WASHINGTON, D.C., 24 September 2000 (internetsoccer.com) -- Recently, Abdul Thompson Conteh's mood on the gloomy situation in his homeland has brightened somewhat. But while coverage of the famine and bloodshed in his native Sierra Leone has improved, the San Jose Earthquakes striker would like to see more. That is why he will travel from his Northern Virginia off-season home to Capitol Hill to attend a congressional hearing concerning Sierra Leone this Tuesday.
For those who are unaware of what is going on in Sierra Leone, here's a brief history lesson. Since 1991 the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) has created chaos in the diamond-rich West African nation. The RUF rebels have been responsible for over 80,000 deaths and have taken over the government, ending the country's previously democratic rule.
The hearing, which will take place at 10:30 a.m. in Room 2172 of the Rayburn House Office Building, will try to bring greater awareness to the brutal Sierra Leone conflict and its devastating impact on its children. The program will feature eight victims of forced amputations, mostly children, who will discuss the conditions they face in their country.
After the hearing, these victims will travel to New York to be fitted with prostheses at the Gift of Limbs Project of Staten Island. The RUF has mutilated more than 20,000 Sierra Leoneans, including children as young as two, with its policy of forced amputations. The RUF has also abducted and abused thousands of children.
"The rebels have been bombing my country for nine years now, killing my people," said Conteh, who led San Jose in scoring this season (eight goals, three assists for 19 points). "You can't live in a country like that."
Conteh recently said that he is on the verge of launching a non-profit organization. This is in addition to his efforts with the Santa Clara Valley chapter of the American Red Cross to raise funds to try to relieve the suffering in his home country.
His heart remains in his homeland, but he knows he cannot return there until the situation improves. "Washington is my home now," he said.
Conteh has made it his personal crusade to bring awareness to the problems in Sierra Leone by organizing relief efforts and writing to several publications, including a letter published in USA TODAY. At least 20 of his cousins, aunts and uncles have been killed in the civil war.
And now he has Congress helping him in his crusade.
"Now is a critical moment in Sierra Leone. It remains to be seen whether the international community will respond sufficiently to its brutal crisis, which threatens all of West Africa," said Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA-39), who will chair the House Africa Subcommittee hearing. "'Sierra Leone's Youngest Victims: We Can't Ignore' [the title of the hearing] is one effort to see that it does."
Conteh said that any coverage on Sierra Leone makes "me a happy athlete and I am even happier when there are more articles on things that concern my country."
Monetary donations may be made to the Santa Clara Valley Red Cross for Sierra Leone relief efforts, either by calling (408) 577-2114 or online at www.redcross.org/ca/scv. For more information, call the Red Cross at (408) 577-1000.
