Draft:Chernoh Alpha M. Bah

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Chernoh Alpha M. Bah (born March 28, 1979) is a Sierra Leonean journalist and historian. He is currently a postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern University in the Program of African Studies within the Department of History.[1] Bah is editor-in-chief at the Africanist Press, a grassroots organization promoting civil engagement and the protection of democratic processes.[2] As a result of his whistleblowing, political activism, and anti-corruption reporting, he is in exile in the United States.

Early life and education[edit]

Bah was born in Makeni on March 28, 1979 where he attended St. Francis Secondary School. He later graduated from Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone with a bachelor's degree in history and sociology with a diploma in African studies.[3][4] He recieved his doctorate from Northwestern University in 2023.[1]

Career[edit]

As a teen in 1995, Bah helped form and lead the Pan-African Movement for Human Rights and Democratic Development. Two years later, he assisted in creating the Awareness Movement.[5] Both advocated for the civil and democratic rights of people in Sierra Leone. As a result, he was exiled and fled to Guinea where he founded the Young Writers Association in 1999.[4]

In 2001, Bah was imprisoned in Guinea for his political activity on charges of "espionage and sedition".[6][7] Upon his release, he founded the Africanist Movement, working to unify Africa under a socialist ideology. Their advocacy includes reclaiming people's control of the economy, economic and infrastructural development, the right to and free health care.[8] In 2006, he went on a Freedom Tour around the United States, sponsored by the African People’s Socialist Party, to advocate for the principles of the Africanist Movement.[9]

In 2009, he was Director of Organization of African Socialist International, where he assisted in coordinating conferences and mobilizing the organization across Africa.[10][11]

While serving as spokesperson for the coalition between then National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and African Socialist Movement (ASM), Bah ran to represent Makeni, Constituency 28, in Sierra Leone. This bid for parliament came in November 2012 while he was Chairman of the African Socialist Movement.[3] The Sierra Leonean government has continually attempted to criminalize the Movement in order to justify arrests against leaders and censor allegations of neocolonialism.[12]

He has participated as editor and columnist for The Point, Concord Times, and The Democrat newspapers.[13]

Today, Bah specializes in medical, legal, and economic history of Western Africa with a focus in Sierra Leone. With the support of Northwestern's Chabraja Center for Historical Studies, he is the editor-in-chief at the Africanist Press.[1] He hosts the Africanist Press Podcast weekly. He has accepted a position as a postdoctoral research fellow at Brown University's Watson Institute Africa Initiative.[14] He is also a leader of the Writing for Justice Campaign which investigates and writes on human rights abuses in Africa.[15]

Controversy and criminal allegations[edit]

Despite previous support from the African People’s Socialist Party, their primary newspaper, The Burning Spear, published a piece on May 22, 2022 explaining Bah's seperation from African Socialist International (ASI). They described him as a "opportunistic and dishonest force of the highest order" who abused ASI's assistance for his own financial and political gain.[16]

Since his activism began, Sierra Leone and other West African governments have spoken out against the threat Bah poses to their regimes. In March 2021, Senior State House Lawyers of the Sierra Leonean government sued the Africanist Press and Bah after they published illegally obtained private documents, including[clarification needed] about $3 million USD received by First Lady Mrs. Fatima Bio after her husband's inauguration.[17] The Bank of Sierra Leone requested immediate criminal action.[18]

On May 4, 2022, Sierra Leone's Office of National Security complained to the country's media regulator about the possibility of civil unrest instigated by Africanist Press publications.[19][20] Bah has received multiple death threats via social media.[21]

After the release of damning financial documents, Bah faced multiple legal allegations. On May 23, a Facebook group known as Trusted Blog called on authorities to charge Bah with cybercrimes.[22] On May 24, Sorie Fofana of the Sierra Leone People’s Party accused Bah and the Press of treason for releasing payroll documents about wage disparities between senior officers and members of the military.[23]

Awards and Recognition[edit]

In 2010, Bah was recognized as an honored guest at the West Africa Media Forum and Awards Conference in Lagos, Nigeria.[24]

Works[edit]

Books[edit]

  • The Ebola Outbreak in West Africa: Corporate Gangsters, Multinationals, and Rogue Politicians. Philadelphia: Africanist Press 2015. ISBN 0996973923
  • Neocolonialism in West Africa: A Collection of Essays and Articles. Philadelphia: Africanist Press 2017. ISBN 0996973931

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "Chernoh Alpha M. Bah". Department of History - Northwestern University. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  2. ^ "About Africanist Press". AFRICANIST PRESS. 2014-12-16. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  3. ^ a b "Chernoh Alpha M Bah". africansocialistmovement. 2012-03-12. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  4. ^ a b "Chernoh Alpha M Bah". www.giraffe.org. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  5. ^ Vanguard, The Patriotic (2009-04-16). "Chernor Bah stopped in Tanzania". The Patriotic Vanguard. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  6. ^ "Guest to talk of diamonds and disaster". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  7. ^ "Chernoh Alpha M Bah". African Unity In The 21st Century Tour. 2012-06-20. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  8. ^ Ndamane, Siyabulela (2012-04-05). "KEY POINTS IN THE ASM PROGRAM". africansocialistmovement. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  9. ^ "Chernoh Alpha M. Bah ends successful U.S. tour". The Burning Spear. 2006-03-31. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  10. ^ "Chernor Bah stopped in Tanzania". The Patriotic Vanguard. 2009-04-16. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  11. ^ "African People's Socialist Party 5th Congress - Political Report - The African Socialist International is growing in Africa". asiuhuru.org. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  12. ^ "Sierra Leone Movement Under Attack! - UK Indymedia". www.indymedia.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  13. ^ "Chernor Bah stopped in Tanzania". The Patriotic Vanguard. 2009-04-16. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  14. ^ "Africanist Press Editor to join Brown University's Watson Institute". AFRICANIST PRESS. 2024-04-12. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  15. ^ "Our Team". Write For Justice Campaign. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  16. ^ "The struggle against Chernoh Alpha M. Bah: Build the African Socialist International and revolutionary African Internationalism!". The Burning Spear. 2012-05-22. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  17. ^ "State House Lawyers Sue Chernoh, Africanist Press". AYV News. 2021-03-02. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  18. ^ Bank of Sierra Leone (April 20, 2021). "RE: CRIMINAL COMPLAINT AGAINST CHERNOH A.M. BAH AND AFRICANIST PRESS - BRIEFING". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  19. ^ "Sierra Leone publisher Chernoh Alpha Bah threatened with death, charges of treason". Committee to Protect Journalists. 2022-05-31. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  20. ^ Caulker, Abdulai (May 4, 2022). "REQUEST FOR ADMONITION OF THE AFRICANIST PRESS AGAINST INCITING PUBLICATIONS". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  21. ^ Oldfield, Jackson (2022-07-18). "Statement in support of Sierra-Leone journalist Chernoh Bah". CiFAR. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  22. ^ Trusted Blog (May 23, 2023). "CONCERN OVER THE ACTIVITIES OF AFRICANIST PRESS". m.facebook.com. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  23. ^ Fofana, Sorie. "Africanist Press... . Stop Inciting Soldiers𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬….𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐬". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  24. ^ "African People's Socialist Party leader Chernoh Alpha M. Bah receives journalism award in Nigeria during West Africa tour". The Burning Spear. 2010-02-20. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
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