The Freetown City Council (FCC) has yesterday organised cultural parade to honour Councilors, staff and the leaders of the 17 ethnic groups in the country.

The cultural parade is part of the 230 years anniversary celebration of Freetown.

“It was my absolute honor to join Councillors, staff and the leaders of the 17 ethnic groups in Freetown together for a cultural parade around the central business district in commemoration of #FreetownAt230,” the Mayor of Freetown Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr stated.

She added that, “Seeing such rich display of culture in our streets is a true testament of Freetown being the home of ethnic diversity.”

The mayor went on to thank all those who made the parade a success.

Sierra Leone is composed of some 17 native ethnic groups, constituting 90% of the total population. The 2 largest are the Mende (about 30% of the population) and Temne (about 30%). Other peoples, making up the remaining 30% of the country’s populace, include the Bullom, Fulani, Gola, Kissi, Kono, Koranko, Krim, Kru, Limba, Loko, Malinke, Sherbro, Susu, Vai, and Yalunka. Creoles, descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who settled in the Freetown area in the late 18th century, account for the remaining 10% of the total population.