In a significant development, the Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion (ICPNC) has released the final communique following a post-election peace dialogue.
The key points of the communique are as follows:
National Address: The President is set to deliver a national address focusing on dialogue, unity, and peace, emphasizing the importance of the following points.
APC Participation: The All People’s Congress (APC) party has made a landmark decision to put an end to its non-participation in governance.
Cross-Party Committee: In consultation with the APC, the President will establish a cross-party committee tasked with reviewing the electoral system and leadership bodies.
Release of Detainees: Individuals arrested, detained, or imprisoned due to alleged election or civil protest activities will be released based on a list submitted by the APC and considered by the government of Sierra Leone.
Resolution of Court Cases: Politically motivated court cases against the APC, other parties, and their supporters will be discontinued, guided by a list submitted by the APC and other parties and considered by the government of Sierra Leone.
Support for Displaced Supporters: The government will support the resettlement of political party supporters who have been internally and externally displaced due to political intimidation, attacks, and harassment, with guidance from lists submitted by the APC and other parties.
Addressing Entitlement: Elected APC officials, members of parliament, mayors, chairpersons, and councilors will have their entitlement issues addressed appropriately by the relevant institutions upon assuming their governance positions.
Parliament Representation: The parliament will address issues related to leadership, committee composition, and representation in the international parliament on behalf of the APC, ensuring representation in line with the constitution of Sierra Leone.
Institutionalized Dialogue: Both the APC and the SLPP agree to institutionalize an inter-party dialogue framework, facilitated by the government, to foster better political cooperation.
Strengthening Relationships: Efforts will be made to re-engineer and rekindle relationships within the national socio-political ecosystem, including fostering connections between the President, former political leaders, former Presidents, vice presidents, and the leadership of the APC and SLPP.
Condemnation of Hate Speech and Violence: The government of Sierra Leone and the APC condemn all citizens, whether at home or abroad, who incite violence, spread hate speech, or disrupt national cohesion both online and offline. They pledge to bring those involved to justice.
Implementation Committee: Both parties commit to the implementation of the agreement reached during the dialogue. To oversee this, an independent committee of moral guarantors will be established, with membership agreed upon by the parties to support and monitor the implementation of the agreement.
This historic agreement represents a significant step toward national unity and peace in Sierra Leone, with the APC’s decision to end non-participation in governance at the forefront of this peace-building effort.
