By Dadson A. Musa

The public outcry over Koidu Holdings’ operations in Sierra Leone is growing louder by the day and that, at the very least, brings some relief. It is not the First Lady’s concern that is being questioned, but rather the approach she has taken in addressing the issue.

Since 1930, Sierra Leone has been mining precious diamonds many of them of high international value yet the benefits have consistently slipped through the fingers of ordinary Sierra Leoneans. Our diamonds have enriched individuals and foreign entities across the globe, while we remain among the poorest nations in the world. We’ve even been told that one-time Prime Minister Sir Milton Margai once gifted a lump of diamonds to Queen Elizabeth free of charge. What a loss that was, once the world realized how valuable our diamonds were, foreign powers descended upon Sierra Leone in a predatory scramble to exploit our natural wealth, their success was made easy by our own disunity divided along political, regional, and tribal lines, these divisions have not only weakened us but have been deliberately fueled by external interests for their gain.

While trillions of dollars’ worth of diamonds has been extracted from our soil, Sierra Leone remains embarrassingly poor, often reliant on foreign aid and burdened by debt. Koidu Holdings may be under fire now, but they are far from the first offenders. If justice is to be done, the investigation must stretch back to the days of the National Diamond Mining Company (NDMC). We must also look into the long-standing operations of Lebanese traders many of whom secured citizenship and masqueraded as shopkeepers while actively engaging in diamond trading. Other foreign nationals from Europe, the Middle East, the U.S., and even neighboring West African countries have similarly profited enormously.

Our diamonds have minted millionaires and billionaires abroad, while our citizens languish in poverty. One cannot help but wonder: Have diamonds been a curse rather than a blessing for Sierra Leone? Maybe it’s time we turned to divine intervention, because political willpower has proven consistently insufficient.

Let us not forget the brutal eleven-year civil war fuelled in large part by the illicit diamond trade. That bloody conflict nearly turned Sierra Leone into a failed state, dragging us to the bottom of the Human Development Index. Ironically, aside from Charles Ghankay Taylor, very few foreigners faced justice, despite their direct involvement. Instead, it was Sierra Leoneans who bore the brunt of the punishment. It was a triple tragedy: our diamonds were looted, our country was devastated, and our people were imprisoned.

Since independence in 1961, no government has seriously confronted the ongoing plunder of our mineral wealth. Rather, we have busied ourselves with infighting hating, fighting, and killing one another in a tragic display of national self-sabotage.

This is why I call on the First Lady: if the campaign against Koidu Holdings is to be genuine and effective, it must not stop there. She should also champion accountability in other mining sectors bauxite, rutile, zircon, ilmenite, gold, and more, let her visit the communities affected by these operations and witness firsthand the excruciating poverty, lack of basic services, and environmental degradation residents endure damage they may live with for the rest of their lives.

These mining companies across Sierra Leone are not only looting our resources they are underpaying workers, discriminating against locals, and violating human rights with impunity.

The First Lady has brought long-standing issues to national prominence, and we commend her for that. But this fight must be consistent and principled. Selective targeting or cherry-picking companies to expose will only do greater disservice to Sierra Leone. Let this not be a battle tainted by ego, vendetta, or political agendas; the people of Sierra Leone have suffered for far too long. They are gasping for justice, equity, and a better future, the time to act not just speak is now.

Copy right –Printed in the Expo Times News on Wednesday, May 28TH, 2025 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)