Dis woman die sake of say dem cut off her private part?

Sierra Leone get one of di highest rates of female genital mutilation (FGM) for Africa and e fit sometimes end for tragedy. BBC Africa Eye bin don dey hear from one man wey believe say im girlfriend die afta dem cut her private part.

She suppose dey initiated into di Bondo society, one centuries-old tradition wey involve music and dancing wia young women dey prepare for adulthood.

Thirty-six hours later, Fatmata don die.

From di day of her burial on 18 August 2016, her boyfriend, journalist Tyson Conteh, take out im camera and start to dey feem.

For one later recording, e bin look straight down di eye of di lens to explain why e wan document wetin dey happun.

"I wan use dis feem, wey dey so much passionate to me, to create one debate. Fatmata no wan see anoda girl, one woman, die. Dat na her wish."

E tok say Fatmata bin dey tok to am for im dreams, and want am to expose di truth of her death and bring an end to di practice of FGM.

FGM involve partial or total removal of di outside of di female genitalia - private part, wey dey often focus on di clitoris.

Di United Nations Population Fund don document di practice for 92 kontries, but e mostly common for parts of Africa and di Middle East.

For kontries like Somalia, Sudan and Djibouti, one kind FGM wey dem dey call infibulation dey practised wia dem go remove di labia and almost completely close di vaginal opening, to leave one small opening for urine and menstrual blood. Wen di woman marry, dem must cut dem open bifo dey fit get sex.

No health benefits to FGM. Di World Health Organization warn say e fit lead to urinary, vaginal and menstrual problems, and complications during childbirth and death.

For Sierra Leone, e dey estimated say 83% of women and girls of age between 15 and 49 don undergo FGM.

One of di main reason for di procedure na to tame women sexual desire. If dem dey "cut", dia tinkin be say e go protect dia virginity and once dem marry, dem go remain faithful to dia husband.

"Woman wey dem no cut love sex pass woman wey dem cut. Dat na why we reduce di urge inside dem,"Aminata Sankoh tok, one soweis, di name wey dem give women wey dey perform di cutting for Sierra Leone.

'E bin take me one week to urinate'

Conteh get access wey no common to feem di all-female Bondo society, one long time bedrock of beauty, art and culture.

E be celebration wia di traditional role of wife and mama dey pass from Bondo elders to young women.

Dem see am as one necessary and expected rite of passage.

However, part of the initiation process involve FGM. Conteh no dey allowed to feem dis wan.

"For our culture, our pipo for long time dey initiated into di society," Ngaima Kamara, one leading soweis tok.

"If you no dey initiated, you go dey shame to wash wit me for stream. If I pass by you, I go blank you. If we meet somewia I fit tell you say I no dey tok to uncut woman as if you dey sick."

For im documentary, Conteh recount wetin happun to Fatmata just over one day afta she attend di Bondo ceremony.

"We bin meet her body wey dem lay for mat, just outside di house for floor. And e dey wrapped for white," e tok.

"You see di blood wey dey come out. You see say blood come out and we come later find out say she die for di Bondo society afta dem cut her."

Di police land and dem take Fatmata bodi to di mortuary for Makeni.

Dem arrest ger mama and di soweis.

Six days later, Sierra Leone only pathologist dat time, Dr Simeon Owizz Koroma do post-mortem.

Also Dr Sylvia Blyden dey dia, di den minister for social welfare, gender and pikin mata.

Dr Blyden be supporter of di right of adult women to practise FGM but dey strongly against underage and forced FGM.

For one public statement, she bin release details of di post-mortem and say FGM no get anytin to do wit Fatmata death. Dem release di soweis and Fatmata mama.

Conteh investigate di possibility of weda im girlfriend death dey covered up to protect di Bondo society. Dr Blyden maintain say she no go ever change di truth over di reputation of di Bondo society.

Rugiatu Turay, no relate to Fatmata Turay, na Dr Blyden deputy minister dat time and be long-time campaigner against FGM.

She be founder and dey run di Amazonian Initiative Movement, one organisation for Sierra Leone wey dia focus be to end FGM.

She say she lucky to survive afta dem cut her wen she be 11 years old.

"Plenti pipo don die. We know, we all know. We suppose dey honest,' she tok.

"I almost die. If I wan pee, e dey take me one week to bifo I dey fit urinate. One week. Even afta initiation end, my vagina still swell."

'Bondo go end'

Ms Turay kwestion why Dr Blyden dey present for di post-mortem.

"Why you allow your minister enta mortuary to do post-mortem? Even if she be doctor, she no get business dia.

"She tanda wit di soweis. Dat one show say e already take sides. We believe say di result, wey we never see, don change. We believe dat one. We no fit bargain di lives of women for votes."

Dr Blyden deny say she tok for public about Fatmata cause of death but stand by her claim say Fatmata no die sake of FGM, she say di findings of di post-mortem match Fatmata medical history.

She say any suggestion of cover-up be lie and dey malicious and add say dem do autopsy for full view of family, human rights organisations, police and medical personnel.

She argue say na her duty as minister to attend di autopsy and deny say she dey dia for any political gain.

BBC Africa Eye approach Dr Owizz wit di allegations wey dey di feem, but e no gree respond.

Four years ago, Ms Turay set up di first Bondo society without FGM, wey dem call 'Alternative Rites or Bloodless Bondo.'

She believe say Bondo itsef fit end if women no stop to practise FGM.

"If women or anybodi kontinu to advocate for di cutting for Bondo, e go reach one point wen Bondo go end. E go reach one point wia Bondo go stop."