Faranah: a closer look at the realities of Marela, a locality located on the border between Fouta and Upper Guinea

The sub-prefecture of Marela is a locality located 90 kilometers from the capital of the Faranah prefecture and 95 kilometers from the Mamou prefecture. The main activities of the population in this locality are agriculture, livestock, and gold mining. The citizens are facing rampant insecurity. Meanwhile, local authorities are grappling for control of the municipal council.

Insecurity

In Marela, armed attacks are recurrent. Highway robbers sow terror among users.

“I believe that last year there were over ten attacks between Mamou, Marela, and Faranah. Highway robbers always take advantage of the poor road conditions to set up roadblocks. And most of the time, it is our brothers from Marela, Faranah, and Mamou who engage in these practices. So insecurity is rife in Marela. Every time there are cases of armed attacks,” explains a young leader.

Motorcycle taxi drivers are the ones who bear the brunt in this insecurity situation. Alhassane Fofana, a motorcycle taxi driver, testifies:

“We, the motorcycle taxi drivers, suffer a lot. Some are killed, others injured. Some motorcycles are taken away following armed attacks perpetrated by bandits. They carry out these attacks in the center here and at the Kalia market,” he says.

Environmental Destruction through Gold Mining

The locality of Marela is a mining area. The anarchic exploitation of gold by citizens significantly destroys the environment.

This environmentalist is worried: “What worries me is at the level of the Mongo River because the gold miners are there. And I don’t have time to follow them every day in the water, because transportation is scarce and access is difficult. Marela is surrounded by gold-bearing areas, men and women are all in the bush looking for gold. So the environment is destroyed,” laments this nature conservator.

Conflict at the Head of the Municipality

In the rural commune of Marela, the mayor and some councillors are in total disagreement. According to our information, the town hall offices are constantly closed.

“Since the time of the former sub-prefect, the offices are often closed. Each [councilor] had their own stamp here, but when another sub-prefect came, he organized things by entrusting the stamps to the mayor, as he is the only one authorized to have a stamp. In short, the councilors have not been able to come to an agreement until today,” explained a source close to the sub-prefectural authority.

Mayor Boubacar Ourdé Barry accuses a councilor named Abdoulaye Sow of being behind this disagreement.

On the other hand, citizens denounce the lack of achievements by the current municipal authority.

“If a special delegation is installed here in Marela, we will rejoice. Because since they have been in the municipality, there has been nothing. In fact, they themselves do not get along and do not work,” confides an anonymous citizen.

Given the lack of development in Marela, municipal authorities wish for their locality to become a prefecture, it has been learned.