MAMMY QUEEN MEDIATES TRUCE BETWEEN WARRING KONO CHIEFS

By Fohad Mbaimba Kallay

In a significant effort to promote peace, unity and social cohesion among local traditional authorities and support the national agenda under the astute administration of President Julius Maada Bio, the National Mammy Queen, Tiwa Kaifala Kaimachiande has successfully mediated peace dialogue between local chiefs in Kono district, Eastern Region of Sierra Leone. The peaceful dialogue was held at the National Mammy Queen office local at DO Barrack, Koidu City, Kono District, Eastern region of Sierra Leone. It brought together key stakeholders, section chiefs, Town Chiefs, Chiefdom Mammy Queens, Concerned Women Organisation, National Mammy Queen and the media, among others. 

According to Tiwa Kaifala Kaimachiande, the National Mammy Queen of Sierra Leone, the peace dialogue is part of her official mandate to mediate peace among her subordinates, ensuring peace and sanity are felt among them.  She cited that, as stated before and after the Paramount Chieftaincy election of Gbense Chiefdom in Kono District on the 16^th January 2024, following the death of the Hon. PC Fengia Sangor Korgbende Kaimachiande, the third of Gbense Chiefdom, several conflicts arose among local chiefs, particularly between section chiefs and town chiefs and also the former regent paramount chief, now Chiefdom Speaker of Gbense Chiefdom, which many chiefs feared losing their positions. Over eight were aspired for the Paramount Chieftaincy Position, and my lovely husband was among them.

 As you know, in any race, one must lead. On the 16^{th of} January, 2024 election PC Komba Sangor Korgbende Kaimachiande, the fourth of Gbense chiefdom, overwhelmingly voted for. But during that process, a lot of negative things have been said, which is not good for the progress of the chiefdom, even for my administration, which brought fear among local chiefs of losing their chieftaincy positions.

"And it is for this backdrop that I deemed it necessary to peacefully mediate the peace dialogue among the section chiefs and town chiefs of the great Gbense Chiefdom for the development of the chiefdom”, Tiwa Kaifala Kaimachiande, National Mammy Queen of Sierra Leone, expressed.

She pointed out that the peace dialogue focused on promoting peace, unity and social cohesion among town chiefs, mammy queens and section chiefs of the chiefdom. Tiwa Kaifala Kaimachiande further underscored the importance of the peace dialogue, which can not be overemphasised. “Peaceful coexistence, mutual respect and collective efforts toward the development of Gbense Chiefdom are premium, and this is the time for us to focus on the development of Gbense Chiefdom and the district as a whole”, Madam Tiwa Kaifala Kaimachiande.

She further disclosed that the peace talk served as a significant step toward fostering unity and sustainable development in Gbense chiefdom, reflecting the shared vision of President Julius Maada Bio's national vision of human capital development and building a national cohesion and prosperous society for present and future generations. She noted that Gbense Chiefdom is one of the grades of chiefdoms in the country and it has contributed positively to the development of the country, and the chiefdom can be proud of hosting most of the public offices, government institutions and private institutions that contribute to the development of the district and country.

“It is time to let go of everything that happened during and after the 2024 Gbense Chiefdom PC Chieftaincy election “, she stated.  She fortified section chiefs, town chiefs and chiefdom mammy queens to embrace peaceful dialogue of conflict to resolve misunderstandings and strengthen community interactions. Local chiefs of Gbense chiefdom, who were unhappy and aggrieved, expressed their profound gratitude to Tiwa Kaifala Kaimachiande for such a laudable venture, ensuring total peace and sanity felt in the chiefdom, and they vowed to embrace peace and collaborative efforts for the development of the chiefdom.