My name is Peter Sao Cawray. I am a citizen of Sierra Leone, a member of the Mende ethnic group, and I was born on 21 September 1985 in Njala Mokonde Village, Korie Chiefdom, Moyamba District, Southern Province.
I am respectfully seeking refugee protection in Canada because I have a well-founded fear that if I am forced to return to Sierra Leone, my life, safety, and freedom will be at serious risk. My fear arises from my refusal to accept a hereditary leadership role as a Poro Society initiator, a position my family and community insist I must inherit following the deaths of my father and cousin.
I was born and raised in Mokonde Village, where the Poro Society holds significant influence over community life and traditional leadership. My late father, James Cawray, served as a respected Poro initiator, commonly regarded as one of the leading traditional figures responsible for conducting initiation ceremonies. Because of his position, our family became closely associated with the society.
When my father died on 13 May 2012, the village elders held consultations regarding who should continue his responsibilities. In 2014, they appointed my cousin, Tommy Cawray, to succeed him as the Poro initiator. He served in that capacity for approximately eleven years and carried out initiation ceremonies within our community.
In January 2025, my cousin became seriously ill. At that time, I was employed by the Ministry of Finance in Freetown. Later, in September 2025, I travelled to Canada to participate in a trade and investment conference.
While I was in Canada, I began receiving numerous telephone calls from relatives and community elders informing me that my cousin’s health had deteriorated significantly. They explained that they intended to convene a family meeting because they expected me to assume the position if my cousin passed away.
Concerned by these developments, I returned to Sierra Leone on 30 September 2025. Immediately after my return, relatives, elders, and community members repeatedly contacted me and visited me, urging me to attend meetings concerning the future of the traditional office.
Feeling overwhelmed by the growing pressure, I left Freetown in October 2025 and accepted employment with Sierra Rutile, where I worked as a Supervisor in the Mining Department (WCP). My intention was to distance myself from the mounting demands and continue living peacefully.
Unfortunately, my fears became reality when my cousin died on 25 December 2025.
Following his death, the elders summoned our extended family to a formal meeting. During that gathering, they unanimously declared that I should inherit the position because I was considered the most suitable male descendant of the family line. They described me as a young and capable man and insisted that it was my traditional responsibility to continue my father’s legacy as the community’s next Poro initiator.
I immediately refused.
My refusal was based on deeply held convictions and genuine fears.
First, I have personally witnessed the suffering associated with Poro initiation ceremonies. Throughout my life I observed that initiation rituals often involve severe physical pain and practices that frightened me from childhood.
My late father, my cousin, and two young members of our family who died during initiation activities were all buried inside the sacred forest according to the customs of the society. Their burials took place under strict secrecy, preventing ordinary family members from paying their respects in the normal Christian manner.
The deaths of the two young men, which occurred during initiation activities on 1 April 2010, had a profound impact on me. I believe they could not survive the severe physical ordeal associated with the ceremony. I was also deeply concerned by the traditional practice of using the same cutting instrument on many initiates without proper sterilization or adequate medical precautions. Observing these practices increased my fear and strengthened my determination never to participate.
Secondly, my Christian faith prevents me from accepting such a position.
I am an active Christian and have served as an evangelist at the United Methodist Church, Bishop Humper Parish, Sierra Rutile. My faith teaches me to worship God alone and not to participate in traditional secret society rituals that conflict with my religious beliefs.
Accepting the role of Poro initiator would require me to perform rituals, ceremonies, and obligations that directly contradict my Christian convictions. For that reason, I could not, in good conscience, accept the appointment.
Despite my refusal, the pressure from the elders intensified.
They repeatedly informed me that the office belonged to my family and that I had no right to reject it. They continued urging me to comply with what they described as my traditional obligation. As the pressure increased, I became convinced that refusing the appointment would expose me to serious consequences within my community.
I became increasingly fearful that I would eventually be forced to undergo the necessary traditional rites against my will or suffer punishment for refusing.
Because I feared for my safety, I fled Sierra Rutile on 11 May 2026 and sought refuge in Bo Town, where I stayed with my sister, Elizabeth Cawray Davies.
Even there I did not feel safe.
I believed that community members and relatives could still locate me because my identity and family background were well known. The authority exercised by traditional leaders extended beyond my home village, and I feared that the pressure to accept the position would continue wherever I went within Sierra Leone.
I did not report the matter to the Sierra Leone Police.
In my experience, disputes involving powerful traditional societies are rarely resolved through ordinary law enforcement. The Poro Society is deeply rooted in many communities, and its customs are widely respected. I genuinely believed that reporting the matter would not provide effective protection because the issue was regarded as a traditional obligation rather than an ordinary criminal matter.
For that reason, I concluded that relocating within Sierra Leone would not provide lasting safety.
After carefully considering my situation, I realised that remaining in Sierra Leone would expose me to continuing pressure, intimidation, and possible harm because of my refusal to accept the hereditary role assigned to me.
Having exhausted every reasonable option available to me, I made the difficult decision to leave Sierra Leone and seek protection in Canada.
I respectfully ask the Government of Canada to grant me refugee protection because I sincerely believe that returning to Sierra Leone would expose me to serious harm on account of my refusal to become a Poro initiator and because of my Christian faith.
Everything stated in this declaration is true and based upon my own personal knowledge and lived experiences.
I make this statement honestly and respectfully in support of my application for refugee protection.
HUNTED BY TRADITION: How My Refusal to Become a Poro Initiator Forced Me to Flee Sierra Leone
