The Maroon Question: Traitors Then, Troublemakers Now?
Jamaica Cannot Afford a Divided Island
For generations, Jamaica has danced around a painful truth: the Maroon leadership—then and now—has repeatedly positioned itself in conflict with the wider interests of the Jamaican nation.
And today, as the country fights to rebuild after Hurricane Melissa, the old fractures are once again ripping open.
The Maroons were hailed as freedom fighters, yes—but history is also clear. They signed treaties with the British that required them to hunt down escaped slaves and return them to bondage. Many Jamaicans view that as betrayal, plain and simple. Traitors then… and, some would argue, traitors now.
Opposition Leader Mark Golding once said bluntly that, if not for the Maroons, Jamaica might have seen a Haitian-style revolution—a full uprising that could have liberated all enslaved Africans without compromise. That statement, controversial as it was, reflects a sentiment widely held across the island: the Maroon treaties protected Maroon autonomy while leaving the rest of the enslaved population to suffer.
Fast-forward to today, and the echoes of that division remain alive.
Currie Rejects Help While His People Suffer
In the wake of mass destruction in Accompong, Prime Minister Andrew Holness offered a straightforward lifeline—Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) soldiers to assist with rebuilding.
A national emergency. A devastated community. A government extending help to a Jamaican district, as is its duty.
Yet Maroon Chief Richard Currie rejected the offer publicly, posting a video on social media declaring that he will not accept the Jamaican state’s assistance.
This is not leadership. This is grandstanding.
While Jamaicans across the island mourn losses, clean debris, bury loved ones, and rebuild brick by brick, the Maroon chief is choosing sovereignty theatre over solidarity. His stance does not strengthen his people; it isolates them. And it reinforces the long-standing criticism that Maroon leadership is more interested in political posturing than national unity.
Holness Must Address the Maroon Divide—Publicly and Decisively
At this point, Prime Minister Holness cannot remain diplomatic or vague. The country needs clarity. The country needs leadership.
We cannot call ourselves One Jamaica while one group repeatedly declares itself a separate state, rejects national authority, and then refuses national assistance during a crisis.
This is not culture.
This is not heritage.
This is division.
No nation can function with two governments on one island. And Jamaica certainly cannot navigate disaster recovery, economic rebuilding, and social stability while one enclave pushes separatism.
If we allow this to continue unchallenged, we risk embedding permanent fractures across the island—fractures that enemies of Jamaica’s progress will happily exploit.
A Hard Truth Jamaica Must Confront
It is time to be honest.
- The Maroons were not the liberators of all Jamaican people.
- They negotiated their survival at the expense of enslaved Africans who remained unfree.
- Their leadership today continues a pattern of self-interest dressed up in ancestral glory.
- And now, when Jamaica is in its hour of need, they reject national unity once again.
This is not the behaviour of a patriotic group.
This is the behaviour of a faction determined to divide Jamaica.
Holness must act. Parliament must speak. And the Jamaican people must demand one standard:
One island. One law. One Jamaica.
Anything else is chaos.