Work begins in Sierra Leone to restore Bunce Island fort
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Sierra Loaded
Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs Nabeela Farida Tunis has launched a state-funded project to restore and equip Bunce Island, a former slave fort. The work, led by the Monuments and Relics Commission, is meant to consolidate the site and develop it as a tourist destination, according to Sierra Loaded.
Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs Nabeela Farida Tunis has launched the government-funded project to develop the physical infrastructure of the Bunce Island historical site, Sierra Loaded reports. The Monuments and Relics Commission (MRC) is implementing it. The slave fort is in the Sierra Leone River estuary, in Kamasondo Chiefdom (Port Loko District).
The work is intended to improve the structural integrity of the fort and support its conservation, while strengthening its heritage tourism potential. The minister said the government’s commitment had gained momentum after President Julius Maada Bio’s visit to the island several months ago. She also said her ministry had made progress in the steps to have Bunce Island inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The Resident Minister for the North-West region, Ambassador Umaru Bun Wurie, said that investment in the site is not intended to glorify a painful chapter of history.
