▁intern ▁and ▁later ▁as ▁a ▁rep orter ▁covering ▁local ▁news , ▁including ▁a ▁st int ▁in ▁the ▁Ham pt ons , ▁on ▁the ▁East ▁End ▁of ▁Long ▁Island . ▁He ▁eventually ▁became ▁United ▁Nations ▁Cor respond ent , ▁a ▁per ch ▁from ▁which ▁he ▁began ▁to ▁cover ▁Africa , ▁making ▁several ▁extended ▁tri ps ▁to ▁the ▁continent . ▁He ▁was ▁subsequently ▁named ▁Africa ▁Cor respond ent , ▁based ▁in ▁Johannes burg , ▁South ▁Africa , ▁following ▁the ▁release ▁of ▁Nelson ▁Mand ela ▁from ▁prison . ▁ ▁O lo j ede ▁later ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁correspond ent ▁in ▁China ▁from ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁to ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁after ▁being ▁named ▁Asia ▁Bureau ▁Chief , ▁based ▁in ▁Be ij ing . ▁His ▁reporting ▁took ▁him ▁to ▁all ▁but ▁a ▁hand ful ▁of ▁Asia ▁countries . ▁Following ▁his ▁assignment ▁in ▁Asia , ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁Long ▁Island ▁where ▁he ▁became ▁foreign ▁editor ▁of ▁News day . ▁In ▁January ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁O lo j ede ▁took ▁an ▁opportunity ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁Africa ▁as ▁a ▁correspond ent ▁to ▁write ▁about ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁R wand an ▁gen o cide , ▁ten ▁years ▁later . ▁ ▁In ▁April ▁ 1 9 9 4 , ▁when ▁the ▁gen o cide ▁broke ▁out ▁in ▁R w anda , ▁O lo j ede ▁was ▁covering ▁the ▁South ▁African ▁general ▁elections , ▁the ▁first ▁free ▁elections ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁apart heid . ▁O lo j ede ▁has ▁said ▁that ▁while