By Wilson Johnson

In a bid to protect the Western Area Peninsula National (WAPNP) the NPAA in collaboration with Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF), Sierra Leone Police (SLP) are to embark on homes demolition of phase two along the Freetown’s peninsula.

It is a joint force supported by state inter-ministerial agencies including Guma Valley Water Company (GVWC), Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change.

On Thursday 1st August 2024, the joint team deployed personnel at No2 Jeff Town Committee.

In his statement the Deputy Executive Director, Mr. Dwight Z.K Sheriff, said “this is a joint operation by the Government of Sierra Leone led by the National Protected Area Authority (NPAA) together with support from RSLAF, SLP Gvwc, Ministry of Lands and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Changes.

He said this operation named Operation Saved Western Area Peninsula National park is meant to be an no-nonsense one.

He re-echoed the statement made by His Excellency the President in the town hall meeting at Bintumani, stating that “we should save the protected areas due to the fact that heavy rains had come in July.” The operations, he stated, will be headed by Col. Desmond Bockarie.

He said the directive was a Presidential Order and so “there will be no sacred cow” for defaulters.

In his statement Col Desmond Bockarie, who is the Director of Project Management  (RSLAF), said they are working under the directives of His Excellency the President to protect the Green Belt areas within the Western Area Peninsula National Park and by extension Guma Valley Water catchments area.

Mr Bockarie is the head of the security sector for the operation and he is tasked to work with the technical heads of the various agencies.

In his keynote address, the Executive Director of NPAA Mr Thomas Fayia Kamara, said the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) and the Republic of Sierra Leone Army Forces (RSLAF) and others ministries are working closely on moves to protect at least the fifteen protected areas and national parks including the Western Area Peninsula National Park.

He further noted that the second phase of the operation will start on Friday 2nd August 2024 in fulfillment of the President’s statement of caution uttered during the latest Town Hall meeting on the need to protect those greenery places that fall under the Green Belt or line of demarcation in the peninsula.

“The buildings within the Green Belt and waterways are to be demolished,” he affirmed.