Paul Kamara

Paul Kamara (born 12 August 1956) is a Sierra Leonean journalist, football manager, and cabinet minister.

Background Kamara was born on 12 August 1956 in Kambia District, Sierra Leone. He is Catholic and holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Sierra Leone. Kamara has at times been critical of all sides in Sierra Leone's conflicts and has reportedly angered multiple political parties. The citation of the Civil Courage Prize lauded Kamara as a journalist who had "consistently crusaded against corruption and other social ills, championed press freedom, human rights and democratic values in Sierra Leone, despite continual harassment and intimidation". On 25 September 2001, Kamara and six other journalists received anonymous death threats following their criticism of the government's decision to postpone elections. Government spokespeople denied involvement, and accused the journalists of fabricating the threats to win international sympathy. He was sentenced to six months in prison and a fine of 4,500 leones (about US$2). Kamara was subsequently arrested, and in 2004, was imprisoned on two charges of seditious libel. Equipment was confiscated from For Di People offices, including Kamara's car, and the newspaper was shut down for six months.

BBC News described Kamara's case as sparking "wide public interest with pleas from media rights groups worldwide demanding his release". as did Reporters Without Borders. In 2011, his ministry came into conflict with Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) over the appointment of Swedish coach Lars-Olof Mattsson. The SLFA had pushed for Christian Cole to coach the team instead, culminating in the two coaches naming different squads for a June 2011 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. In 2000, he also briefly served as Team Manager of the national football team, the Leone Stars. During his tenure, he reportedly came into conflict with head coach Abdulai Garincha.