By Amin Kef-Ranger
A long-anticipated deliberation on a Public Petition concerning the disputed Kasafoni Land failed to take place as the Parliamentary Committee on Lands did not convene on Monday, July 14, 2025, leaving stakeholders and landowners deeply frustrated.
This petition, considered the first formal Public Petition submitted to Parliament since the end of Sierra Leone’s civil conflict, holds critical constitutional significance. It centers on the human rights and land ownership claims of the people of Kasafoni in the mineral-rich Tonkolili District.
Credible investigations reveal that the Kasafoni community alleges their ancestral lands were unlawfully seized by the Sierra Leone Mines and Minerals Development and Management Corporation (SLMMDMC) without their free, prior and informed consent ; a violation of the 1991 Constitution, the Public Land Ordinance and the Customary Land Rights Act.
Sources close to the petitioners confirm that the community had previously entered a lease agreement with Gento Group, a private company viewed as respecting their customary ownership and community development needs. The involvement of SLMMDMC is now perceived as an imposition that threatens both land tenure security and the validity of locally sanctioned agreements.
Tensions remain high in Tonkolili, where community members have vowed to defend their land rights through all legal and peaceful means. “We are the rightful custodians of Kasafoni Land and will not allow any institution to take what belongs to us without consent,” said a community leader who wished to remain anonymous.
Legal experts and civil society observers warn that the Committee’s failure to meet on such a sensitive issue risks further inflaming tensions and undermining public trust in the legislative process. “This is not just about land. It is about justice, constitutional rights and the future treatment of communities amid development,” said one observer.
This Parliamentary inaction raises serious concerns about the Government’s commitment to protecting community rights amidst growing interest in mineral-rich lands. The failure to address the petition signals a troubling direction toward a future where the Government may forcibly seize people’s lands or homes without prior notice.
Stakeholders are now urgently calling on Parliamentary leadership to prioritize resolving the Kasafoni Land Petition and uphold constitutional protections and land rights laws. As the situation unfolds, Parliament faces mounting pressure to deliver a decisive response—one that could set a precedent for land governance and human rights in post-war Sierra Leone.
