They say Sierra Leoneans don’t know how to fight because when they do, they embark upon self-destruction by causing more harm than good to themselves. They amputate, slaughter, kill, and burn down their houses and properties. This is what the Krio will call ‘Munku Fet’. We fight for no better reason than just cause more harm than good to ourselves.

My good old friend Kamanda, is a double amputee and former member of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF).

He is always seen in front of the St. Mary’s Supermarket close to the Hill Station roundabout from where he practices his full-time job as a street beggar. He used to stand in front of the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank in the central business district of Freetown but had to be abandoned there because of the overcrowding of Amputees and street beggars alike.

According to reports, Kamanda was among the first batch of officers who were captured by the Revolutionary United Front rebels along Bomaru Village, Kailahun district.

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Luckily, they were not killed but were amputated and given letters to deliver to the late President Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabba that they were coming for him. My friend Kamanda is now left on his own to battle with survival for himself and his family daily.

Walking along the central business district of Freetown one can vividly see the scares of the eleven years of senseless war in Sierra Leone. Amputees and doves of street beggars will clad on your vehicle as if they want to lift it up for you so you just fly over the city. To make matters worse for them there are no toilet facilities and therefore they’re forced to attend to nature wherever.

I have been following the causes of wars in different parts of the world for decades but the one war that made me laugh was the one in Sierra Leone dubbed ‘a senseless war’ by both citizens and the international community. As we can say in our local Palanca; No ade, No tail! Senseless, reckless, and good-for-nothing war.
This is the only war where everyone was a loser and no winner.

Here we are again with the same ‘bad heart and negativity’ against ourselves while some unscrupulous elements are calling for another ‘senseless and headless war’ all in the name of tribes or party politics. What a shame!

Unfortunately, what most people in Sierra Leone didn’t understand was the forces behind the deployment of the largest contingent of the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces to the country. During those trying times, we had people like Dr. Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabba, Dr. James Jonah, and the UN Secretary-General Koffi Anan who used their personal connections and influence to rally the international community to give their inflicting financial and military support to our country.
For how long can we continue to look up to the international community for help after destroying our country? Do you think they will come again to spend their hard-earned taxpayer’s Money on us? I doubt it very much.

Meanwhile, many political Commentators and Human Rights organizations believe that Sierra Leoneans haven’t learned anything from the eleven years of senseless and reckless rebel war that destroyed their country.

While giving an objective assessment of the negative impact of the rebel war on Sierra Leone, Pa Kabba said, the country has gone backward for 30 years.

Let common sense prevail!