Finance Minister Sheku Ahmed Fantamahdi BanguraAccording to a senior mines expert who wished to remain anonymous, Kasafoni land is still embroiled in controversy after a government delegation headed by Finance Minister Sheku Ahmed Fantamahdi Bangura visited two districts and three chiefdoms to sign a lease agreement. The expert cautioned that recent government actions run the risk of escalating long-standing tensions and that the land is “encumbered.”
The expert stated that the Sierra Leone Mines and Minerals Development and Management Corporation (SLMMDMC) and the Finance Ministry’s weekend interventions have made matters worse rather than better. “The moment issues start from a mining land, the whole place becomes disputed and it drives away serious investors,” the expert said.
Landowning families and young people protested Minister Bangura’s visit to Diang Chiefdom in Kabala, claiming they had already signed a contract with the Gento Group of Companies and pointing out the obvious advantages the company has brought to the community. The government delegation moved on to the Sambaia Chiefdom in the Tonkolili District, accompanied by over two trucks of police and military personnel, in response to the opposition in Diang. Critics have characterised this deployment as intimidating.
In a letter to members of parliament before the visit, Chief Minister David Sengeh asked that a petition about the Kasafoni land dispute be put on hold while officials looked for a peaceful resolution. Some local leaders and observers described the large government delegation’s move as desperate and potentially inflammatory, given that the Chief Minister was reportedly abroad during the Finance Minister’s visit.
Investors, legal professionals, and community leaders are becoming more and more worried that Kasafoni may be forced into protracted domestic and international litigation due to unresolved customary claims, overlapping agreements, and oppressive practices. The unnamed mines expert warned that ongoing disagreements and alleged procedural violations would discourage respectable investors and probably expose nearby communities to increased insecurity.
To prevent further escalation, calls are growing for all parties—government organisations, private businesses, and customary landowners—to halt unilateral actions, pledge to open mediation, and make sure any lease or development complies with the law and respects customary land rights.
