Congo/Pawpaw Residents Seek Lawful Settlement of Land Dispute

Residents and representatives of the Congo/Pawpaw community have called for justice and a peaceful, lawful settlement of a longstanding dispute over land involving the community and the military.

The appeal was made on September 28, 2026, during a press conference organized by Amnesty International Sierra Leone at the Council of Churches in Sierra Leone Hall on Kingharman Road in Freetown.

Community seeks review of records

Umaru Bah, headman of the Congo/Pawpaw community, said residents had maintained a longstanding connection to the disputed land and had engaged government institutions over the matter.

Bah also said members of the community possessed documents relating to their claim. According to him, parliamentary representatives had visited the area to examine the dispute.

“We are not against development. What we are saying is that our rights must also be respected,” Bah said.

The community called on the relevant authorities to examine the competing claims, consider the available documentation and use established legal and institutional procedures to resolve the matter.

Calls for institutional action

Hon. Mark Mahmoud Kalokoh, a former parliamentarian, urged the matter to be considered through appropriate institutional processes. He referred to a report concerning the community and the military that he said was laid before Parliament on April 5, 2023.

“The people are the source of public authority,” Kalokoh said, emphasizing the responsibility of public institutions to address matters affecting citizens through established processes.

Lt. Col. (Rtd) Abu Bakarr S. Kamara, identified as the first commanding officer of the Peace Mission Training Centre, spoke about the history and purpose of the institution.

The Peace Mission Training Centre is located at Hastings. Kamara said it was established to train military personnel, particularly for peace support operations. Government records, as described during the event, indicate that the centre at Hastings was created to strengthen the training and preparation of personnel for such operations.

Allegations of mistreatment

Residents who spoke at the conference alleged that some community members had been beaten and detained. They called for those accounts to be investigated.

The allegations were not independently verified in the source material. Residents nevertheless urged the authorities to ensure that due process was followed and that any claims of mistreatment were properly examined.

Solomon M. Sogbandi, executive director of Amnesty International Sierra Leone, said the concerns raised by the community required attention and proper engagement among the relevant stakeholders. He also called for the concerns of affected communities to be documented and addressed through appropriate processes.

The National Land Commission Act 2022 and the Customary Land Rights Act 2022 were identified during the discussion as part of Sierra Leone’s land governance framework. The National Land Commission Act provides for institutions responsible for land administration and mechanisms for addressing land-related disputes.

The community’s appeal focused on dialogue, examination of the relevant records and a resolution through due process. The source material does not establish the community’s claim to the land, identify the specific military unit or government institutions involved, or state the current legal or administrative status of the disputed property.