"War-weary Nigerian soldiers are preparing to leave Sierra Leone where for
years they have formed the basis of a peacekeeping force." West Africa
correspondent Mark Doyle also wrote that "to a bluesy piano accompaniment,
a musical Nigerian major [sang] a song to celebrate his imminent return:

     Ecomog is through -
     Nigerians got to go home.
     Little darling,
     please don't you cry."

Elsewhere, the years are the 1930s-40s in the Caribbean, the beat is
Trinidadian calypso, and the strain
a familiar one:

     Brownskin gyal
     stay home an mind baby
     Brownskin gyal
     stay home an mind di baby
     I'm going away
     in a sailing boat,
     An if I don't come back,
     stay home an mind di baby...

A year ago I wrote that when ECOMOG forces left Liberia they left behind
25,000 children.  Could Sierra Leone be saddled with similar legacy?  Just
musing.

Ben

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