The Regional Human Rights Officer (RHRO)-East of the Human Rights Commission-Sierra Leone (HRCSL), Richard Tamba M’bayo has expressed serious concern over what he refers to as “illegal activities” going on within the Gola Rainforest National Park (GRNP) an EU funded project in the Nomo Farma Chiefdom axis.
He made this concern known at his 69 Blama Road office while addressing a cross section of the media in the region.
He particularly highlighted the alleged involvement of some personnel of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) and cited as example, the recent separate arrests of two serving personnel. According to him, this trend has the tendency of igniting arm confrontations between forest guards of the Gola Rainforest National Park and Across the River Trans-boundary Peace Park Project (ARTP) and the illegal miners.
According to the RHRO, on the 29th February 2012 he received report about the arrest of twelve illegal miners including one military officer who were immediately arraigned at the Magistrate court in Kenema presided over by Magistrate Alhaji Mohamed Momoh-Jah.
The RHRO said illegal activities within the Gola Forest zone is disheartening as its continuity will seriously threaten funa and flora supposed to be protected within the forest reserve zone. He expressed appreciation over the comments made by Magistrate Momoh-Jah that public awareness and sensitization should be increased and also that forest guards should be increased and their patrols intensified. Mr. M’bayo added that forest guards should as well be adequately trained and appropriately equipped to enable them curb the spate of mining and other illegal activities within the Gola Forest reserve zone.
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