‘Poro’ cult members are on the look out for Mohamed Alimamy Sesay whose whereabouts remain unknown at the moment.
In June this year, Sesay ran away for his life from Makomp village situated at the outskirts of Makeni town in the North of Sierra Leone when he was about to be initiated into the ‘Poro’ society.
He first sought haven in neighbouring Guinea before he later went to Liberia. Sesay was supposed to replace his late father, Pa Alpha Sesay and his elder brother, Osman Sesay who passed away during initiation according to accounts by village elders.
Mohamed Alimamy Sesay became fearful and panic-stricken of the cult members when he learned about the deaths of his father and elder brother in the ‘Poro’ bush. As a result, he is in no mood to go into the society owing to the fear that he might face similar situation. But, the members wanted him there at all cost. ‘Poro’ is one of the most popular secret societies in Sierra Leone among local tribes.
In the old days, and now, it is considered as a rite of passage from boyhood into adulthood. Boys, during initiation, were taught warfare, hunting, fishing and respect for elders. Before the advent of Western education, knowledge and skills acquired in the ‘Poro’ bush were very important.
Mohamed Alimamy Sesay
In times of war, the ‘Poro’ members are obliged to defend their societies. In several communities, non-members are marginalised and treated with disrespect.
A ‘Poro’ member enjoys several privileges to which non-members are not entitled. It is extremely difficult and even impossible for non-members to hold chieftaincy and other leadership positions in their localities.
However, the process to become a ‘Poro’ member is deadly. One or two initiates, most times, pass away during initiation ceremonies, but such deaths are closely guarded secrets. Any attempt to divulge such information outside the ‘Poro’ result into terrible reprisals.