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The Court of Appeal of Sierra Leone has dismissed an appeal filed by mining company Octea Mining Limited and its associates, clearing the way for a long-running legal action brought by the Marginalised Affected Property Owners (MAPO) and other residents of Kono District to proceed before the High Court in Koidu.
According to a judgement dated May 28, 2026, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal led by Justice Alusine Sesay ruled that the appeal filed by Octea Limited challenging the assignment of the matter to the High Court in Kono lacked merit.
The court stated that, after considering all submissions made by the parties, it had decided pursuant to Rule 32(1) of the Supreme Court Rules of 1982, Public Notice No. 1 of 1982, that the “Notice of Appeal dated 13th day of January, 2026 is dismissed accordingly. No order as to cost.”
The ruling marks another major development in a legal dispute between residents of Kono District and Octea Limited, a mining company accused of causing environmental, economic and social harm through its mining operations.
The latest appeal arose after Chief Justice Komba Kamanda assigned the substantive matter to a resident High Court judge in Kono District following an earlier Court of Appeal judgement delivered on October 16, 2025.
In that landmark ruling, the Court of Appeal held in favour of MAPO and its associates, affirming their right to bring legal action against Octea Limited and other associated parties.
Following the Chief Justice’s decision to have the matter heard in Kono, Octea Limited and its associates challenged the assignment, prompting the appeal that has now been dismissed.
With the appeal resolved, the substantive case is expected to continue before the High Court in Koidu.
The case involves 74 class plaintiffs, 14 additional class plaintiffs and nine individual plaintiffs, all residents of Kono District. The plaintiffs had initially filed multiple writs of summons against Octea Limited and other associated parties, alleging a range of harms linked to mining activities in the district.
According to court documents, the plaintiffs claim they suffered unlawful deprivation of property, environmental degradation, economic displacement and emotional distress as a result of the defendants’ mining operations. The separate writs were later consolidated into a single action before the High Court.
MAPO has received support from Advocates for Community Alternatives (ACA), a Ghana-based human rights organisation that works with communities across West Africa affected by extractive industry projects.
The group also receives support from the Network Movement for Justice and Development (NMJD), a Sierra Leonean civil society and human rights organisation that advocates for communities affected by poverty and alleged injustices associated with mining activities.
The High Court proceedings are expected to focus on the substantive claims brought by the plaintiffs against Octea Limited and its associates as the parties continue their legal battle over the alleged impacts of mining operations in Kono District.
