Post a comment
From the diamond fields of Kono to the iron-rich hills of Marampa, our land holds resources that could have reshaped our economy, empowered our youth, and built lasting infrastructure. But instead of wealth, we’ve inherited wounds. Instead of progress, we’ve received pollution. And instead of dignity, we’ve been left with deals that have robbed us of our sovereignty.
Once again, the mining town of Koidu is in the news, not for prosperity, but for protest. Tensions have erupted over the long-standing operations of Koidu Holdings, a company that has become emblematic of everything wrong with Sierra Leone’s mining sector. This is not simply a labour issue or a community disagreement. It is a national reckoning. A confrontation between exploited citizens and a system that has, for too long, prioritised foreign profit over local dignity.
Koidu Holdings was welcomed into this country with high expectations. But what followed was a trail of broken promises, environmental destruction, and deepening mistrust. Residents have endured years of loud and dangerous blasting without fair compensation. Families have been relocated with little support. Farmlands have been compromised. Water sources have been polluted. Meanwhile, the diamonds continue to leave the country, polished, packaged, and protected, while host communities remain stuck in poverty.
And yet, Koidu is not alone. Across the country, other mining companies have mirrored this pattern. They secure generous concessions, enjoy tax breaks, operate under vague regulatory oversight, and contribute little to the communities from which they extract billions. The terms of many of these contracts are either hidden from public view or written in legal language designed to shield the truth from ordinary citizens. This secrecy is not accidental; it is strategic.
What makes the matter even more painful is that these contracts were not imposed upon us. They were signed by our leaders. Negotiated, approved, and celebrated by ministers, technocrats, and local chiefs entrusted with safeguarding the nation’s interests. In many cases, community consultations were rushed or bypassed altogether. This betrayal is not just foreign. It is also internal.
The recent involvement of the First Lady in leading a public protest has stirred both support and criticism. Regardless of political opinion, her presence marked a significant shift in how national figures respond to injustice. It was a bold and rare gesture in a country where high offices often remain detached from the struggles of ordinary people. But instead of reflection, the company responded with legal aggression; a letter threatening litigation against a public official who dared to speak up.
Such a move exposed more than corporate arrogance; it revealed how normalized it has become for foreign investors to dismiss local authority, challenge national figures, and treat Sierra Leone as a marketplace without consequence. That must end.
We cannot continue to sign away our natural wealth with little regard for long-term national benefit. Our people are not mere obstacles to be managed. They are rights-holders. And the land they live on is not just resource territory. It is ancestral ground, a place of memory, culture, and identity.
The government must take decisive steps now:
- Commission a full audit of all active mining agreements, particularly those with major players like Koidu Holdings. Let the public know what was signed, what has been delivered, and what has been violated.
- Reform the Mining and Minerals Act to prioritize community rights, enforce environmental protections, and demand transparency in all corporate reporting.
- Mandate benefit-sharing mechanisms that guarantee host communities a direct stake, not token CSR handouts, but a formal percentage of revenue, jobs, and development plans.
- Equip regulatory bodies with real power, prosecutorial authority, digital monitoring tools, and insulation from political influence.
- Suspend new mining concessions until a comprehensive national mining policy is adopted with inputs from civil society, technical experts, and local leaders.
Let us be clear: this is not a call for hostility toward investors. Sierra Leone needs investment. But we need partnerships, not plunder. Investors who operate in good faith, respect our laws, and uplift our people should be welcomed. Those who exploit loopholes, threaten our leaders, and ignore their social obligations should be shown the door.
For decades, we have exported diamonds and imported dependency. We have celebrated contracts while communities suffer. And we have praised production figures while young people roam the streets jobless. This must change.
Sierra Leone’s future cannot be built on extractive deals that enrich outsiders and leave citizens behind. Our dignity is not for sale. Our minerals must serve our people, not shame them.
It’s time we rewrite the rules. It’s time we hold both companies and our leaders accountable. And it’s time we ensure that the next chapter in our mining story is written in fairness, transparency, and justice. Only then will the diamonds beneath our feet finally shine for us all.
