'Little and large' wedding brings thousands to Sierra Leone streets

Thousands of people have thronged the streets of the Sierra Leone capital, Freetown, to see one of the country's shortest people get married. Masire Kamara is well known in the city where she sells tea in a market.

When word spread that she was getting wed, many people did not believe it was true and went to see for themselves.



Street parties were held in the happy couple's honour. The event was covered live on state television and was on the front page of many newspapers.

Thousands packed the church and hundreds more climbed onto rooftops to see Sierra Leone's celebrity wedding - the local equivalent of David and Victoria Beckham. When it came to the first kiss, Ms Kamara had to stand on a chair to reach.



She is a Christian but her husband, Mohammed Basiru Alghali, is a Muslim so another ceremony was held in a mosque. Their motorcade was mobbed by people trying to shake their hands, as they drove through town to a reception at a community centre.

Several MPs and a former Freetown mayor also attended the event. One of Sierra Leone's best known celebrity journalists said: "I have been a show-business reporter for six years and I have never seen such a turn-out before."