KINGSTON, Jamaica – Prime Minister Andrew Holness has made it clear that the question of sovereignty for maroons in Jamaica will not be countenanced under his watch.

The question as to whether maroons should be granted statehood has been raised since 1738 when the maroons and British colonialists signed a peace treaty that ended the maroon wars. They were given the lands on which they would be allowed to settle in perpetuity. That and the fact that they were allowed some amount of autonomy overtime, for some maroons meant they should also be granted sovereignty. There has been increasing talk in this regard since the controversial Richard Currie was elected chief of the Accompong Maroons.

But that notion was shot down by Holness on Sunday as he responded to  questions from a journalist at a Jamaica House media briefing where he declared the violence-plagued Parade Gardens in Central Kingston as the latest Zone of Special Operation

The prime minister was asked whether the government had sought legal advice before discontinuing talks with so-called sovereign maroons and whether his administration would therefore not be derelict in refusing to finance projects in any such territories.

In his response, a visibly agitated Holness stated that “Your questions is based on a very dangerous premise…”.

Continuing, he said: “Jamaica is a unitary sovereign state. There is no other sovereign authority in Jamaica other than the government of Jamaica. I want that to be absolutely clear. None!

“And under my leadership, not one inch of Jamaica will come under any other sovereign authority”.

Holness told the journalist that “what you’re asking would be for the government of Jamaica to take taxpayers’ money and grant funds to fund another government. This is not a government saying they’re a local government, a parish council government which is under our constitution”.

And he had more for Andre Wright, an editor at The Gleaner Company who posed the questions.

“Are you crazy? Do you know what you’re asking? This is the stuff of how guerrilla wars come and states break down. Wake up Jamaica; don’t court foolishness and problems”.

Holness added: “People have died as a result [of claims for sovereignty] and you expect me to stand here as prime minister and fund activities that could lead to the breakdown of our state. Never!”

Several people, including children, were shot, one man fatally, at last week’s annual maroon celebrations.

The police warned that no permission had been granted for the annual event to be held but several government agencies apparently gave the go ahead for the annual event to take place despite the spike in COVID-19 cases on the island.