December 8, 2021
By Aruna Kamara
National Coordinator of Foundation of Human Right and Democracy (FoHRD), Sierra Leone, Madam Jarai Barrie has said that the Community Based Organizations (CBOs) who are civil society organizations should be empowered with the requisite knowledge to enable them hold the government and multinational companies including Socfin Agricultural Company accountable.
Madam Barrie made this statement at a two day training of community stakeholders including Community Based Organizations (CBOs) and members of the Ward Development Committee (WDC) in Pujehun District on UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The training took place at Growth Center in Bo on Monday 6th December 2021.
“CSOs should ensure that state institutions and multinational companies live up to the expectations of the people in terms of service delivery in their communities,’’ she said.
According Madam Barrie UNDP funded her organization to increase the knowledge of the participants, so that they will be armed to the teeth with knowledge on the UN Guiding Principle on Business and Human Rights.
She said that agreement relating to land acquisition by the multinational companies did not go down well with people, which is responsible for conflict in their between the companies and the people.
Madam Barrie noted that we want the people to be knowledgeable about the role of the government and the mining companies so that they can hold them accountable to provide the services in their communities.
At the meeting training, she said grievance redress committee will be established to help address the emerging conflicts in their respective chiefdom.
The lead facilitator said that it is good for the community stakeholders including CSOs and members of the Ward Development Committee to be knowledgeable about the UN Guiding principles so that they will be in better position to resolve the conflicts in their chiefdoms and the district as a whole.
He highlighted conflicts in the northern region as a result of acquisitions of land, much to the dissatisfaction of the people, noting that similar conflicts might be happening in the community.
“Deprivation of right to land , cultural herniate and water populations are among the abuses and violations of human rights done by the big business enterprises that ignite violence in the company”, Mr. Fofanah said, adding that the Inter-religious body should also emphasize on the protection and the respect of the rights of the people.
He said that they are activating community led action to engage the multinational corporations and companies in a violence-free manner to demand for the protection and respect of their rights.
Sheik Abdulai Kamara, a member of the Inter-religious Council said that if the rights of the people are not respected in the case of land grabbing, it will result in conflict in Marlen chiefdom and that it is good that they are empowered to intervene to address conflicts in their respective companies.
Amie Kemokai, who is a member of the Ward Development Committee (WDC) said that the conflicts in the mining companies in the northern region are similar with the ones in Pujehun District, where Socfin Agricultural Company, adding that it is good that it was good that UNDP funded the training, so that they will be in better position to hold the government and multinational companies accountable without conflict emerging.
“We are with the people in the community and we want their communities to be developed but the development should be a source of conflict and we want to see the communities in a peaceful state,’’ she said.
Madam Maseray Kai said that it was good that members of the Ward Development Committees be regularly engaging with the Councilors to update them about looming conflicts in their wards relating to land grabbing, so that it will be reported in the Pujehun District Council meetings for peaceful resolutions.
“We want to thank FoHRD for organizing such a forum so that members of the WDC will be empowered to help protect and ensure that the rights of the people are respected in their wards relating to land agreement talking into consideration the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights”, she concluded.