Krio Disendant Yunion

RESOLUTIONS

This meeting resolves to lay the following points for consideration by the government, political parties, civil society and the international community.

(1) The dual land tenure system in Sierra Leone has been a major hindrance to development nationally, as well as imposing discriminatory conditions upon citizens of Sierra Leone who hail from the Western Area. The land tenure system in the provinces restricts ownership of land and thus investment in these areas. The security that freehold tenure brings is absent in many parts of the country and this is a disincentive for young, able-bodied men and women to stay and develop their areas. We believe that it should be a right of all Sierra Leoneans anywhere in the country to own land freehold. Indeed government ministers in the past have gone on record to say this, and there is a procedure by which private individuals can purchase state land, but this right apparently only extends to the limits of the Western Area.

(2) Paramount chiefs representing some 4.5 million Sierra Leoneans in the provinces are represented in the national Parliament by 12 chiefs from among their number. Yet, the Western Area, with approximately 1.5 million Sierra Leoneans is not similarly represented. On a proportional basis the Western Area should be allocated four representatives in Parliament, specifically including the mayor of the Freetown City council.

(3) There are numerous national laws and local bye-laws to control street trading, litter and sanitation, obstruction of traffic, erection of unauthorized structures and other similar matters. The national and local governments have systematically failed to enforce these laws in the city of Freetown and the Western Area. This could be construed by the law breakers as encouragement to break these laws. Indeed the street traders are now fond of saying that this is ‘their’ government, meaning they can break these laws with impunity. Encouragement by the government to law breakers is a very serious matter, and it negatively impinges on the rights of peaceful and law abiding citizens. Failure to enforce laws regarding the erection of structures, such as are enforced everywhere else in the country, leads to the tremendous overcrowding we see in the city with its attendant sanitation, health and social consequences.

(4) There has been arbitrary interference from political authorities in the determination of land matters in the Western Area. Specific cases are best left to the appropriate courts for adjudication.

(5) The freehold system in the Western Area is threatened by government’s appropriation of private land without compensation.

(6) The system of traditional courts in the Western Area was never intended as a replacement for the court system, and it was never intended that natives of the Western Area should be brought before these courts. The entire issue of tribal chiefs in the Western Area needs to be approached with caution, as this is a multicultural society, where a single set of rules and laws should be enforced.

Our political system appears not to be taking these matters seriously, but we believe they are vital for the development of our nation. In the ongoing political contest these matters are hardly mentioned even though they directly affect the lives of residents of Freetown in particular and Sierra Leoneans in general, and have been issues of contention for many years. We call on political parties and leaders, especially at this time of political transition, to make known their plans to remedy the situations described and, as Krios and natives of the Western Area, we ask for equal treatment before the law in these, and indeed all, matters. We call on our fellow Sierra Leoneans and all friends of Sierra Leone to join us on these issues, as we believe that a fair resolution of these matters will be to the ultimate benefit of all Sierra Leoneans.