POLITICS-SIERRA LEONE: No Peace in Mineral-Rich Kono District

By Lansana Fofana Reprint | | Print |

Lansana Fofana

KOIDU, Sierra Leone, Apr 16 1998 (IPS) - Remnants of the ousted Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) are waging a war of terror against villagers in Sierra Leone’s eastern district of Kono, leaving many people without homes and on the verge of starvation.

Former members of the AFRC junta, which was deposed from power in February, have burnt more than 100 homes, offices and shops in Koidu town, and some 2000 civilians are being held hostage as human shields in readiness for an expected offensive by the West African Peacekeeping Force (ECOMOG) to take control of the district.

“I saw heavily armed junta rebels patrolling the town and setting fire to houses indiscriminately,” says Komra Matturi, a civil servant based in Kono, the main town in the district.

“More than 30 decomposed bodies litter the streets of Koidu and the junta troops have been busy mining diamonds and gold, and planting anti-personnel land mines,” Matturi told IPS.

The eastern district of Kono was the scene of heavy fighting during Sierra Leone’s six year civil war as Revolutionary United Front(RUF) rebels and government troops battled for control of the area’s gold and diamond fields.

The former AFRC government of Major Johnny Paul Koroma took control of the area when it ousted the civilian government and came to power last May.

But in February, when ECOMOG stepped up its attacks to oust the junta, the Kamajors, a local hunter militia which supports the government of President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah, recaptured the district.

Last month, retreating junta troops took over the district once again. According to reports, Koroma and other key AFRC and RUF commanders are among the group fighting to maintain control of the area.

ECOMOG has liberated three-fourths of the 12 districts in the country, and according to an ECOMOG ground commander: “We are poised to flush the junta out of Kono. The only problem now is how to take the town and not kill hundreds of innocent civilians who are held hostage.”

Paramount Chief Abu Ngongomba, a member of parliament who represents all the traditional leaders in Kono, told IPS that up to 100,000 of Kono’s roughly 250,000 inhabitants are scattered in towns and villages surrounding Kono and in neighbouring Ghana.

“These people are living in appalling conditions,” the chief said. “It is an eyesore to see starving mothers and babies sleeping in the open air and sick people not getting any medical attention.”

“Health care services are lacking and food supplies have considerably dwindled. Our people there are faced with famine and death,” Chief Ngongomba added.

Sahr Gborie, a medical doctor, confirmed the deteriorating health situation in the area. “Ten children die daily from malnutrition and disease, and there is no good drinking water. In fact, the greatest problem facing the people is an outbreak of cholera, which has killed more than 40 men, women and children,” Dr Gborie said.

One political analyst interviewed warned that if the rebels continue to maintain control of the area, they will siphon off the precious minerals to purchase arms.

“It is not surprising that the junta is eyeing Kono to become their stronghold, because there they can mine gold and diamonds and use the proceeds to purchase more arms and ammunitions,” said Samuel Kamara.

“If the junta is allowed to keep Kono for two months, then we are in big trouble, because they would have amassed quite enough to keep up the battle against ECOMOG and the Kamajors,” Kamara added.