Bittersweet Salone

The time of year has returned

Where our dormant nationalism and patriotism is reinstated

It’s the time where being Sierra Leonean is a flex

And green, white and blue is displayed all across the country

Green

White

Blue?

Why is it that we see more of the blue in the self acclaimed Sweet Salone?

I recall as a child there being sign boards across the city of Freetown after the war

The “Sweet Salone 2020” sign boards

Do you remember?

Well I do.

The Vision of Sweet Salone 2020

Prosperity

Development

and Change

Those were the main themes.

Ask yourself

...Are we happy?

...Are we Independent?

Our ancestors fought too hard for us to be decolonized and yet here we are in 2020

Colonized.

Neocolonized.

Modern day slaves.

Slaves to capitalism

Slaves to greed

Slaves to corruption

Slaves to misfortune

What are we?

“Post conflict”

“Post Ebola”

“Post Mudslide”

Now a new tag will follow

“Post COVID-19”

I impatiently wait for the days when we will have a new tag:

post-Western dependent

Post-import reliant

And post-badat

Won’t that be a day?

Oh, what a fine day that will be!

Africa is the future

and Salone is the now.

There will come a day when we will scream at the top of our lungs SWEET SALONE without a single reservation

Oh, that would make for a fine conversation

Ella Kobla Gulama

Bai Bureh

Madam Yoko

Sengbe Pieh

We look to you

Help us learn from our past

So we can solve our problems of today

For a sustainable future

For a better Salone

That is more sweet than bitter

Africa is the future

but first let’s start with Salone

Land that we love?

🇸🇱

© Mina Bilkis 2020