Fula Progressive Union statement was insensitive to suffering of our people — And Dr. Sylvia Blyden , Professor Kayode Adesimi and others thought so too

Two wrongs do not make a right. Guinea was wrong. Sierra Leone was wrong.

The Fula Progressive Union ( FPU) , we thank you for your public statement condemning the arrests of Fulas in Sierra Leone. We all condemn the act by the Sierra Leone government .

But we think that you should have  exercised fairness by condemning also what Guinea did to Sierra Leone, to even the situation. Two wrongs were committed. Guinea committed first. Sierra Leone responded. Both governments should be condemned, especially the Guinean government , who started this whole problem.

However, the FPU statement did nothing to condemn the action by the Guinean Government .  Awareness Times Publisher and former government minisyer, Dr . Sylvia Blyden , is also thinking the same way about the FPU Press statement which was selfish and insensitive to the sufferings of our people in Guinea. University Professor Kayode Adesimi thought the same too.

FPU, if we are all Sierra Leoneans and indeed we are , let us think Sierra Leone and feel for Sierra Leone. The attacks on Fulahs was bad but so was the pain inflicted on Sierra Leoneans in Guinea.

FPU should not wait for Fulas to be victims before they talk.If Fullas are Sierra Leoneans , as they indeed are, they must advocate for and defend Sierra Leone, not just their ethnic group. We are all Sierra Leoneans. What affects one Sierra Leonean must affect all Sierra Leoneans, not just our tribe.

Also, much as we condemn what Guinea did to Sierra Leone and the alleged response in Freetown, nobody should threaten Sierra Leone. Though we have a government we oppose, we are capable of fighting for our country. Nobody can intimidate us. We will strike the foes with valor unrelenting and unpretending . Let anybody try and see. We want peace between Guinea and Sierra Leone. Let us work towards that. No threats, please.

Sierra Leoneans do not hate Guineans.

We have many people of Guinean descent in the SLPP Government . It was the same with the APC . That is a manifestation of Sierra Leone’s love for Guinea and acceptance of the fact that Guinea is part of Sierra Leone. I wonder how many Mendes, Temnes , Limbas, Lokkos and creoles of Sierra Leonean descent are in Guinean governments. If there are , kindly name them for us.

We all condemn yesterday’s arrest of Guinean residents in Sierra Leone and we call on President Maada Bio to kindly facilitate the expeditious release of all those arrested. However, let those threatening Sierra Leone and wasting fighting words also stop the nonsense and note that Sierra Leoneans have always had a soft spot for Guineans, despite what late Prime Minister Albert Margai and President Siaka Stevens’ governments did to them in some stages of their rule.

People talk more about Siaka Syevens because they had not been born or were younger when the anti- stranger drive started in the early 60s , especially in the diamond areas. Even Nigerians , Gambians , Senegalese ( Marakas ) and Ghanaians were targeted, though not on the scale other countries do it now. We have always respected and loved strangers. It is often said that Sierra Leoneans love strangers more than their own indigenous people . The levity strangers enjoy in Sierra Leone cannot be compared to any country’s so let us stop the threats and inflammatory statements and preach peace between our two sister nations.

Musa Jaalaalo Baldeh

Your government should be held accountable for such a disgusting act. It also baffles me because there are Fulbe in government and I can’t see anywhere they condemn this act.

This is shameful and should be challenged to the highest level. Good that people like you are speaking out.

Ibrahim Sorie

Why should Sierra Leonean condemn the fullahs arrests but they refused to condemn the Guinea arrest and deportation? This doesn’t make any sense to me or to anyone. The fullah are hated in their own country too,and SL is their Heaven where some of them got rich too.

Am not advocating for repatriation back but let be honest about the situation we are all humans. They are outraged about their own ppl arrests but not SL, and I totally disagree to condemn SL  arrests.