The land conflict between Madifing Diané, former governor of the Labé region, and his big sister, Hadja Mariama Diané, continues to make headlines in Kankan. Accused of having destroyed buildings on land already sold by the latter, Madifing Diané did not respond to three summons from the Kankan gendarmerie. A key witness, Lamine Tounkara, recently spoke to the press to call on the ex-governor to put an end to this dispute with his sister, concerning the two hectares in dispute that she allegedly offered him, reports one of the correspondents of Guineematin.com in Kankan.
Lamine Tounkara, nephew of Madifing Diané, recalled the origins of this family property. His father, El Hadj Sékou Tounkara, is said to have acquired twelve hectares from his in-laws in Kounankoro, a district of Kankan.
“I am the first son of El Hadj Sékou Tounkara, and Hadja Mariama Diané is my stepmother. In 1975, my father asked his in-laws for an agricultural estate in Kounankoro. At the time, he was serving as a soldier at the Sounddiata Keïta camp in Kankan. These lands, covering an area of twelve hectares, were offered to him free of charge by his in-laws. In recognition, my father ceded five hectares to my stepmother, Hadja Mariama Diané, and the documents were signed in the presence of witnesses, including my uncle Madifing Diané. This land therefore legitimately belongs to Hadja Mariama, who is free to dispose of it as she wishes,” he declared.
Lamine Tounkara also called on Madifing Diané to prioritize family peace by renouncing the conflict with her sister.
“My uncle came late to this business, after more than forty years. I can assure you that he has no right to these lands, which belong to his older sister, inherited from her husband, my father. He should think about family, the values of the Muslim religion, and the fact that he is in conflict with his own sister who has always supported him. May he forgive and agree to close this dispute, especially since he held important responsibilities in the country,” he added.
According to Lamine Tounkara, the problem is partly due to an engineer that Madifing Diané hired to measure the two hectares offered by his sister.
“I don’t know how the buildings were demolished, but I was called to the site and saw the damage. We are all subject to the law, even President Mamady Doumbouya could not act like this without legal procedure. My stepmother gave my uncle two hectares to turn into a farm, but it seems that the engineer he hired contributed to the confusion over the boundaries of the land. My uncle probably thinks that his sister sold part of her estate, but that is not the case. Out of respect for him, I prefer not to go into details, even if a small house on the land, built by my father and my stepmother, is today claimed by Madifing Diané,” he explained.
According to sources close to the case, following Madifing Diané’s refusal to respond to summons from the gendarmerie, an arrest warrant was issued against him by the public prosecutor at the Kankan court of first instance.
From Kankan, Abdoulaye N’koya SYLLA for Guineematin.com
