I have a confession to make.

After much soul-searching, relentless fact-checking, and a deep dive into my ancestral archives, I must finally admit the truth: I have Sub-Saharan roots.

Yes, you heard that right. I remember it clearly, as if it were just yesterday. We were deep into our two-week training on Insider Mediation and Negotiation at Clingendael in The Hague (https://www.clingendael.org/node/8944)—an experience filled with long hours, heavy discussions, and stories shared over coffee breaks and hurried lunches. Somewhere between sessions on conflict resolution and peacebuilding, a co-trainee from Sierra Leone caught sight of my nametag. She squinted, smiled knowingly, and said, almost as if letting me in on a secret, “You know, Limba is the name of one of our oldest peoples back home.”

It was one of those rare moments when a casual remark cuts deeper than a formal lecture. From that instant, something stirred quietly inside me. And now, looking back, I realize—I could no longer keep my secret.

If Mindanao is supposedly Sub-Saharan, then I must come clean—I have long-lost relatives in Sierra Leone and Guinea!

Let me introduce you to my Limba kin from West Africa. They are one of the oldest ethnic groups in Sierra Leone, known for their resilience, rich oral tradition, and—get this—political influence. In fact, one of them, Siaka Stevens, even became President of Sierra Leone. And here I was, thinking that Mindanaoan leaders alone had to deal with political dramas!

But wait—there’s more. My Limba relatives in West Africa have been thriving, just like Mindanaoans, despite being underestimated and misrepresented. They are farmers, traders, intellectuals, and, most importantly, they don’t let outsiders define their destiny.

Now, back to our beloved Mindanao—a land where, despite decades of struggle, continues to rise, rebuild, and redefine itself with strength and dignity. But why let facts get in the way of a good geopolitical comedy? If some commentators insist on comparing us to Sub-Saharan Africa, then I say: Thank you! I’ll wear my newfound West African heritage with pride. After all, if history has taught us anything, it’s that we, the Limba people of Maguindanao and West Africa, know how to endure, adapt, and thrive.

So, to my fellow Mindanaoans: Let us keep embracing our Sub-Saharan connection, not with indignation, but with a sense of humor and an unwavering commitment to proving them wrong. Because whether in Mindanao or in Sierra Leone, one thing remains true—we are more than the labels imposed upon us. P.S. If you happen to meet a Limba in Sierra Leone or Guinea, tell them their long-lost cousin from Dulawan, Mindanao says hello. Maybe we should start a Mindanao-Sub-Saharan Africa Kinship Society—after all, it seems some Southern Europeans have already done the diplomatic groundwork for us.