By Abass Jalloh
Despite Sierra Leone’s impressive performance in the 2020 Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Scorecard, land rights activists have expressed dissatisfaction over its failure on the indicator concerning Land Rights and Access.
The country scored 24% on land rights and access, and 38% on Natural Resource Protection. The campaigners are therefore calling for the government’s swift action on addressing some of the obvious causes of what they described as consistent poor performances in that regard.
“Sierra Leone’s MCC Performance on land rights and access and control of natural resources is impeded by delay of land law reforms and government’s failure to treat land related conflicts with utmost urgency and seriousness. It is unfortunate to state that certain institutions within government structure have forestalled progress in the efforts to promote land rights, access and the protection of natural resources,” a statement from the Civil Society Coalition on Natural Resource Rights and Governance says.
The coalition, which comprises five organisations, among them Land for Life Sierra Leone, Natural Resource Rights and Economic Justice (NaRGEJ), Green Scenery and NaCCLE, issued this statement at a press conference last Friday, November 13.
Abu Brima, the National Convener for Land for Life Sierra Leone, said in a statement that it is a matter of responsibility and justice for government to focus on the human rights of the people and to ensure that disputes on land related issues are not left unattended, so that individuals and community lands are not taken away.
People who are discriminated against must be given justice, said Brima, citing a number of international legal instruments which Sierra Leone is a signatory to and which binds it to take such actions.
"The public should be reminded of Government inaction on the blatant abuse of peoples’ right to land in the SOCFIN oil palm investment community of Malen chiefdom, Pujehun district – a prolonged conflict that has claimed lives and properties, disempowered citizens and deprived women from using their land for economic livelihood activities, as well as exacerbating poverty in the life of jobless youth who cannot use their land to farm," Mr Brima was quoted in the press statement issued to the media.
He noted that they have been engaging with the government on issues of natural resource rights and governance, including land rights ownership and control, but that much was yet to be done in terms of progress.
Brima went on to say that there is the need for the continuous education and sensitization of the people on land rights, governance and control, so that they could understand the responsibilities of government and other stakeholders.
Edward Koroma, Director of Programs at Transparency International Sierra Leone, called on the government to take action and bring in more players.
“Although the government is celebrating other areas, appropriate engagements and players must be on board and part of the process. This issue on natural resources serve is a wakeup call for them to take necessary action in those other areas that are now really touching the lives of Sierra Leoneans,” he said.
The MCC is a US government agency, established in 2004, whose goal is to reduce global poverty through economic growth. It does so by providing assistance to underdeveloped nations as reward for meeting laid down standards of positive governance, including curbing corruption and adhering to democratic rights.
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