For the past week Sierra Leoneans have been glued to their radio sets, waiting patiently for final results as officials of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) continue to tally ballots from the historic presidential and parliamentary elections that ended last Saturday.
Three weeks ago, when the trial of former Liberian president Charles Taylor opened in The Hague, the accused made headlines for failing to appear in court. In his former capacity as the president of Liberia, Taylor is accused of having presided over a criminal network of armed combatants, whose crimes in Sierra Leone between 1996 and 2002 amounted to violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.
Charles Taylor, the fugitive former leader of Liberia who gained notoriety for masterminding brutal armed conflicts in West Africa, is back in the news. Speculation is rife that Nigeria may extradite the former warlord to his homeland. In 2003, Taylor was forced into exile in a peace deal that had the broad support of African Union leaders.
Sir Alex Ferguson has won a vote of confidence from the Manchester United board but his former captain, Bryan Robson, says he got it wrong this season and the club, which crashed out of the European Champions League, will finish without a trophy.