MMA President Flies to East Coast for FELMAUSA Conference
By: Alh Donzo

Musa Kamara, President of the MIMA

President Musa Kamara departs the Twin Cities on Saturday, June 28, 2008 at the head of a high-powered delegation to the East Coast to attend the Federation of Mandingo Associations in the United States conference slated for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania July 4th – 6th 2008. Those traveling with the President include First lady Fatu Kamara, Vice President Abrahim Toure and Press Secretary Alh Donzo. Others are Morris Kouyateh, Special Assistant to the President and the President’s personal friend, Dadee.

According to a Press Release from the President’s office, the delegation is expected to arrive in New York on Saturday, June 28, 2008 for a one-day official visit, and then travel to New Jersey, Virginia, and Maryland before taking off Thursday, July 03, 2008, for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The release said that the president will hold bilateral discussions with presidents of other Mandingo associations on the East Coast.

The release also disclosed that President Kamara will hold a close door consultative meeting with the FELMAUSA leadership including President Richmond Konneh and Board Chairman Honorable Abraham Kromah. These discussions, according to the release, will center on important issues concerning the Mandingo communities, including the MMA administration’s desire to host the 2009 FELMAUSA conference in the Twins Cities, Minneapolis.

Sources close to the President revealed that he will also discuss the unfortunate and disturbing situation in Virginia involving Brother Fonsia Donzo with the leaderships of the Mandingo Associations in New York, Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and FELMAUSA. The President hopes to use this opportunity to brainstorm alternative ways our communities can be of help in addressing this issue as soon as possible. “We pray that justice will be served to our brother. He is very hard working and generous. MMA stands with him in these trying times” the release quotes President Kamara as having said.

While on the East Coast, President Kamara will also hold face to face talks with the leaderships of LIMANY and FELMAUSA on separate occasions in an effort to resolve their differences. The President pointed out that both parties have made great strides on behalf of the Mandingo people in the United States and abroad through the use of their respective websites. “Therefore, they should put aside their personal feelings/motives to come together as one people to fight for the common cause. I will do my best as MMA President to bring the two parties under one umbrella. It will be tough, but at the end, we will be united, Allah willing. A unified Mandingo voice is the right direction to stand for our people” the release quotes the President as having concluded.
The trip will be the President first official travel since he was elected into office early this year.