| Koidu town Sefadu, Sierra Leone |
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| Main street in Koidutown | |
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Koidu town
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Sierra Leone |
| Province | Eastern Province |
| District | Kono District |
| Government | |
| • Type | City council |
| • Mayor | Sahr Sessie-Gbenda (APC) |
| Population (2006 estimate) | |
| • Total | 111,800 [1] |
| Time zone | GMT |
Koidu Town officially known as Koidu New Sembehun (also known as Koidu, Kono or Sefadu) is the capital, largest city and economic center of the diamond-rich Kono District in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone. It is the fourth largest city in Sierra Leone by population (after Freetown, Bo and Kenema) and the second largest city in the Eastern Province, after Kenema. Koidu Town lies 275 miles east of Freetown and is a major business hubs and diamond trade center. The city had a population of 82,899 in the 2004 census[1] (a 2006 estimate being 111,800[2]).
The city is ethnically and culturally diverse and is inhabited by significant numbers of most of the country's ethnic groups. Most of the foreign diamond workers in the Kono District reside in the city. The Krio language is the most widely spoken language in the city and is primarily used as the language of communication among the residents in Koidu Town.
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Koidu town is governed with a city council form of government, which is headed by a mayor, in whom executive authority is vested. The mayor is responsible for the general management of the city and for seeing that all local and national laws are enforced. The mayor is elected directly by the residents of Koidutown. The current mayor of Koidu Town is Sahr Sessie-Gbenda and he is from the ruling All Peoples Congress party.
Koidu town is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in Sierra Leone. Even though the city is home of the Konos, all of the country's other ethnic groups and most of the foreign diamond workers in the Kono District reside in the city.
The local radio station in Koidu Town are the Eastern Radio 101.9. the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) TV, and radio are on the air in the city. The BBC World Service, CNN International, and several other international stations are also on the air in on satellite only.
Sierra Leone National Premier League club, the Diamond Stars is based in Koidu. The club represents the Kono District.
American aid workers helped rebuild the Koidu Government hospital, which has improved the previously alarming health situation in the town. Various other aid organizations, including the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR and its partners, have helped drill wells, re-build clinics and schools and regenerate livelihoods in the area, as part of a programme to support the reintegration of Sierra Leoneans who returned after living for several years as refugees in neighbouring countries.
The 2007 Koidutown-Sefadu protest was an action by 400 protesters in Koidu-Sefadu which was aimed at the local diamond mine which the resident claimed had lowered local living conditions and environmental conditions in the area. The result of the protest was a clampdown by Sierra Leonean police and the death of 2 protesters.[3]