Bombali is a

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...

in the Northern Province of

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierr ...

. Its capital and largest city is

Makeni Makeni is the largest city in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. The city is the capital of Bombali District, and is the economic center of the Northern Province. Makeni is the fifth largest city in Sierra Leone by population. The city of M ...

, which is also the largest city in the north. The Bombali district is one of the sixteen districts of Sierra Leone. Bombali is one of the largest districts in Sierra Leone by

geographical area The geographic coordinate system (GCS) is a spherical or ellipsoidal coordinate system for measuring and communicating positions directly on the Earth as latitude and longitude. It is the simplest, oldest and most widely used of the various ...

, after Koinadugu district, and is the second most populous district in the Northern part of Sierra Leone, after Port Loko district. In the 2015 Sierra Leone national census, the population of Bombali district was 606,183. Other major towns in Bombali District include

Kamabai Kamabai is a small town in Bombali District in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone, with a population of about 4000 within a 7-kilometre (4.3 mi) radius (including the villages of Kagbumbo, Bonaia, Manlokoko, Kawere, Masasa, Makombon, Mat ...

, Karina and

Binkolo Binkolo is a rural town in Bombali District in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. Binkolo is home to an estimated 13,867 residents (2004 census). The majority of the population are from the Limba people (Sierra Leone), Limba ethnic group. ...

. The district of Bombali occupies a total area of and comprises thirteen

chiefdoms A chiefdom is a form of hierarchical political organization in non-industrial societies usually based on kinship, and in which formal leadership is monopolized by the legitimate senior members of select families or 'houses'. These elites form a ...

. The district borders

Karene District Karene is a district in the North West Province, Sierra Leone. Karine is one of the sixteen districts that make up the Republic of Sierra Leone. The capital and largest city of Karine District is Kamakwie Karine along with Falaba District are th ...

to the north,

Port Loko District Port Loko District is a district in the North West Province of Sierra Leone. It is the most populous District in the North and the second most populous District in Sierra Leone, after the Western Area Urban District. As of the 2015 census, Port Lo ...

Tonkolili District Tonkolili District is a district in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. Its capital and largest city is Magburaka. The other major towns include Masingbi, Yele, Mile 91, Bumbuna, Yonibana, Matotoka. Mathora, Magbass and Masanga. Ton ...

to the south, and

Koinadugu District Koinadugu District is a district in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. It is the largest District in Sierra Leone in geographical area, and one of the least most densely populated. Its capital and largest city is Kabala, which is also one of ...

to the east. The population of Bombali District is ethnically diverse, although the Temne and Limba form the largest ethnic groups. The population of Bombali District is predominantly Muslim, though with a large Christian minority. Bombali district is the

birthplace The place of birth (POB) or birthplace is the place where a person was born. This place is often used in legal documents, together with name and date of birth, to uniquely identify a person. Practice regarding whether this place should be a cou ...

and home district of the former president of Sierra Leone,

Ernest Bai Koroma Ernest Bai Koroma (born 2 October 1953) is a Sierra Leonean politician who served as the fourth President of Sierra Leone from 17 September 2007 to 4 April 2018. Born and raised in Makeni in northern Sierra Leone, Koroma spent more than 24 ...

, who was born and raised in the city of

. The district is also the birthplace and home district of former president of Sierra Leone

Joseph Saidu Momoh Major General Joseph Saidu Momoh, OOR, OBE (January 26, 1937 – August 3, 2003) served as President of Sierra Leone from November 1985 to 29 April 1992. Early life and education Joseph Saidu Momoh was born on January 26, 1937, in Binkolo, B ...

, who was born in the town of

. The

University of Makeni University of Makeni (formerly known as the Fatima Institute and often known as UNIMAK) is the first private, Catholic, university located in Makeni, Sierra Leone. History It was founded as the Fatima Institute on October 8, 2005, by the Emer ...

and

St. Francis Secondary school ST, St, or St. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Stanza, in poetry * Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band * Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise * Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy an ...

are based in Bombali District's largest city,

Government and politics

Bombali district is governed with a

directly elected Direct election is a system of choosing political officeholders in which the voters directly cast ballots for the persons or political party that they desire to see elected. The method by which the winner or winners of a direct election are cho ...

district council form of government, which is headed by a district council chairman, who is the highest local government official in the district. The chairman is responsible for the general management of the district. The current chairman is John Shangai Koruna of the

All People's Congress The All People's Congress (APC) is one of the two major political parties in Sierra Leone, the other being its main political rival the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP). The APC has been the main opposition party in Sierra Leone since 4 Ap ...

(APC), following his victory in the 2018 Sierra Leone general elections. Bombali district is a

political Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that stud ...

stronghold of the APC, the current ruling party in Sierra Leone; and one of the two major political parties in the country. Currently the APC holds all elected seats from Bombali district to the

Parliament of Sierra Leone Parliament of Sierra Leone is the legislative branch of the government of Sierra Leone. It is principally responsible for making laws. The Sierra Leone parliament consists of 146 members, of which 132 members are directly elected from across Si ...

. The APC also controls the Bombali District Council

local government Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-l ...

and the

city council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...

. Two of the three Sierra Leone presidents from the APC party

and

are natives of Bombali district. The APC has always been overwhelmingly popular in almost all parts of Bombali district since the party was founded; with the exception of the predominantly

ethnic An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history, ...

Mandingo town of Karina and its surrounding villages, located in part of Biriwa Chiefdom, which have traditionally supported the

Sierra Leone People's Party The Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) is one of the two major political parties in Sierra Leone, along with its main political rival the All People's Congress (APC). It has been the ruling party in Sierra Leone since April 4, 2018. The SLPP d ...

(SLPP), particularly under the government of president

Ahmad Tejan Kabbah Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah (February 16, 1932 – March 13, 2014) was a Sierra Leonean politician who served twice as the 3rd President of Sierra Leone, from 1996 to 1997 and again from 1998 to 2007. An economist and attorney by profession, K ...

, who was overwhelmingly popular in Karina and its surrounding villages during his presidency.

Members of Parliament

The district of Bombali has eight Representatives in the Sierra Leonean Parliament, of which seven members were elected for a five-year term. The district is a stronghold of the former ruling government of the APC party. In the second round of the 2007 Sierra Leone presidential election, the

incumbent The incumbent is the current holder of an office or position, usually in relation to an election. In an election for president, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the office of president before the election, whether seeking re-ele ...

vice president A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on ...

of Sierra Leone

Solomon Berewa Solomon Ekuma Dominic Berewa (6 August 1938 – 5 March 2020) was Vice-President of Sierra Leone from May 2002 to September 2007. Standing as the candidate of the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP), he was defeated in the second round of the 200 ...

and candidate of the then ruling SLPP got 11 percent of the vote in Bombali District, while the leader of the main opposition party and current president of Sierra Leone

of the

(APC) got 89 percent in the second round in the district.

Administrative divisions

Chiefdoms

The district is made up of thirteen

as the third level of administrative subdivision. # Biriwa –

Bombali Shebora Bombali Shebora is a chiefdom of Bombali District in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. The principal town lies at Makeni Makeni is the largest city in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. The city is the capital of Bombali District, an ...

–

# Gbanti Kamaranka – Kamaranka #

Gbendembu Ngowahun Gbendembu Ngowahun is a chiefdom of Bombali District in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the ...

–

Kalangba https://www.facebook.com/groups/KALANGBAFAMBUL Kalangba ( /kælæŋbæ/)(Loko: ''Ngangba'') is a rural village in Bombali District, Northern Province, Sierra Leone."Kalangba, now a small village in central Sierra Leone of approximately 3,000 inha ...

# Libeisaygahun – Batkanu # Magbaiamba Ndowahun – Hunduwa #

Makari Gbanti Makari Gbanti is a chiefdom of Bombali District in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. Officially, the principal town now lies at Masongbon. However, the village of Panlap is also considered the headquarters. The historical centre was Makari ...

– Masongbon # Paki Massabong – Mapaki # Safroko Limba –

Sanda Loko Sanda Loko is a chiefdom of Bombali District in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeas ...

– Kamalo, Sierra Leone, Kamalo # Sanda Tenraren – Mateboi # Sella Limba –

Kamakwie Kamakwie is a town in the North West Province of Sierra Leone. Since 2017 Kamakwie is the Capital of the Karene District in Chiefdom Sella Limba. The population of the town as estimated in late 2010, is 8,09 The main economic activities of Kamakwi ...

# Tambakha – Fintonia

Major towns

, largest city *

* Karina *

Towns and villages

* Masongbon * Kagber *

* Kangbori * Fintonia * Lowoma * Hunduwa * Kamaranka * Batkanu * Mateboi *

Gbendembu Gbendembu is the chiefdom seat town in the Gbendembu Ngowahun Chiefdom (an amalgamated Chiefdom), in the Bombali District, Northern Province of Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the s ...

Tambiama Tambiama is a town in Sierra Leone. {{Bombali District Populated places in Sierra Leone Northern Province, Sierra Leone ...

* Masingbi * Mapaki * Moriba * Rokulan * Kamalo, Sierra Leone, Kamalo * Sanda *

Tonko Tonko is a South Slavic masculine given name. In Croatian, it is a hypocorism of the name Antun and other cognates of Antonius. It is found in Slovene as a diminutive form of Anton, Antonij, and Antonijo in Slovenia. Given name *Tonko Lonza ( ...

Effects of the civil war

Bombali was a principal former rebel stronghold and experienced considerable displacement, destruction and trauma as a result of the conflict. While progress has been made since the conflict, particularly in restoration of state authority, the level of social services and economic recovery remains unsatisfactory throughout the district. The provincial importance of

is in contrast with the current lack of water and power supply in the township, and the bad road network and large distances in the district have meant that limited intervention has been made in chiefdoms outside of the Makeni area, particularly in the far north.

Health

Medical services are provided by a mix of government, private and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MOHS) shifted to a decentralized health system structure after the end of the civil in war in 2002, in an effort to increase coverage. Bombali has 16 community health centers (CHC), 18 community health posts (CHP), 48 maternal child health posts (MCHP), 1 government hospital, 1 military hospital, 1 community hospital, 3 mission Clinics, 3 mission hospitals and 3 private clinics. Traditional medicine forms part of the primary health care system in Sierra Leone. Diseases endemic to Bombali are

Yellow Fever Yellow fever is a viral disease of typically short duration. In most cases, symptoms include fever, chills, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle pains – particularly in the back – and headaches. Symptoms typically improve within five days. ...

and

Malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...

Holy Spirit Hospital (Makeni) The Holy Spirit Hospital is a hospital located in Makeni, Sierra Leone. It is the largest private hospital in the Northern Province, Sierra Leone, Northern Province of Sierra Leone. History The hospital was initially built as a small clinic in ...

, largest private hospital in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone, is located in Bombali District in the town of

. In 2019, the

First Responder Coalition of Sierra Leone The First Responder Coalition of Sierra Leone (FRCSL) is a coalition of Sierra Leonean and international organizations dedicated to expanding prehospital emergency care and developing emergency medical services in Sierra Leone. It aims to address ...

(FRCSL) was created in Makeni, the largest city of Bombali District. The five founding members included the

Sierra Leone Red Cross Society Sierra Leone Red Cross Society (SLRCS) was established in 1962 by an act of the Parliament of Sierra Leone and is a national society. It has its headquarters in Freetown. The SLRCS is to render medical and humanitarian assistance to the Armed Force ...

, LFR International, the

, Agency for Rural Community Transformation, and

Holy Spirit Hospital Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center is a 307-bed non-profit Catholic community hospital located in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and serves as the primary facility for its related health system. History ...

. 1,000 community members from Bombali were trained to be first responders by the Coalition and equipped with first aid kits between June and July 2019.

Religion

Notable people

, President of Sierra Leone from 2007 to 2018 *

, President of Sierra Leone from 1985 to 1992 * Almamy Suluku, was a powerful Limba ruler who maintained his independence as long as possible through brilliant political strategy during colonial era. *

Edward Turay Edward Mohamed Turay is a Sierra Leonean politician and diplomat. He was leader of the opposition All People's Congress (APC) from 1996 to 2002. He has been Sierra Leone's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom since 2010. Background Education a ...

, Politician * Brima Koroma, football star * Mohamed Kamara, football star * Daddi Cool, Guinean reggae musician

Notes

Sources

*Parts of this article reproduced with permission fro

*https://web.archive.org/web/20070121122533/http://www.statehouse-sl.org/member-parliament.html {{Districts of Sierra Leone Districts of Sierra Leone Northern Province, Sierra Leone