Abdulai Mansaray: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 25 February 2021:
When a crowd of youths attempted to thwart the government’s efforts to relocate a generator from Makeni to the neighbouring Por Loko District, it ended in an avoidable loss of lives of about seven people. The anger and confusion in the region and beyond were understandable, resulting in the adapted theme song of “Makeni Lives Matter”. This was coming hot on the heels of the demise of George Floyd who was killed in America by the police.
Many blamed the authorities for using the youths as fodder to promote their political agenda. While some condemned the youths for engaging in such a behaviour in the first place, others identified the lack of employment and youth engagement as one of the factors contributing to their vulnerabilities. Some identified these as reasons why the gullible youths were prone to manipulation and exploitation. Distrust between the government and the region, which is predominantly an opposition