Mansa Konko council chief warns of rising village committee conflicts

By Alieu Jallow

The chairperson of the Mansa Konko Area Council has warned of escalating conflicts involving Village Development Committees (VDCs) across the Lower River Region.

Landing B. Sanneh told The Fatu Network that the council has received numerous complaints about committees overstaying their mandated tenure, fuelling divisions within communities.

“We are so bored now with conflicts here and there, crisis management, and resolving conflicts in the community. Sometimes it’s not pleasing at all. If we do not put control mechanisms in place to avoid conflicts and crises, there’ll be too much social unrest, and that is not good for our society,” he said.

Sanneh revealed that at least ten communities are currently experiencing active crises, with several others on the brink of conflict. He warned that in some cases, divisions have deepened to the point where residents are no longer on speaking terms.

The council plans to convene a meeting after Ramadan to prioritise the issue. “[In] our next council meeting, we will have to discuss the issues of VDCs in our area. Council must act appropriately to avoid escalation of such crises,” Sanneh added.

Beyond governance disputes, he also raised concerns about youth attitudes toward employment and training opportunities, noting that many decline or abandon jobs despite competitive pay. “As a professional youth worker, I will sometimes tend to believe that it’s an attitude [problem]. When opportunity is created, you have to accept the opportunity and take it,” he said.

Sanneh stressed the need for continued dialogue and collective action to strengthen community governance and encourage young people to take responsibility for local development.