Falaba District

Falaba District is a district in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone.[3][4] It is one of the sixteen Districts of Sierra Leone. Its capital and largest town is Bendugu. Other towns in Falaba District include Falaba, Sikunia, Krubola, Bafolia and Yiffin. Falaba District is divided into thirteen chiefdoms. Falaba District is one of the largest Districts in Sierra Leone in land area, However, it is one of the least most populous districts in the country.[5] Falaba District has a population of 205,353, based on 2018 estimate.[2]

Falaba District
Location of Falaba District in Sierra Leone
Coordinates: 9°30′N 11°30′W
CountrySierra Leone
ProvinceNorthern Province
CapitalBendugu
Largest cityBendugu
Government
 • TypeDistrict Council
 • District Council ChairmanAbdulai Maranda Sajor[1] (APC))
Population
 (2018 estimate)
 • Total205,353[2]
Time zoneUTC-5 (Greenwich Mean Time)

In 2016, Falaba District was created out of Koinadugu District, and declared a newly created district by then Sierra Leone"s president Ernest Bai Koroma, and was ratified by the Parliament of Sierra Leone to officially become a district in the same year of 2016. Falaba District is one of the two newest districts created by the Government of Sierra Leone, along with Karene District. Falaba District borders Koinadugu District, Bombali District, and the Republic of Guinea.

Falaba District is an entirely rural district that is composed of mostly farming, livestock and mining. Many of the towns and villages in Falaba District are in far distance and remote areas within the district.[6]

The main ethnic groups in Falaba District are the Kuranko, Yalunka, Fula and Mandingo.[4] Falaba District is home to the largest population of ethnic Yalunka in Sierra Leone.

The overwhelming majority of the people of Falaba District at over 90% are Muslims of the Sunni tradition of Islam. Falaba District" along with its neighbor Koinadugu District are the traditional home of the highly spiritual Suffi Islamic scholars known as the Karamut, who are view by some Muslims, to have special divine knowledge based on their interpretation of the Qur'an.

Falaba District is home, however, to a small but significant Christian minority at about 7%. There are several Catholic and Protestants churches in the District.

Government and politics

Politically Falaba District is a swing district as it is home to a large percentage of supporters of Sierra Leone's two major political parties: the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) and the All People's Congress (APC).

At the local government, Falaba District is governed by a directly elected district council, headed by a directly elected district council charman, in whom local executive power is granted. The current district council chairman of Falaba District is Abdulai Maranda Sajor, of the All People's Congress who was elected district council chairman of Falaba District with 45.8% of the vote, as he narrowly defeated the Sierra Leone People's Party's candidate in the 2018 Falaba District council elections.[1]

The chiefdoms' paramount chiefs of Falaba District are very powerful and extremely influential, especially in village within Falaba District. The Paramount chiefs usually resolve family dispute and minor crimes.

In the 2018 Sierra Leone Presidential election, Samura Kamara of then ruling All People's Congress received 57% of the votes in Falaba District, and Julius Maada Bio of then major opposition Sierra Leone People's Party received 42% of the votes in Falaba District.

After the 2018 Sierra Leone Parliamentary election, Falaba District currently has four elected representatives in the Sierra Leone Parliament, and they are Mohamed Billow Shaw (SLPP), Alusine Marah (APC), Alhasan Jeroh Kamara (APC), and Lahai Marah (APC).[7]

Law enforcement and safety

The Sierra Leone Police is the primary law enforcement agency and crimes investigation in Falaba District. However, the Paramount chiefs and the traditional council also investigate minor crimes and solve family and community conflict in Falaba District. The Paramount chiefs are very influential within their chiefdoms in Falaba District.

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References
  1. "Elected Mayors - Sierra Leone 2018 Election - Sierra Leone Open Elections Data Platform". Sierra Leone Open Elections Data Platform.
  2. "Falaba - SLOEDP". Sierra Leone Open Elections Data Platform.
  3. "Sierra Leone News: New Northern District to be called 'Falaba' - Awoko Newspaper". 2 May 2017.
  4. APANEWS. "Sierra Leone: Newly established district named - Apanews.net". apanews.net.
  5. "Sierra Leone Web - Districts and Chiefdoms of Sierra Leone". www.sierra-leone.org.
  6. "Measles outbreak confirmed in remote Falaba district".
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-07-25. Retrieved 2018-07-26.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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