In a significant decision regarding post-disaster recovery, the Accompong Maroon community in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica, has formally declined the Jamaican government’s offer to deploy military personnel for reconstruction efforts following Hurricane Melissa. Chief Richard Currie, leader of the Accompong Maroons, announced the community’s position through social media channels on Thursday, following deliberations by the Maroon Full Council.
While expressing gratitude for Prime Minister Andrew Holness’s administration’s willingness to mobilize resources, including those of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), the council determined that military presence would not align with the community’s cultural protocols and emotional needs. Currie specifically referenced concerns about armed personnel operating within their territory, noting that many community elders and women had experienced emotional trauma from the hurricane’s devastation.
The Maroon leadership emphasized their preference for civilian resources from both local and international partners, including technical sponsorships and volunteer engineering assistance coordinated through the Accompong Development Foundation. These established partnerships, developed over years of relationship building, provide what the council considers a culturally appropriate framework for reconstruction that honors their treaty-recognized indigenous status under the 1738 agreement with Britain.
Notably, the community did accept the government’s offer of materials and equipment necessary for recovery efforts, demonstrating a selective approach to cooperation. Currie stressed that the decision reflects neither a rejection of cooperation nor ingratitude for the humanitarian intent behind the government’s offer, but rather a commitment to maintaining “harmony and inclusiveness” according to Maroon laws and cultural way of life.
The Accompong Maroons maintain their commitment to peaceful engagement and transparent dialogue while asserting their governance responsibilities within the Cockpit Country territory, highlighting the complex intersection of disaster recovery, cultural preservation, and indigenous self-determination.