On Wednesday, October 16, 2024, an international delegation consisting of representatives from the African Union, ECOWAS Commission, and the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) visited the Sierra Leonean Parliament to review the progress of the National Unity Agreement.
This agreement, signed between the Government of Sierra Leone and the All People’s Congress Party (APC), aims to foster political unity and peace in the country, following recommendations from the Tripartite Committee’s report.
The delegation, led by former Vice President of The Gambia, Madam Aja Fatoumata C.M. Jallow-Tambajang, expressed gratitude for the warm reception by Sierra Leone’s parliamentary leadership.
She highlighted that the visit was part of a broader effort to monitor the implementation of the peace agreement.
Madam Jallow-Tambajang underscored the importance of the Parliament in promoting peace and stability and emphasized that their follow-up visit underscored the critical role of the institution in the peace process.
Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas, welcomed the delegation, reaffirming the peaceful and tolerant nature of the Sixth Parliament.
He expressed his commitment to ensuring cooperation between political parties in and out of Parliament, stating that he personally stood to benefit from a cohesive and harmonious legislative body. Reflecting on the previous Fifth Parliament, he noted that the current session, under his leadership, had been far more peaceful and constructive.
The opposition leader, Hon. Abdul Kargbo, provided a detailed update on the opposition’s concerns regarding the implementation of the Tripartite Committee’s recommendations.
He pointed to delays in addressing issues related to the entitlements of opposition MPs, mayors, and councilors, as stipulated in Resolution 4 (D). Kargbo also expressed concern over the slow progress in fulfilling Resolution 4 (E), which addresses the representation of opposition members in international parliamentary bodies. Despite these challenges, he remained optimistic, urging the government to meet the conditions set out in the agreement and calling for the release of political prisoners.
In response, the Acting Leader of Government Business, Hon. Bashiru Silikie, acknowledged that the opposition’s delayed participation in the early sessions of the Sixth Parliament had caused setbacks. However, he reassured the delegation that the government was committed to addressing these issues, including plans for a parliamentary retreat to discuss them further. Silikie also clarified that financial backlogs and other entitlements for opposition members fell outside the ruling SLPP’s mandate.
Other members of Parliament, including the Deputy Leader of the APC, Hon. Daniel Brima Koroma, and Deputy Speaker Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh, expressed confidence in the current Parliament’s leadership. They lauded the reforms under Speaker Thomas and emphasized that democratic processes were upheld during his election.
Hon. Conteh also highlighted strides in gender representation, noting that Sierra Leone’s quota of 30% female MPs is one of the highest in the region, second only to Senegal.
Clerk of Parliament, Hon. Paran Umar Tarawally, addressed concerns about financial backlogs for opposition MPs. He confirmed that all necessary documents had been forwarded to the Ministry of Finance and assured that payments would be completed by December 2024.
The delegation concluded their visit by expressing satisfaction with the responses from both government and opposition members. They pledged to continue monitoring the peace agreement closely. The meeting ended with a group photo to commemorate the occasion.
