By Prince J. Musa in Kenema

A leadership tussle within the Madingo community in Kenema has been settled over the weekend. President of the National Madingo Union, Alhaji Kanja Sesay, presided over a negotiation that led to the resolution of the dispute which some say was influenced by politics.

Sesay, who is the Minister of Energy, appointed the three main protagonists in the dispute to three top positions. While one of them was named head of the Madingos in the Eastern region, the second got the title of tribal headman in Kenema, while the third was appointed regional adviser to the National President of the Union.

Alhaji Ajibu Jabbie, who is now in charge of Madingos in the region, was in a bitter tussle over supremacy with Ismael Sesay and Alhaji Beratay. The disagreement was about who oversees the affairs of the Madingos in the district. Jabbie received a letter of appointment from the ministry of Local Government last year, strengthening his position.

In a meeting in Kenema with all three factions on Saturday, Sesay pointed out that the dispute had been ongoing long before he was elected to head the union as national president.

“My presence in Kenema was to talk between the two factions, which had been ongoing for a long time, even before I became a national leader,” he stated.

Mrs Sesay said his intervention came following complaints about the issue President Julius Maada Bio received during his visit to the district earlier in the month.

“After several consultations with the two parties and other people, I decided to resolve the conflict by giving the regional chairmanship to Alhaji Ajubu Jabbie, and Ishmael Sesay as the district tribal head of the Mandingos, while Alhaji Beretay is appointed as national adviser to my presidency for the eastern region,” he said.

Sesay called on all the parties involved to abide by his directive.

“I want to appeal to those three authorities to accept their positions given to them in the spirit of peace and unity for the tribe, and to talk to their supporters to maintain peace,” he said.

He added: “I don’t expect any confusion again but peace and reconciliation among them”.

Following his appointment, Jabbie told Politico that he was open to working with the other parties, especially Sesay, for the progress of the community.

“I want to thank the national president of the Mandingo Union and the government for intervening into this matter. We (Madingos) are not known for violence, but as peaceful people, and I want to tell my son, Ishmael Sesay, that I am ready to embrace him and to guide him so that we can work as one family to develop this union and foster development for our people,” he said.

Sesay refused to comment on the outcome when Politico contacted him.

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