Forceful Initiation Forced Promising Young Man into Hiding
By Dauda Kamara
Amara Fornah a promising young man is nowhere to be seen after he was forcefully bundled and taken to the Poro Secret society bush for initiation.
Sierra Leone's secret society the Poro society for the initiation of young boys and men continue to spread silent fear and sleepless nights.
Traditional practitioners of the Poro society have established deep roots in Sierra Leonean culture and politics, creating a culture of fear among young boys and posing a major obstacle to opponents of the custom.
After the death of Amara Fornah’s father, this young man was forcefully bundled into the societal bush for initiation.
Information gathered the village of Yeale Sanda, Bombali District in Northern Sierra Leone states that members of this powerful, all-male secret society break into the compound of Amara Fornah and into his room with the consent of other family members and kidnap him.
However, Amara is said to have fled his village in Sanda, northern Sierra Leone to avoid initiation and run to a faraway place.
Amara’s story goes to the heart of the challenges for anti-secret society campaigners in Sierra Leone, touching on the silent power of the secret societies, who carry out forceful initiation. It also speaks of the cultural and political significance of the country’s ancient structures.
Information gathered also reveals that with the loss of his father who was head of the secret society, members of the Poro society want Amara to take over the position of his father.
With this the young man was kidnapped and taken into the secret society bush but report says he was able to escape and this has left behind scores of badly wounded society members. Amara may loss his life if seen and refused to be initiated.
The Poro society exists in almost every village and towns across Sierra Leone and is a vital communications link between politicians and rural communities.
Abolishing the societies including FGM – known as Bondo – is taboo for the political elite.
Amara according to information has not been seen since that faithful day he was bundled and taken into the secret society bush but series of information continue to emerge some conflicting as nobody knows his whereabouts.
Other information suggest that one of the society members lost his life as a result of the fight that ensued while Amara was trying to escape from the societal bush. The whereabouts of Amara is still unknown as not even immediate family members could tell.
