Youth Violence in Makeni-A Shadow of Threat…

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson

Forgetting or ignoring the past suggests that we are refusing to learn a noteworthy lessons as a nation and thus stand the greatest possibility of reverting to our old ways. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Report points out that many of the dire conditions that gave rise to the 1991 conflict still remain... As in the late 1980s, (and up to date) many young adults continue to occupy urban ghettoes where they languish in the twilight zone of unemployment and despair. Thus, allowing the devil to give jobs to the idle hands and that has giving rise to sporadic act of violent conflict involving youth across the country and Makeni city is not an isolation. 

Media Reform Coordinating Group (MRCG) with support from Africa Transitional Justice Legislative Fund (ATJLF) enhanced dialogue with key stakeholders on the causes and impacts of youth violence in Northeastern city of Makeni.

In Makeni, a bulk number of violence related cases in courts whether tried or pending are said to be youth related. The regional court in Makeni has confirmed. 

The high court further revealed that “16 cases involving youth in violence were successfully arbitrated last year, with a slight increase of one, totaling 17 concluded cases and 21 more matters on youth violence awaiting trial since the start of the 2020 judicial year.” 

This means that Makeni based Youth, mostly unemployed are active participants in violent activities emanating from political arguments, rival cliques clashes, intense disagreements in ghettoes, hide outs, lorry parks etc. These have resulted to riots and violent incidences in Makeni City.

 

Since 2015, armed robbery, assault, riot and political intimidation are common place among these youth who have identified themselves as clique boys belonging to various groups in the Makeni municipality. These groups have also been allegedly associated with political parties from both the main opposition the All Peoples Congress (APC) and ruling party the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) in a bid to gaining financial benefit and political protection.

But 32-Year old Ex-combatant now a clique member, who preferred to be called Amadu Pexy believes that their future is doomed as youth have been neglected, misused and undervalued by the politicians that they have been fighting for, and they have now resulted to pick-pocketing, prostitution, gambling and robbery as their quickest means of daily survival. Pexy recalled that they laid down their guns, with high hopes to be transformed for the good but previous governments and partners provided them with little support which even stopped since 2007. He further said that they are willing to learn useful skills if the country provides youth empowerment opportunities, instead of society continuing to refer to them as hoodlums, idlers and dropouts. 

Mark Sarah Koroma, the Chairman Bombali District Youth Council, whose educational journey was interrupted as a result of the Sierra Leone civil war, defined Youth violence as “the effects of actions of angry youths.” 

He recalled how he was captured by the rebels in 1996 at his village Maforay to forcefully join the RUF, later trained at Tambaka village and enlisted into the Small Boys Unit-(SBU); an RUF-Rebel unit consisting of young boys within the ages of 7-12 which was led by a former Liberian RUF Commander named Cornel Vincent.

Mark further revealed that in 1999, he managed to escape from the SBU camp at Simbeck along Darisalam, Gbalamuya-Kambia District between the Sierra Leone-Guinea boarders back to his village. “Upon my return, my father travelled with me to Freetown where I continued my education from 2000-2006 and I sat to the West Africa Secondary School Examination – (WASSCE) with support from PLAN International. I joined the Sierra Leone Police and earned a Diploma in Information Technology from the Fatima Institute in Makeni in 2008 and I later resigned.” Mark explained.

 

“I’m today a youth leader but a victim of several recurring youth neglect meted to us by successive governments. We have been misguided and misused by politicians to participate in violence, and we have been used as tools for their political gains.”  He stated.

Recommendation 304-315 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Sierra Leone, volume two, chapter three,  broadly recommends that “The Government of Sierra Leone ensures transformation of the youth portfolio of the Ministry of Youth and Sports into a National Youth Commission to be located in the Office of the President to provide fundamental priority in post-war reconstruction and that at least 10% of their candidates of all political parties contesting for all public elections including national, local government and district council elections are youths, to help nurture and develop the culture of meaningful participation of the youth in electoral politics and affairs of political parties in the best ways.”

These recommendations were made for serious national consideration and as guide for Government development schemes to touch on every aspect of life in our nation which will go a long way in realizing Transitional Justice in Sierra Leone on the part of every citizen for sustained peace and development of the country. It was hoped that youth would be used as engine for national development and not used as tools to wreak havoc on our fragile democracy.