Ibrahim Dumbuya, the Coordinator of a group of youths who have adopted the title Peace Commission in Bramaia chiefdom in Kambia District, northern Sierra Leone, has encouraged other youths to embrace peace and stay away from violence.
He said that, generally the need to stay away from violence has no season, but particularly called on fellow youths to avoid being embroiled in violence during and after elections, so that peace would reign in society, and development fostered.
His statement came on Sunday January 31, 2021, in a peace talk, which was intended to defuse post-election tensions which had constantly been mounting running up to the just concluded Paramount Chieftaincy election in Bramaia Chiefdom. These tensions have continued to linger on in the Chiefdom with supporters of the front runners trading invectives and bad feeling toward each other.
He explained that experience shows that as a result of election violence among youths in societies, poverty has increased thus forcing some among the same youths into armed robbery.
He explained, “I was the former youth and campaign leader for the Sierra Leone People Party in 2012 election in Bramaia chiefdom. Due to my performances for the SLPP, after the election, I was forcefully driven out of the town by the youths of the opposition party when they lost the election. My family house where I was residing was burnt down and my grandma Nturay Binty was killed in the process.”
He added, “My role in the party was immense that after the election I was wanted by the youths of the APC either alive or dead. I tried to escape to Guinea, but I was captured and tortured for some time in the forest. Luckily, I was able to escape through the help of one of my captors.”
He furthered that, his mother; Aminata Turay is yet to be found since 2012, adding that the house which had been burnt down has not been rebuilt, adding that his father was also forced to leave the village, and until now his whereabouts is still unknown.
Based on this experience, he pleaded with youths in the country generally, as the nation distantly moves towards the next general election, to take care not to slide into violence.
I lost everything for nothing because of my ‘political ego’. He said: “Now that I have realized my mistakes, I encourage that we should embrace peace, irrespective of our political leanings, and forget about politics and politicians.”
By Ibrahim S.Bangura
03/02/2021. ISSUE NO: 7994