Abdul M. Fatoma

AYV News, July 15, 2024

Executive Director for Campaign for Human Rights and Development International, Abdul M. Fatoma has described Sierra Leone’s divides as one that extend beyond politics, touching on the stark contrasts between poverty and prosperity across regions and within districts.

Abdul said: “Sierra Leone is deeply divided. The country is divided by poverty and prosperity, both between the South and North regions and within the more developed districts at the national level.”

He expressed concern over the current state of public discourse, where opponents are often viewed as enemies, noting that this adversarial mindset has led to destructive behaviors, such as the burning of public and private properties by those who feel marginalised.

“The polarisation has become so intense that many people no longer trust anyone with a different perspective,” he warned, adding; “this is a fateful danger to democracy.”