Women from Kaboye, a locality of Boké, "invaded" the meeting room of the Boké prefecture to denounce the inaction of their district president as regards to employment for their children with mining companies. The woment are angry and demand the "immediat" departure of Diamal Diaby who has been leading the district for 17 years.
Besides, the angry women demand the respect of local content by the Société Minière de Boké (SMB), the largest bauxite exporter in Guinea. The prefect of Boké, Seny Silver Camara, said that he was concerned with the issue and assured measures have been taken to meet the claims of the demonstators.
There were about a hundred women who made the travel from Kaboye to Boké to set out their claims to Prefect Seny Silver Camara. During the meeting, the women requested the departure of the president of the district and claimed more jobs for the youth. According to the women, despite the presence of SMB in their area, the youth remain unemployed.
« We had first come to meet the prefect and he gave us a rendez-vous, but this took too long. This is why we came this morning without noticing him. He was surprised seeing us today. We have talked and reached an agreement. He reassured us as regards the departure of the president of the district and the issue with SMB. Next Tuesday, God willing, we will be here around the same negotiating table with SMB to sort the issue out favorably so as to allow our children to find jobs», said Gnama Diaby, women's leader.
In addition, Rouguiatou Sylla, another lady from Kaboye, too angry, seized the opportunity to clearly set out their claims:
« We do not demand much, what we demand is to get rid of our president of district as he does nothing for us. Our children are here jobless and we are getting old. They are our hope. With every job offer, our children are subjected to a testing. Some of them succeed in these tests, but they are never offered a job. Before these companies came to take our lands away from us, they had promised us to employ our children, but with time we came to understand that these promises are false. » said Rouguiatou Sylla.
The prefectural authorities seem to take the concerns of the women into account. According to Prefect Seny silver Camara, every measure has been taken to sort out the issue:
« It is an issue dating back to 2015. Women came to meet first upon my arrival at the prefecture (of Boké). I had even organized a meeting between the local communities and the officers in charge of community relations at SMB and UMS. The aim was to find a solution. We had then promised the women whenever there was a job offer, they would submit to us a list of people to undergo the employment test. We had decided to call them later on and update them on what I had concluded with community relations managers of SMB as regards their claims. But, given my busy schedule, I forgot calling them, and the community managers of SMB also did not call me. This is why when they came here this morning, I ruled in their favor. I do this because I want to prove that I expect nothing from SMB as some are saying that I have received money from it, and this is why I keep silent as regards the issue. As for the president of district, I sent a mission to investigate into the issue. The mission has submitted a report that I read and transmitted to whom it may concern. Now, I am waiting for instructions to act».