Land & Environmental Justice in Sierra Leone
The Challenge
To spur economic growth, the government of Sierra Leone has been aggressively courting large-scale agriculture and mining investments. These have often led to the exploitation of communities and environmental devastation.
Namati’s Solution
Namati supports communities to protect customary land rights, challenge land grabs, remedy environmental harm, and, if they wish, negotiate fair deals with investors.
Our Goals
Our 5-year goals are to 1) significantly reduce environmental and social harm in 50 mining, agricultural, or development projects, and 2) change policy nationwide so that the people who depend on the land have a meaningful voice in what happens to it.
News & Stories
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Annihilation By Deforestation; How The Pursuit Of Short Term “Gain” Will Be The Death Of A Country
In this op-ed, Namati Sierra Leone Director Sonkita Conteh, warns that if the Sierra Leone government does not stop a trade that has not and will never be profitable, the nation will lose all its forest cover in a few years.
Communities need land rights to gain from investments
In this article, Siri Lijfering speaks to Namati’s Daniel Sesay and Silas Siakor of Sustainable Development Institute, on how securing land rights can pave the way for responsible investments.
Costly justice: Why communities in Sierra Leone turn to paralegals instead of Local Courts to resolve their justice problems
Why are people in Sierra Leone opting to work with paralegal organizations instead of state-backed courts? This blog offers insights into the choices people make in their access to justice journeys.
Using legal empowerment to fight exploitative land investors in Sierra Leone
Legal empowerment helps locals to understand and claim their rights, resulting in a legal victory for communities in Sierra Leone against exploitative corporations.
From a Land Grab to a Fair Deal – A Story from Masimra Town
"“We were tricked into signing off our land to a foreign investor by some corrupt and self-centered politicians for empty promises that were never fulfilled.”
Sierra Leone's Small Towns Learn to Fight Against Land Grabs
Journalist James Courtright writes about Namati's work in Sierra Leone for Ozy.
Desperate to Leave: Foinda Community Takes Action Against Mining Company
“Our situation has worsened, our only water source is destroyed, and our farm lands have been turned into a mining field. We cannot sleep due to heavy noise and vibrations. Our roads have been diverted. …Our livelihood is threatened by the operations of Sierra Rutile mining company.”
Why Sierra Leone’s Mining Industry Requires A Robust Environmental Protection Regime
Namati Sierra Leone director, Sonkita Conteh, declares the country’s unrestrained resource exploitation a "dangerous gamble". He calls on the government to commit to environmental regulations that put people ahead of profits, and justice ahead of development.