Aminata Conteh Escapes from Forceful FGM Initiation

After been severely tortured…

By Adizzo Kay

This Media House has been reliably informed that Aminata Conteh, who was residing in Makama village, Makeni town,Bombali District, Northern Province; has been battling with the struggles of forceful initiation from her parents, narrowly escaped the agony of initiation on the part of traditional heads commonly called Soweis.Intimate sources have revealed to this Media practitioner of Aminata’s fear of being killed because she has been vehemently refusing to accept the cruel practice of the Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) practice, locally referred to as the “Bondo secret society “. It is said that her parents were residing in a rural village and that her mum, Fatmata Koroma, abandoned her Dad when she was only four(4) years old. Aminata’s mum they say handed her to her own sister for nurturing, outside the capital city of Freetown(which is far away from the village where her Dad was residing). Fortunately for Conteh, her aunt was strongly against the cruel practice of the Bondo secret society where girls clitoris are being mutilated and she was not ready at all to subject her cherished niece to such an abominable tradition which she hates with impunity. Information gathered has revealed how her aunt has been constantly guiding her that they are living in the 21st century now and young girls should not be forced to belong to any evil tradition that is against their wish. And she has been cautioning her niece about the dangers and long time effects associated to being a victim of the Bondo secret society.

Devoid of the disagreement and disobedience on the part of Aminata with her Dad, Mohamed Conteh; to accept the harmful initiation, it was captured that her Dad was still sponsoring her education, despite staying with her aunt. According to reliable sources, Aminata Conteh fell in love with Mohamed and they were planning to marry. But as their tradition demands, she first took him to her aunt whom she was residing with, for approval before anything happens between them. In May, 2022, her aunt took her to the village and handed her over to her Dad, informing him that there was a suitor who was asking for her daughter’s early marriage. Aminata’s Dad, Mohamed Conteh, responded positively by stating that my daughter would not be married without going through the initiation process into the Bondo secret society first. Upon hearing that, Aminata’s aunt spontaneously frowned at his intention and argued bitterly before she was forcefully chased out of the village. It was understood that the elders in the village converged in a meeting to plan on how Aminata Conteh should be initiated since a man has asked for her early marriage. Unfortunately for them, Aminata keeps on rejecting them, pinpointing that it is an evil practice which has a long lasting effects on the lives of victims. Closed friends of Aminata informed this Writer how her uncles locked her in a room for two(2) weeks and was starved by her half mother for vehemently rejecting the traditional practice she continuously referred to as evil and destructive. Torturing and castigations were Irresistible by the innocent girl. She quietly opened the door, sat in the parlour hearing how her father was engaging with the elders of the said female society on the exact date for her initiation. Right from that point, she intensified her determination to escape from such a severe torture and humiliation they were planning for her. Upon hearing that bad plan, she secretly ran to their neighbours, seeking rescue after she had narrated how badly she had been treated for the past two(2) weeks. Sadly, she was advised to accept the initiation in her own interest and for the sake of livelihood, as that is their culture. During the process, she was captured again by her traditional heartless parents, mercilessly beaten and desperately tried to initiate her. During the process, this Journalist was informed that she nearly lost her life and out of fear, the deadly traditional heads heed to their ways.

However, credible sources have updated that she finally left the shores of Sierra Leone to unidentified destination on Monday 21st March 2022 for fear of early death. She promised herself not to ever step her feet in this country, as they are bent on wasting her life for bringing shame and disgrace to their family and tradition.