By Tabora Bojang
Kanifing Municipal Council has given an ultimatum to the rival parties over the alkaloship of Latrikunda Yeringanya to amicably settle their differences at the community level within a week or else the Council will step in.
A dispute over the town’s alkaloship erupted recently after two people from the Faal clan claimed they are the legitimate heir to the throne after the demise of the holder.
Swaebou Faal, son of the recently demised Alkalo Alh Amadou Faal and one Pa Omar Faal, son of a one-time Alkalo Alh M.O Faal, are both claiming hereditary rights with each citing tradition.
According to sources, a melee broke out last Friday at the Latrikunda Yeringanya mosque when the Imam Bassirou Drammeh allegedly endorsed Pa Omar Faal at a community meeting, which ended in chaos.
This prompted the Kanifing Municipal Council to initiate a peace meeting between the rival parties but the meeting could not proceed due to the concerns allegedly raised by Pa Omar Faal.
The Director of Compliance at KMC, Dembo SN Sanneh, highlighted that it is the desire of KMC to ensure peace prevails in Latrikunda but added that the peace talks could not get off the ground because one of the parties (Pa Omar) was apparently uncomfortable with the crowd that accompanied Swaebou.
“We only called the meeting to find ways for both sides to compromise with each other but since the meeting has failed to proceed, we are now giving them time from now against next week and if they don’t compromise, then we will send forms through their National Assembly Member and 3 other Councilors to be issued to the yard owners to fill and decide who they want to be their Alkalo,” Sanneh said.
Sanneh stated that the Mayor in consultation with the minister of local government has the powers to identify an alkalo based on traditional rule “but he (Mayor) wants to be fair to allow the communities to choose for themselves to avoid any communal problems.”
