By Karifa Kello Thoronka
Female Circumcision, which is very dangerous to women’s health is a process of excision of the clitoris and labia minora with razor by a senior society member called Sowei, who has no medical training but believed to be spiritually powerful.
Soweis and some traditionalist have declared war against Amijata Fofanah a community activist working for Amazonian Initiative Movement in the Northern part of Sierra Leone for destroying their secret society bush (Bondo bush) whiles preaching against bondo society in the Country.
Whiles speaking with a close family member of Amijata Fofanah, who refused not to mentioned his name noted that Amijata has being living in Lunsar Town since childhood, he further by saying that Amijata always advocate against Female genital Mutilation (FGM). Despite his grandma being part of Bondo and his mum Madam Fatmata Fofanah, a decision-maker within the Bondo society and a practitioner of FGM, while he was growing up he never wanted his sisters to be initiated into the bondo society.
One of the renown Sowei by the name of Kulakoh Kamara in frustrating mood says that, its was a week after the initiation ceremony of Amijata’s Sisters Marie Fofanah and others in the bondo bush, we saw him coming with machete shouting release my sisters or I will kill someone, she maintained by noting that without hesitation Amijata destroyed the bondo bush and disappear with his Sisters in a thick forest.
Secret Societies have used symbols of witchcraft to intimidate community members and has vandalized property and attacked families who refuse to participate in both poro and bondo society in the Northern part of Sierra Leone. There was a report that women were forcibly initiated into secret society. According to many, the forced initiation of women has resorts to lost of lives and serious bleeding.
Another obstacle, it makes travel very difficult for women who are not part of the society during initiation seasons, they are not allowed to move freely due to risk to be captured and forcefully initiated. Meanwhile, Successive governments have made little effort to change this picture either because the practice is so deeply embedded in the culture of the people or because politicians fear losing the votes of the people if they attempt to ban it.
For fear of death, Amijata Fofanah is still nowhere to be located, whiles the Soweis and some traditionalists are still searching for him.
