The recent skirmishes between allegedly displeased Muslims and community members of Rokaburp village in Mambolo in the Kambia district has left the newly constructed The Lord’s Mission Church at the village literally ripped into bits and pieces.
The high-powered delegation of UN, Inter-religious Council, Minister of Gender and Social Welfare, Minister of Works, US representatives and police personnel, were awe struck with the level of destruction seen when they went on a fact finding mission on what led to the conflict, on Wednesday.
The Administrator of the Lord’s Mission Church Mr Francis Bobson Lahai explained to Awoko the background to the building of the church in the village before the clash.
According to Lahai, an elder of the Lord’s Mission Church in Freetown, Isatu Bangura came to Rokaburp village for the fortieth day ceremony of one of her relatives Pa Simbra, when another relative of hers collapsed.
He narrated, “this old man who collapsed was later pronounced dead and was about to be buried since he was a Muslim.”
Lahai explained that Isatu said she was led by the spirit and wanted to pray for the corpse, her request was refused, but she insisted to pray and they finally succumbed and allowed her to pray.
He said Isatu stood near the corpse and started praying with a bible in her hand, when dramatically and miraculously the corpse suddenly sneezed.
Lahai said when the testimony of this apparent miracle was voiced by Isatu at the Church Ministry in Freetown, the ministry sent Pastor Albert along with others to verify and cross check Isatu’s testimony “community members attested to it and Pa Simbra who was pronounced dead also testified that it was true,” he said.
Lahai furthered that this attracted the attention of the Church to the village and they decided to do something for them. One of the Church minister and other church members came to the village and asked the community to identify their constraints for possible help. He said they told the Church members they were plagued with cholera as they lacked pure drinking water. He said the village was “supplied with medicine and a $ 20,000 solar powered water well was built,” he said.
The community also requested for a church, “we asked them for land to build the church and they gave us an old mosque, which they said was no longer in use,” he explained.
“We gave the community 10 million Leones as compensation for the land,” he said.
Lahai explained that the ministry in 2008 started a $ 30,000 church construction project, and “the community was very cooperative,” he said.
After the construction, 4th May was slated for the formal opening of the church, but unfortunately on 28th April the church was vandalized and demolished by allegedly displeased Muslims “who claimed that we had demolished their mosque and built a church.”
During an open dialogue with the high powered delegation and members of the community, Councilor Sorie Yansanneh explained that he tried his best to stop the allegedly aggrieved mob which was led by Pa Alhaji and Sheik Lamin, but he was over powered by the displeased multitude who were shouting “Allah Akhbar Kabira!” and went ahead and destroyed the church.
He noted that it seemed like the youth that came to destroy the church were on drugs, adding that “If not for the grace of God so many people would have lost their lives.”
The Town Chief Baimba Bangura corroborated the councilor’s statement and noted that the Church ministry had helped them a lot in village, adding that it was the community which gave the ministry the land to build the church.
He explained that when the displeased mob arrived the church was brought down together with the solar powered well which hitherto had provided the much needed clean water for the community.
Chiefdom Chief Imam Alhaji Sheik Lamin Sesay who was alleged to have led the irate group to destroy the church, explained that there is a board where every mosque in Sierra Leone is registered, noting the board is also at district level in Kambia.
He explained that there was a registered mosque called Masjid Rahman where the church was constructed.
The Chiefdom Chief Imam explained “two men came from Kambia and informed me that they heard that a mosque was demolished in order to build a church. It was news to me,” he said.
The delegation from Luma in Kambia went to Rokaburp village to make sure whether indeed the mosque was demolished and a church constructed on its site.
“When the delegation was heading for the village,” he explained, “I was called on the phone by the Minister of Works, Alimamy P Koroma to stop the delegation from entering the village…” He narrated that by then the delegation had already entered the village. “The delegation was attacked by Rokaburp people leaving two Imams injured,” the Chiefdom Chief Imam revealed. As a result of this first clash another delegation arrived to retaliate, he said.
The Minister of Gender and Social Welfare, Dr Soccoh Kabia encouraged locals of Mambolo and Rokaburp village to maintain religious tolerance which Sierra Leone have been the envy of by other countries for so long.
Son of the soil, Alimamy Koroma urged locals to keep the peace as the matter is being investigated, also revealing that as part of the investigation come Wednesday 20th May the following people must report at the Vice President Office: Shiek Lamin, Shiek Fuhad, Isatu Bangura, Alhaji Momodu, the village head, the district councilor, the chief Imam and the Police Local Unit Commander.
By Ophaniel Gooding