'Minerals Belong to Us & Development Must Start With Us': Sierra Leonean Landowner Shares Vision for New Era of Equitable Mining
'Minerals Belong to Us & Development Must Start With Us': Sierra Leonean Landowner Shares Vision for New Era of Equitable Mining
Decades of Western exploitation in Sierra Leone extracted wealth while leaving poverty behind, Senessie Jajua, a landowner and former multifunctional operator at Sierra Leone's largest diamond mine, told Sputnik Africa.
Now acting as decision-makers, landowners are setting clear conditions for international investors, he noted. Jajua outlined the key pillars of his vision:
Genuine partnerships: Investors must provide company equity, skilled local jobs, and strict environmental remediation.
Community reinvestment & transparency: Mining profits must fund local infrastructure, backed by mandatory quarterly financial audits.
Domestic processing: An end to cheap raw material exports in favor of local value-adding industries.
"First, we start with simple cutting and polishing for diamonds and further refining for gold. This creates more jobs for our people and keeps more money in Sierra Leone," the speaker stressed.
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