Local chiefs and landowners have accused the Sierra Leone Mines and Minerals Development and Mining Corporation (SLMMDMC) of trying to revoke a locally negotiated lease with the Gento Group of Companies, escalating a contentious dispute over control of the iron ore-rich Kasafoni concession in Tonkolili North. Community leaders claim that if the government does not move swiftly to mediate and protect impacted citizens, the standoff could spark broader social unrest, jeopardise customary land rights, and result in grave human rights violations.
To resolve the conflict, Chief Minister David Moinina Sengeh informed Parliament more than a month ago that the executive would seek an inclusive discussion involving the Gento Group, SLMMDMC, local chiefs, and landowners. To facilitate the proposed executive-led mediation, Kasafoni landowners petitioned Parliament to postpone hearings on the matter. However, community members report little to no progress weeks after that pledge, and the delay has increased residents’ anxiety as they worry about losing control over their ancestral land.
Political and legal issues are the conflict’s most obvious fault lines: While Sierra Leonean company Gento Group cites a lease agreement it claims was signed directly with local landowners and traditional authorities and accepted as legally binding by the government, SLMMDMC, which was created under Constitutional Instrument No. 11, maintains state ownership and control over the Kasafoni concession. Local authorities have formally petitioned Parliament for recognition and enforcement of their agreement with Gento, arguing that their lease is still valid.
Chiefs and residents claim that tensions increased even more after rumours circulated that SLMMDMC had been pressuring or urging local authorities to sign new lease agreements. Community representatives claim that these methods have frequently been used with little consultation and in situations they characterise as divisive and coercive. According to those on the ground, these strategies impede the free participation of impacted families and undercut traditional procedures that control land decisions.
According to a civil society activist who worked with the Kasafoni communities, “the blatant disregard for the principle of free, prior, and informed consent is alarming.” This statement reflects a broader concern among rights advocates that fundamental human rights standards are not being upheld. Leaders in the community caution that attempts to get around traditional negotiation procedures run the risk of severing community ties and possibly sparking open conflict.
Legal experts and observers warn that a risky precedent could be set if the government permits an apparent state attempt to reassert control over land or reallocate it without settling conflicting claims fairly and legally. They claim that in a nation still attempting to maintain tenuous stability, such a development would set a precedent where communities are displaced in favour of state-backed organisations, undermining faith in public institutions and intensifying rural resentment.
Additionally, the executive’s apparent lack of urgency has been criticised. Residents claim that despite the Chief Minister’s public commitment to mediation, the follow-through has been inadequate, resulting in their petition remaining in Parliament and their concerns going unresolved. Community advocates contend that this apparent inertia exacerbates the feeling of desertion and exposes locals to coercion and threats from more influential parties.
There are increasing calls for a prompt, open, and rights-respecting strategy. Local leaders are requesting that the government immediately hold the promised talks again, make sure that all impacted chiefs and landowners are included in any discussions, and permit independent confirmation of conflicting claims. They demand that customary land tenure and the rights of long-term occupants be fully taken into account by the law, and they want protections against coercive agreements.
Human rights organisations and analysts call on authorities to make sure that compensation or benefit-sharing arrangements adhere to fairness and transparency standards, to give legal clarity regarding the validity of existing leases, and to centre the principle of free, prior, and informed consent in any settlement. To safeguard vulnerable parties and avoid escalation, they advise that any mediation incorporate unbiased third-party facilitators and legal review.
In certain areas of Kasafoni, everyday existence is currently characterised by uncertainty. Families who have been farming and residing on these lands for many generations are concerned about being uprooted or losing their access to essential sources of income. Community leaders warn that what started as a business dispute now has the makings of a human rights crisis, and the possibility that a state entity could unilaterally change land tenure arrangements has heightened sentiment in the enclave.
There may be repercussions that go beyond local issues if the disagreement is not settled. Observers caution that if citizens believe the state is complicit in ignoring customary rights, it could harm institutions’ reputations and have wider societal effects. The window to defuse the situation before it turns violent is closing, and calls for the Chief Minister and other government actors to act swiftly and openly are only going to get stronger as tensions rise and patience wears thin.
