2009 Media House of the
Year (Print) AWOL

...Ensuring IT is done the right way!!

A. ABESS
AIRPORT SHUTTLE

 Alie Hassan Shop Aberdeen Roundabout,  Fredbynna Stationery Shop; Lumley Roundabout,  Freetown Supermarket,  Essentials Supermarket,  Payless Supermarket,  &  Monoprix Supermarket  Wilkinson Road Freetown.

Before 11am in Makeni: Sulcut Tele Center Azzolini Highway and I. B. & Friends Tele Center Opposite the S.L.C.Bank.

Before 12noon in Bo: Bo Mini Market Sewah Road,  B.K.P.S. Staff Canteen,  EM & JAY Enterprise 1B Dambala Road by the Post Office,  M & S Trading 29 Fenton Road &  PAT-MOI Tele Centre Safecon Petrol Station Fenton Road 

Before 12noon in Kenema: T. Choithrams Supermarket,  Mr Shola Williams 7 Bus Park,  Infinity Internet Cafe 55 Hanga Road,  M. U. Kalokoh Holdings Via Zain Shop 35 Hanga Road  &  Skaikey Mobile Phone Centre 18 Hanga Road Kenema Town

Awoko Newspaper Your Preferred Option.

Charles Dawson-Amoah has now arrived in Ivory Coast after crossing the bridge from Logatuo with a slight hint that it was on the rebel side.
“Underestimating reality I went to that side thinking since the war has been over there would have been disarmament by now but I was wrong. I started looking down the barrel of an AK47 with this 5ft 10 very dark skinned probably 25yrs old guy telling me to come”, he said.
“I knew by now  I was trembling, so I confidently took about 6 steps looking straight in his bloodshot eyes, eyeball to eyeball and I recalled my bad French lingo of “sava?” with an outstretched hand .He looked at me and shook my hand .I made sure I shook him with a strong grip. Then he requested my passport. I gave it to him and he asked another to call a man from the shed, who I later found out to be the duty commander for the stretch which ends in a town called Danane”.
He said he was thoroughly searched and asked him if he was a soldier.   They checked if I had any weapons and kept asking if I was a soldier and I answered no. Later they built enough confidence to start chatting.
I told them I am not a journalist but working for DHL but now on a charity walk that started from Sierra Leone for children that are adopted and mistreated.
“Before I knew there were about 13 of them all around me. I was asked to declare the contents of my back pack so I started to unpack and at this point the only thing I had to prevent them from seeing is a print out from Save the Children website saying I’m an ex soldier” he said.
“That would mean my credibility was gone. So I took that file out of the backpack first and said “toilet paper for me”. They laughed and I begun to unpack the rest of the bag which was dirty clothing”.
Charles said after they were convinced, the commander said he can’t let him go because during the night some of the rebels turn thieves and could kill him for nothing.
He said that would be out of his control as the weapons have no rules of engagement .So he spent the night with them and during the night they started becoming friendlier. Toure was the interpreter during most conversation with the other rebels. Their English if understood was not that great but was okay for simple conversations.
“I asked if there were any child soldiers but they said no but if things got critical there would be. With that statement I knew there was” he said.
In the morning, he left and was passed over from one checkpoint to the other through the woods until they got to Danane.
The commander said Ivory Coast was not the place to walk so he advised him to leave Danane to Abidjan and get another to Noe which is the border. He said some of these rebels have organized themselves as highway robbers even from Abidjan to Noe .Therefore it’s not safe  
“I’m now safe and sound at the Elubo border on the Ghana side where I ‘m updating this blog. I will set off on the final leg heading for Accra .I would like all to know I’m safe and sound with all limbs intact. I have a lot to tell”, he concluded.