February 1999, the rebels still controlled much of the country and had invaded Freetown. But the war ended in 2002, before the BIA's February 2003 decision. According to the 2002 Department of State Country Report, though widespread problems remain, the rebel forces and civil defense militia loyal to Kabbah have demobilized, Kabbah was reelected in peaceful May 2002 elections, and the rebels "did not exert significant control over the civilian population in any area of the country."


6
To be eligible for asylum, Jalloh must demonstrate that he is unable or unwilling to return to Sierra Leone "because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion." 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(42)(A). "To show a well-founded fearLeone. He fears persecution by the rebels, who can identify him from his photograph and fingerprints, because he deserted their training camp, because he is a Muslim Fullah, and because of his relation to Barrie, a wealthy government supporter. He fears persecution by the government or its local militias because they may have accessed rebel records that include Jalloh's photograph and fingerprints, in which case they will treat him as a former rebel combatant. He does not share Barrie's family name, and his father's local support of the Kabbah government was not sufficiently well-known to assuage government suspicion of Jalloh's loyalty.


8
The BIA concluded that Jalloh had "not met his burden of proof to show past persecution or a well-founded fear of future persecution." Jalloh's fear of the rebels