MIne your words,
It is  very irresponsible to label the maraka's( saraholes) as greedy at
this time around. They are comparatively better if one look at the more
corrup Lebanes who shared most of the blame with the Westz for the tourbles
in Senegal. The Lebanese are on record for hijacking the Government of
Mommoh with their "brown evelopes" and corrupt practices.
The Lebane contributed some 6 billion Dollars drained from bloody Sierral
Leone Diamond to finace reconstruction of Lebanon.
The Marakas are Africans who have been involved in Sierra Leone since the
1960s and did not only sought diamonds but also integrated into the Siera
Leonean society: the inermarried with many Sierra leoneans. The evidences
can be seen in Gambia and else where to day.
Furthermore, they accommodated many Sierra leoneans in distresse who came to
The Gambia for refuge. The latest example involves Former Sierra Leone
President Valentine Strasser, who after being played like a football by
British and Gambian authorities, was rescued by Bassirou Jawara, a Prominet
Maraka hotelier and Bussinessman, who made his money in Sierra Leone.
So it is very unfair to label the Marakas as "greedy" without properly
researching into their activities.
Their philosophy for record purposes reads "respect for others, hospitality
and Solidarity"
Regards

Messers Mamau Tage
Bubacarr Sankanu


>From: awa joeque <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: BLOOD DIAMOND MONEY AND THE GREEDY MARAKAS (SARAHOLEHS)
>Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2001 17:33:25 -0000
>
>Concord Times (Freetown)
>January 17, 2001
>
>By Joseph Dumbuya
>Freetown
>
>The row over the discovery and purchase of a 28-carat diamond by a certain
>Maraka led to the expulsion of some 42 of them from Kono by the rebels, a
>civilian from Koidu speaking from a position of anonymity told Concord
>Times.
>
>He revealed that when news of the diamond broke out, the rebels mounted an
>investigation. Junior Sankoh, Blood Master and Col. Blood were ordered to
>retrieve the diamond.
>
>Failure to achieve this saw the rebels directing their anger at the Marakas
>accusing them of complicity. They detained 42 Marakas mostly Malians in a
>container at Motema to force them into disclosing the buyer of the diamond.
>
>'When this failed they took the Marakas to Makali in the Tonkolili District
>and ordered them to leave their territory' the source said.
>
>'The rebels accused the Marakas of being agents of President Kabbah, who
>has
>sent them into their territory to spy on them'.
>
>Meanwhile, Kono is said to have a large population of foreigners especially
>Marakas from Mali, Senegal and Gambia. They are said to be
>doing brisk business with rebels and their agents in Guinea and their home
>country.
>
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