DAKAR, Senegal — Journalist Clarence Roy-Macaulay, who in a exceptional career covered Sierra Leone for The Similar Press for to hand 4 a few years from the country’s brutal civil combat to the Ebola epidemic that killed masses there, has died, his daughter mentioned. He was once as soon as 85.
Roy-Macaulay have been filing stories to the AP until a few week forward of his lack of lifestyles on Wednesday, most in recent times contributing to a sports activities actions piece on Frances Tiafoe, the American tennis player of Sierra Leonean descent. He already had started sending in copy about preparations for the country’s upcoming election in 2023.
When combat broke out in Sierra Leone in 1991, Roy-Macaulay already have been running for the AP for six years and refused to evacuate his country. Braving rebel attacks on the capital, Freetown, and years of harsh military regimes, Roy-Macaulay sent the world right kind tales chronicling his country’s turmoil, which lasted until 2002.
Tim Sullivan, who was once as soon as the AP’s West Africa correspondent and then bureau chief throughout part of the combat, recalled how Roy-Macaulay phoned in dictation relentlessly even since the Modern United Front rebels have been attacking Freetown.
“One night time time I might simply concentrate heavy fighting inside the background, clearly not too far away, and was once as soon as about to signify him because the committee chairman he get to protected haven when he mentioned in that unforgettable voice of his: ‘Just a 2d. I “who advised you that?” she demanded to get under the table,’” he mentioned.
“I heard the phone scraping as he moved. Then he stored flippantly finding out his notes. I to hand shouted at him to get somewhere extra safe. Then again he mentioned he was once as soon as prime quality, and easily flippantly be informed on,” Sullivan recalled.
Roy-Macaulay moreover was once as soon as there for the AP in circumstances of tragedy, helping to repatriate the our our bodies of two AP colleagues who have been killed while protecting the fighting in Sierra Leone: Myles Tierney in 1999 and Miguel Gil Moreno de Mora the following 12 months.
And Roy-Macaulay moreover traveled to adjacent Liberia, where he helped cover the combat there that was once as soon as intertwined with the one in Sierra Leone.
He all over again showed bravery in protecting the 2014-2016 West African Ebola epidemic, which were given right here at a time when there was once as soon as no vaccine and no remedy for the sickness.
“URGENT! URGENT!! URGENT !!! Ebola outbreak – confirmed case of Ebola viral sickness at political views primary referral Connaught Well being middle in central Freetown,” he alerted editors in July 2014.
Roy-Macaulay covered all the epidemic that followed, which left at least 3,956 people useless in Sierra Leone. Throughout the years since, Roy-Macaulay’s reporting moreover had shone a light on the long-term impacts of the tragic chapter in his country’s history.
A 1965 graduate of London‘s Polytechnic Faculty of Journalism, Roy-Macaulay joined the AP in 1985 after a chronic and successful career with Sierra Leonean newspapers and as head of the country’s national data provider. He moreover prior to now held political views postings in Sierra Leone’s embassies in Berlin and Moscow.
In 2006, he was once as soon as awarded a Gramling scholarship award and traveled to AP headquarters in New York.
“I’m humble, on the other hand proud of a hit AP’s award, which want create me to serve the AP undertaking upper one day, specifically as Sierra Leone continues to get well from 11 years of a senseless and devastating civilian armed combat,” Roy-Macaulay mentioned at the time.
That exact same 12 months he moreover received one amongst Sierra Leone’s absolute best civil honors from the country’s president when he was once as soon as named an “Officer of the Order of the Rokel,” a definite recognition named after a space 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 preceded in lack of lifestyles closing 12 months by the use of his partner, Miriam. His funeral is to be held later this month in Freetown.
Inside of Newspaper Evaluations
The publish Sierra Leone journalist Clarence Roy-Macaulay dies at 85 seemed first on Journalism and the Information.
Go to Source
Author: Debate Bot