Maada Bio, Sengeh, and Sierra Leone’s Contested History

 

We are uncertain when Maada Bio encouraged young Sierra Leoneans to assume leadership roles or which of his initiatives truly inspired the nation.

It appears that Gleaner SL is referencing his daughter’s association with a convicted Dutch drug trafficker, an event that has contributed to perceptions of Sierra Leone as a narco state.

Rather than addressing this issue, Gleaner SL shifts focus to Sengeh, presenting him as the exemplar of Bio's initiatives.

In 2013, Sengeh, then 26 and engaged in postdoctoral research on prosthetics at an Ivy League institution, had previously received a scholarship to study in Norway in 2004 at approximately age 15.

 According to a 2013 CNN interview, he witnessed the Revolutionary United Front amputate the hands and feet of civilians, a notorious tactic employed by the group, which was supported by Julius Maada Bio during the civil war.

As a survivor of the conflict, Sengeh was awarded a scholarship to the Red Cross University in Norway.

His uncle, acting as a benefactor, encouraged him to forgo technical colleges and tertiary institutions in Sierra Leone, such as Njala or Fourah Bay College, in favor of pursuing opportunities abroad.

With his uncle's assistance, Sengeh transitioned from Norway to Harvard, graduating in 2010, and subsequently advanced his academic and professional pursuits.

Notably, Sengeh’s narrative omits the fact that Maada Bio was a significant supporter of the civil war and backed the very combatants responsible for terrorizing individuals like Sengeh.

This raises important questions: Why is the historical record being altered, and who stands to benefit from this revision?