And there was dancing in the streets

Yesterday I traveled from the border of Guinea to Kenema, Sierra Leone, a motobike adventure that took 7 or 8 hours through a countryside of cacao, coffee, rice, bananas, small villages and forests.  And numerous rain created craters that my moto taxi drivers supremely and expertly navigated.  There was a border river crossing, some fierce negotiations on moto bike prices, and an abandoned Guinean tank in Sierra Leone as a remnant of the war that ended in 2002.  It was an exhausting and thrilling adventure through an area that was once the heart of the rebel movement, and as such that trip deserves a post of its own, however it could only be super-ceded by the events of last night.

I arrived in Kenema exhausted and penniless, found a hotel, then a bank, then internet and then a bar in about one hour.  It was a masterful performance, if I say so myself, assisted by the proximity of all such locations to my hotel.  Bringing me a beer was the barman Bobi Brown, who spoke some English but seemed satisfied just to sit down at the table with me and observe the passing crowds on the road.  His cousin, Francis, soon joined us and was far more interested in conversation.  Francis works for the equivalent of the IRS although he assured me, "We are not as hated as your IRS!"  We chatted for some time, and as my first beer was being finished and I was contemplating finding some dinner, Bobi grabbed Francis and me and directed us inside to watch the results of the presidential election being announced.

Sierra Leone just finished their second presidential election since the end of the war in 2002.  Voting was conducted last Saturday, November 17, and appeared to have been conducted freely and peacefully.  To my surprise the results were announced last night.  Right before the announcement Francis informed me that he was a supporter of the SLPP, Sierra Leone Peoples Party, the main opposition.  The President, of the APC (All Peoples Congress), he expected to be re-elected.  He said Kenema was an opposition stronghold and when I asked if there would be violence if the president was re-elected, he said he doubted so.  After 20 minutes of thorough explanations on the legitimacy of the elections, the support of international and national observers, explanations on where there were irregularities in the ballots, and why they were dismissed, and why all monitoring parties agreed to dismiss those ballots, seemed to drag on and on.  The main thoroughfare outside was nearly deserted as everyone was crowding around tvs.  And then the chairwoman of the election committee announced that the President had been reelected with 58% of the vote (he needed 55% to avoid a runoff).  The atmosphere of the bar was quiet for a moment or two and then some young boys ran out shouting as if in victory.  Within 5 minutes men and women were spilling out into the streets, shouting and waving and quite literally dancing in the streets.  In 20 minutes the main thoroughfare was a sea of red (the color of the APC party) as supporters of the president were dancing and shouting and singing and thumping their chests in victory.  Bobi and Francis took a seat on the patio of the bar, and as I did not really want to venture out into that mass of people, I ordered another beer and joined my friends. 

I asked Francis, "And this is an opposition city? It looks like there is broad support of the president." He assured me if the SLPP won the streets would be overflowing.  He also suggested many of these people were SLPP but just wanted to join in on a party.  To my eyes it looked rather festive.  Cars creeping by blaring their horns, people hanging out the windows, dancing on top of the car, screaming and shouting victory for the president.  Marches, at a slow trot, of young men and women chanting slogans as if they had been trained in military formations.  The only comparable image I could think of is if it was Bloomington Indiana and the Hoosiers just won the NCAA tourny (although certainly with more alcohol and less organized slogans and chants). It was that kindof exuberance, nothing compared with the cynicism of politics in the US. Francis took the whole night rather well, talking and joking with the chief strategist of the APC for Kenema, who had come into the bar with his entourage for some victory beers.  Francis said he makes a concerned effort to remain friends with APC bigwigs, because as a "well known SLPP family" he worries about his job.  He said the government will fire you for being part of the opposition, for belonging to the wrong party.  I asked him what can he do? He said nothing, but have faith in God to take care of him.  And makes friends with everyone.         

After a couple hours of this I was truly tired, just wanted some food, but the restaurant next door had shut its doors.  They were reportedly SLPP supporters.  So I found some sketchy street meat, some cold sweet potato fries and ketchup, and had Francis walk me back to my hotel. He assured me I was safe walking home, but he wanted to come along just to be sure.  I felt better that way too. 

Today, the celebration continues.  But it is mostly young men, in their teens and 20s, who walk around with their red shirts of the president, thumping their chests and screaming as if they had still just made the winning shot in the championship game.  Again it feels like a sports match, as if Man City just beat Man U in the Champions League final and the City fans were now strutting the streets to show off to their opponents.  I applaud a peaceful election, and most of all a free and fair election, but the celebration of many of these young men is a bit too fanatical.  But perhaps I am being too negative.  Perhaps it should be sufficient to say in a country such as Sierra Leone such celebrating is welcome.  Its not too often you find such reportedly free elections in this part of the world.