By Alpha Amadu Jalloh
Mr. President, hello, Mr. President, what are you thinking about, sir? You appear to be absent-minded today, sir. I can imagine the weight you carry as the fountain of honour, but sometimes I can’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. Yes, I’m laughing, not out of disrespect, but at the situation we find ourselves in, where we have expert ministers who should know their craft, but they still depend on your wisdom to execute their responsibilities. It’s amusing and yet deeply concerning at the same time. Why is everything centralized in you, Mr. President? Why does the success or failure of every project hinge on your personal intervention?
Mr. President, I want to start by asking if you happened to watch the “Hot Seat” on the AYV TV program last Wednesday between my brother Mamajan Jalloh, popularly known as DJ BASE, and Mr. Sidi Yaya Tunis. If you missed it, let me summarize the part that struck me the most: Mr. Tunis was asked to grade your diplomatic efforts. While he might have given you a pass, I strongly disagree. In my humble opinion, Mr. President, you’ve failed miserably, in fact. You have scored zero on governance, on diplomacy, and on fulfilling your duties as our leader.
Let me break it down further. Mr. President, you and your supporters are celebrating Sierra Leone’s ascension to the United Nations Security Council for a one-year term, 2024-22025. Yes, it’s a significant achievement for the country to be part of such a prestigious body, and it’s true that Sierra Leone even had the Presidency as the ten-member body for the month of August 2024. But I ask you, during that time, what did you do about Yenga? When you had the world’s attention, the chance to speak, and the power to influence, did you bring up the issue of Yenga? Did you advocate for the Sierra Leonean citizens living under the shadow of Guinean occupation? I’m seriously disappointed, Mr. President.
Yenga is not just a small, isolated issue; it’s a matter of national sovereignty. Our people in Yenga are living under foreign occupation in their own land. Sierra Leoneans are forced not to work on their farmlands. Can you fathom the indignity of that? Imagine waking up every day in your own country and being stooped from using your own ancestral land because the government that should be protecting you has failed to do so. This is the reality for our brothers and sisters in Yenga, Mr. President. And what has your government done?
I still remember when our Foreign Minister, Timothy Kabba, visited Yenga to reassure our people that they would be protected. He stood there and made promises on behalf of your government. But where are those promises now? Where is the protection? Minister Kabba may have done his part diplomatically, but what have you, as the Commander-in-Chief, done to ensure that Yenga is rightfully returned to Sierra Leone? Have you used your influence and your platform on the UN Security Council to push this issue? The answer, unfortunately, seems to be no.
Mr. President, General Mamady Doumbouya of Guinea is your friend. I’m sure you’re aware of the help you extended to the Guinean military junta, especially when ECOWAS was condemning them. You stood by them when the entire region turned its back. You validated their regime when they were isolated, and now they enjoy some recognition on the global stage, partly because of your support. So why, Mr. President, have you not leveraged this relationship to resolve the Yenga issue?
Instead of using your diplomatic weight to secure Yenga, you’ve been busy globe-trotting like a headless chicken (“Oops, sorry, sir”), attending summits, and taking photo-ops with world leaders. You even found time to call on Israel to vacate Palestinian lands, but you haven’t mustered the courage to demand that Guinea vacate Yenga. The irony, Mr. President, is painful. While your voice resonates on distant conflicts, you remain silent on the plight of your own people.
A lot of times, I wonder if you misunderstand my public critiques as being disrespectful. I want to clarify, Mr. President: I respect you as the head of state, as the father of our nation. But with that respect comes the expectation that you will act in the best interests of the people. You must be firm, decisive, and assertive in matters that affect our country’s sovereignty. You need to be the military father figure that Sierra Leone so desperately needs right now.
Let me be clear: I am not calling for war or violence between Sierra Leone and Guinea. We are family, our histories are intertwined, and our future will always be connected. But family or not, boundaries must be respected, and Yenga belongs to Sierra Leone. It’s time to put diplomacy to work and ensure that our flag once again flies in Yenga. You have the power to do this, Mr. President, but it requires willpower, not grandstanding.
I pray every day that before the end of your term, the Sierra Leonean flag will be hoisted in Yenga. This is not just about land; it’s about dignity, sovereignty, and the protection of our citizens. You often speak about leaving a legacy. Well, Mr. President, what better legacy than reclaiming Yenga and restoring the pride of Sierra Leone? This is your chance to right a historical wrong and protect the future of our nation. Don’t let it slip away.
I hope, Mr. President, that you will read this not as an attack but as a heartfelt plea from a concerned citizen. We all want to see you succeed because your success is Sierra Leone’s success. But that can only happen if you take real, meaningful action. Reclaim Yenga, Mr. President. The people of Sierra Leone are watching, and history will judge you by what you do next.
