, it was the first such assaults on U.S. diplomatic facilities in either country, at a time when both Libya and Egypt are struggling to overcome the turmoil following the ouster of their longtime leaders, Moammar Gadhafi and Hosni Mubarak in uprisings last year.