By Hassan I. Conteh

A coalition of 26 NGOs has urged government of Sierra Leone to impose an immediate nationwide ban on the practice of Bondo society in the country.

At SLAJ Harry Yasaneh Memorial hall, advocates who are championing a total eradication of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) echoed one voice in a press statement on Wednesday February 21, 2024.

The 26 members of Forum Against Harmful Practices (FAHP) called on respective government’s ministries and the people of Sierra Leone to ensure a speedy justice to be served on the latest deceased of the three female initiates during a Bondo bush ritual in Kambia and Port Loko district January this year.

Madam Rugiatu Neneh-Turay, FAHP’s chairperson says until the cases of the young girls ( ages Salaymatu Jalloh 13; Kadiatu 12, and another 17 ) who suffered an untimely death in the hands of the soweis are treated seriously before they could stop their fight to seek justice for the poor victims.

“The fight against FGM is a fight for all; it is not only social welfare ministry that should be concerned about FGM practice across Sierra Leone; local government ministry , information and civil education ministry, education ministry, health ministry, welfare ministry, gender affairs have a role to  play in this,” says Madam Rugiatu Neneh-Turay.

Adding her view, FAHP’s deputy chair, Hannah F. Yambasu, explains: “FAHP, we’ll never give up; many girls have been tortured and killed in bondo bush, and as we always say enough is enough.

“The girls who have died would have been people taking after us after we would have gone, so we are not celebrating; we are mourning [them],” she said.

FAHP is condemning FGM practice but had earlier brought the Alternative Rite of Passage (Bloodless Rite) as a replacement to the traditional genital cutting of girls and women by the soweis.

FAHP issued Wednesday’s press statement in connection to the death of one Salamatu Jalloh at Kabylor village in Kambia district early January this year. FAHP said, in Kambia and Port Loko districts about five children have died shortly after Salamatu’s tragic death in a bondo bush. And a prominent sowei and a suspect of Jalloh’s death, Mbalay Turay ( bondo principal initiator) was arrested and taken to Madina police station  for an investigation into the cause of the teenager’s death.

FAHP, which was formed in 2014, has made incredible successes in the fight against FGM practice in Sierra Leone.

Its current project to end all forms of harmful practices on girls and women is being sponsored by Ireland’s Irish Aid.

Ishael Cole, FAHP’s program co-ordinator, says they are having Mothers Clubs, School Clubs, Boys Clubs, Women Agents, and have been doing town-hall meetings as strategies to disabuse the minds of people from sending their girls into bondo society.

“I tell you there are lots of resistances among young girls these days who are refusing to be initiated into the bondo society,” says Mr Cole.