The post Sierra Leone journalist Clarence Roy-Macaulay dies at 85 appeared first on Journalism and the News.
The post Sierra Leone journalist Clarence Roy-Macaulay dies at 85 – Journalism and the Information appeared first on Political Protests.
DAKAR, Senegal — Journalist Clarence Roy-Macaulay, who in a exceptional career covered Sierra Leone for The Equivalent Press for handy 4 a couple of years from the rustic’s brutal civil battle to the Ebola epidemic that killed plenty there, has died, his daughter discussed. He was once as soon as once 85.
Roy-Macaulay had been submitting tales to the AP till a couple of week ahead of his loss of life on Wednesday, maximum in recent years contributing to a sports activities actions movements piece on Frances Tiafoe, the American tennis participant of Sierra Leonean descent. He already had began sending in reproduction about arrangements for the rustic’s upcoming election in 2023.
When battle broke out in Sierra Leone in 1991, Roy-Macaulay have already got been running for the AP for 6 years and refused to evacuate his nation. Braving rebellion assaults at the capital, Freetown, and years of harsh army regimes, Roy-Macaulay despatched the arena proper stories chronicling his nation’s turmoil, which lasted till 2002.
Tim Sullivan, who was once as soon as as quickly because the AP’s West Africa correspondent after which bureau leader during a part of the battle, recalled how Roy-Macaulay phoned in dictation relentlessly even given that Leading edge United Entrance rebels had been attacking Freetown.
“One evening time time I would possibly merely pay attention heavy preventing during the background, obviously now not too far away, and was once as soon as once about to signify him for the reason that committee chairman he get to safe haven when he discussed in that unforgettable voice of his: ‘Only a 2nd. I “who knowledgeable you that?” she demanded to get underneath the desk,’” he discussed.
“I heard the telephone scraping as he moved. Then he saved frivolously learning his notes. I handy shouted at him to get someplace further secure. Alternatively he discussed he was once as soon as once top of the range, and simply frivolously be informed on,” Sullivan recalled.
Roy-Macaulay additionally was once as soon as once there for the AP in instances of tragedy, serving to to repatriate the our our our bodies of 2 AP colleagues who had been killed whilst covering the preventing in Sierra Leone: Myles Tierney in 1999 and Miguel Gil Moreno de Mora the next 12 months.
And Roy-Macaulay additionally traveled to adjoining Liberia, the place he helped quilt the battle there that was once as soon as once intertwined with the only in Sierra Leone.
He all over again confirmed bravery in covering the 2014-2016 West African Ebola epidemic, that have been given proper right here at a time when there was once as soon as once no vaccine and no treatment for the illness.
“URGENT! URGENT!! URGENT !!! Ebola outbreak – showed case of Ebola viral illness at political critiques primary referral Connaught Smartly being center in central Freetown,” he alerted editors in July 2014.
Roy-Macaulay covered all of the epidemic that adopted, which left no less than 3,956 other people useless in Sierra Leone. Within the years since, Roy-Macaulay’s reporting additionally had shone a mild at the long-term affects of the tragic bankruptcy in his nation’s historical past.
A 1965 graduate of London‘s Polytechnic School of Journalism, Roy-Macaulay joined the AP in 1985 after a protracted and a success any person at the head career with Sierra Leonean newspapers and as head of the rustic’s nationwide wisdom supplier. He additionally up to now held political critiques postings in Sierra Leone’s embassies in Berlin and Moscow.
In 2006, he was once as soon as once awarded a Gramling scholarship award and traveled to AP headquarters in New York.
“I’m humble, then again proud of a luck AP’s award, which need create me to serve the AP project higher sooner or later, specifically as Sierra Leone continues to get well from 11 years of a mindless and devastating civilian armed battle,” Roy-Macaulay discussed on the time.
That very same 12 months he additionally gained one amongst Sierra Leone’s easiest civil honors from the rustic’s president when he was once as soon as once named an “Officer of the Order of the Rokel,” a certain reputation named after an area river.
Roy-Macaulay is survived by the use of his daughter, Clarice, whom he mentored in journalism and his 2-year-old granddaugher, Vesta. He was once as soon as once preceded in loss of life final 12 months by the use of his spouse, Miriam. His funeral is to be held later this month in Freetown.
Move to Provide
Writer: Andrew Russell
The submit Sierra Leone journalist Clarence Roy-Macaulay dies at 85 – Journalism and the Knowledge seemed first on Political Protests.
Cross to Supply
Writer: Amina Ismail