In A Petition Letter To The Speaker Of Parliament… Stakeholders Of Dansogoia, Sambaia & Diang Chiefdoms Reject Govt’s Position On Kasafoni Land Dispute

By Aruna Momoh Kargbo
The people and tribal authorities of the Dansogoia, Sambaia and Diang Chiefdoms have rejected the position of both the Sierra Leone Mines and Minerals Development and Management Corporation (SLMMDC) and the Ministry of Information and Civic Education (MoICE) on the Kasafoni Land dispute.
This rejection was strongly and respectfully made known by the three chiefdoms in a petition letter dated 23rd June 2025 addressed to the Speaker of Parliament referencing the unlawful and unconstitutional move by both the SLMMDC and MoICE.
“We, the people, traditional authorities, and landowners of Dansogoia, Sambaia and Diang Chiefdoms, write to formally object to recent government communications- specifically the public notice issued by the Sierra Leone Mines and Minerals Development and Management Corporation (SLMMDC) dated 5th June 2025, and the Ministry of Information and Civic Education dated 11th June 2025,” they wrote.
They stated that the claims made by both the SLMMDC and MoICE to vest exclusive ownership and lease authority over the Kasafoni Area in the SLMMDC contravenes customary land ownership rights and relevant provisions of national legislations, including the Customary Land Right Act 2022, and the Mines and Minerals Development Act 2022.
They called on Parliament to recognize the communities’ lawful lease agreement with the Gento Group of Companies and to kindly request that Section 2 of the regulation be considered invalid from the outset because it contravenes the Constitution of Sierra Leone.
“We trust that you will give this matter the urgency and attention it deserves in the interest of justice, community rights and national cohesion,” they expressed.
Below is the letter addressed to the Speaker Parliament for more details.