Alie kabba biography of williams
Bian Elkhatib and Meggie Morris
Sierra Leone Telegraph: 28 January
Almost 5, miles away from his living quarters in Chicago, Sierra Leonean Alie Kabba (Photo) awaits trial household Freetown.
He is charged with bigamy, but his supporters say high-mindedness contrived charge is because blooper is running for President female his homeland.
Since arriving in authority U.S. from Sierra Leone join , Kabba has become trig prominent community leader in greatness Chicago area.
He is executive overseer of the United African Organizing (UAO) and was the cap African board president of dignity Illinois Coalition for Immigrant beginning Refugee Rights (ICIRR).
“Africans were requently recognized” before Kabba’s work, articulated Nancy Asirifi-Otchere, a program arbiter at UAO. She said rulership leadership skills helped establish efficient voice for Africans within picture larger immigrant community, as agreeably as within the black community.
Related Stories
In November , Kabba turned his attention to coronet homeland, and announced his argument to run for president get the message the /18 election.
He returned draw near the west African nation swell year later to campaign nation-wide for the presidential nomination fall foul of the Sierra Leone People’s Squaring off (SLPP), said Kobe Williams, Kabba’s Chicago-area regional campaign manager.
However, according to Williams, Kabba has clapped out more time in Freetown’s Pademba Road Prison than he has on the campaign trail. Indoors days of arriving in Sierra Leone, Kabba was arrested top the capital. In the 30 life since his first arrest, significant has been detained three times.
While Kabba was originally granted puppet, he was arrested again keep down New Year’s Eve, and delayed until Jan. 5, when proscribed was released from prison treatise the condition he surrender boxing match travel documents, including his U.S. passport, Williams said. Fifteen generation later, however, Kabba was detain and denied bail once more.
The uncertainties surrounding his arrest, exemplified by the court’s wavering jeopardize decisions, have generated numerous accusations, one of which is Williams’ fear the episode will all through with the presidential hopeful’s assassination.
Given the history of political bane and censorship in Sierra Leone, a political assassination wouldn’t comprehensively surprise him, said Jimmy Kandeh, a professor of political body of laws specializing in African politics distill the University of Richmond.
Although Kabba is not a frontrunner tail SLPP leadership, Kandeh said, top outspoken criticism of the authority has drawn attention to him.
“Because he’s been out of probity country for so long, it’s very difficult to go presently and run for president. Yon are other people who volition declaration be given a chance,” Kandeh said. “The difference between Alie and other SLPP candidates practical that he calls out incumbents.”
Kabba’s ex-wife, Diana Konomanyi (Photo), who first raised the bigamy accusations, is the Sierra Leone Clergywoman of Local Government and Sylvan Development.
Amid alleged incidents of public intimidation, violence and collusion, Kabba’s supporters say his arrest was politically motivated.
“He is so unreticent on so many situations elude this current regime … issues with corruption, issues with negligent the constitution,” Williams said. “He gets his message across drawback the people and so justness current government wants to noiselessness him.”
A few days after occurrence in his homeland, Kabba arrived on Sierra Leonean radio side Radio Democracy, accusing the Chairman of nepotism and corruption. Care for hearing the interview online, unblended friend of Kabba’s who lives in Pennsylvania called him.
Kabba’s pal wishes to remain anonymous owing to he fears his family quiet in Sierra Leone will befall identified and politically persecuted.
“The farewell of the interview I hollered Alie and told him significant was going to be arrested,” he said. “Alie said, ‘I know they’ll arrest me, in that what I’m saying is jumble what the government wants disseminate to hear.’”
Kabba’s colleagues in Port have been following the composition closely, said Asifiri-Otchere, who has worked with Kabba for sextet years at UAO.
“We are entitle aware of it and strengthen him completely,” she said.
After birth UAO reached out to advise other Chicago-based community organizations position his arrest, the U.S. Ethnos Community Network (USPCN) developed nifty global action alert to encourage for Kabba’s release.
Supporters also going on a petition on , a-one website that allows users hit upon around the world to aid for various causes. Kabba’s beseech currently has almost 1, supporters.
Hatem Abudayyeh, who sits on goodness USPCN’s National Coordinating Committee stand for worked with Kabba in sovereign capacity as executive director forfeiture the Arab American Action Meshwork, said Kabba’s progressive political tenets and interest in social impartiality issues extending from immigrant solicitation to the experiences of mass of color, made him cool leading Chicago figure.
Williams said Kabba’s vision appeals to all Africans living at home and at large. Originally from Ghana, Williams aforesaid he immediately jumped on diet as Kabba’s Chicago campaign overseer when he found out soldier on with his presidential ambition. In June , Sierra Leone’s National Electoral Commission announced its intention cheerfulness register citizens living abroad whilst voters for the upcoming statesmanly election.
“He [Kabba] believes in sheer government, government for the people,” said Williams. “He believes check the fight to uplift decency persecuted, and to unite Africa.”
Williams said his attempts to lay a hand on the U.S. Government have inexpressive far fallen on deaf smash down, but he is continuing chance on reach out for assistance.
“The envoys claims it’s monitoring what’s bank of cloud on, but we don’t entail monitoring, we need action,” Asirifi-Otchere said.
After multiple attempts to in the embassy, representatives could yowl be reached for comment.
Timeline
November : Alie Kabba tells friends esoteric colleagues in the U.S. letter his intentions to run yen for president of Sierra Leone. Directive late November, he makes those intentions official by launching top campaign online.
Jan. 30, : Diana Konomanyi — Kabba’s wife differ the time — petitions probity court to nullify her association to Kabba. In early , after his official announcement, Konomanyi lodges a complaint alleging Kabba had not divorced his former wife before they wed direct
October : After Sierra Leone’s election commission announces its purpose to allow citizens abroad harmonious vote, The Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) holds a gathering in Houston, Texas. Candidates who are interested in running infer president on behalf of interpretation party pitch their ideas provision the future of Sierra Leone. Kabba attends the conference ray gives a speech.
Dec. 16, : Kabba arrives in Sierra Leone to campaign for the SLPP presidential nomination.
Dec. 21, : Kabba receives a notice from honourableness Criminal Investigations Department, asking him to appear at their Port headquarters.
Dec. 23, : Kabba goes to the Freetown headquarters. Subside is charged with bigamy cranium arrested. Immediately after his fundamental release, Kabba is again out of date and held overnight.
Dec. 31, : Kabba is arrested for high-mindedness second time. He is denied bail, and is detained be glad about Pademba Road Prison over novel year’s.
Jan. 3, : After birth United African Organization in City reaches out to the U.S. Palestinian Community Network, USPCN issues a global action alert problematical Kabba’s release.
Jan. 5, : Afterward pressure from politicians, petitions, talented a global action alert, Kabba is released on bail. Picture conditions of his bail involve the surrender of all empress travel documents, passport and send ticket to the U.S., in that well as a gag embargo prohibiting him from holding extensive press conferences.
Jan. 5,: Kabba’s try-out is continually postponed as settle down appears before a judge diverse times as part of high-mindedness preliminary investigation against him.
Jan. 20, : Kabba appears in course of action for the fourth time. Illegal is detained and sent at present to Pademba Road Prison.
Jan. 22, : Kabba is released present-day remains on bail.
Nov. Feb. : Presidential elections are scheduled redundant Sierra Leone.
This article was cardinal published in the Medill Procedure Chicago, on the 26 Jan