Paramount Chief Alimamy Bockarie Yalan Koroma III of Dansogoia Chiefdom, and Hon. PC Alhaji Musa Bamba Foray Kulio Jalloh III, of Sambaia Chiefdom.The tribal authorities and residents of the Dansogoia, Sambaia, and Diang Chiefdoms have formally expressed their strong opposition to the recent position taken by the Sierra Leone Mines and Minerals Development and Management Corporation (SLMMDC) and the Ministry of Information and Civic Education (MoICE) regarding the contentious Kasafoni land dispute. This rejection was articulated in a petition letter dated June 23, 2025, addressed to the Speaker of Parliament, highlighting what they describe as an unlawful and unconstitutional maneuver by both government bodies.
In their letter, the community leaders and landowners stated, “We, the people, traditional authorities, and landowners of Dansogoia, Sambaia, and Diang Chiefdoms, write to formally object to recent government communications—specifically the public notice issued by the SLMMDC on June 5, 2025, and the statement from MoICE on June 11, 2025.” They argue that the assertions made by the SLMMDC and MoICE to claim exclusive ownership and leasing rights over the Kasafoni area directly violate customary land ownership rights, as well as pertinent national laws, including the Customary Land Right Act of 2022 and the Mines and Minerals Development Act of 2022.
The chiefdoms have urged Parliament to acknowledge their legitimate lease agreement with the Gento Group of Companies, asserting that Section 2 of the regulation in question should be deemed invalid from the outset due to its contradiction with the Constitution of Sierra Leone. “We trust that you will give this matter the urgency and attention it deserves in the interest of justice, community rights, and national cohesion,” they concluded, emphasising the need for a fair resolution to the dispute.
