Freetown, September 7, 2023 – In a significant development aimed at defusing the ongoing political tension in Sierra Leone, the international community, including the Commonwealth, the African Union, and ECOWAS, has agreed to mediate between the government and the country’s primary opposition party, the All People’s Congress (APC).
Hawa Sally Samai, the Executive Secretary of the Peace and National Cohesion Commission, made this crucial announcement during the Ministry of Information and Civic Education’s weekly press briefing in Freetown.
She revealed that the APC had conveyed to the Commission that their concerns were not directed towards the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) but rather with the Government of Sierra Leone.
Ms. Samai emphasized the Commission’s role in ensuring peace and cohesion for all Sierra Leoneans, noting their prior engagement with political parties to ensure peaceful elections.
She recounted the Commission’s efforts after the elections, where the APC expressed dissatisfaction with the results. In response, the Commission encouraged both political parties to engage in dialogue and promote messages of peace.
Furthermore, Ms. Samai disclosed that when the Commission engaged with the APC Party, the executive expressed a willingness to sit down for dialogue with the government. They requested the involvement of the international community in these discussions. President Julius Maada Bio has agreed to engage in dialogue with the APC to address the political tension, with the International Community participating in mediation.
The Commission has reached out to the Commonwealth, the African Union, and ECOWAS, all of whom have expressed their readiness to participate in the mediation process when called upon.
Ms. Samai called upon all Sierra Leoneans to maintain peace and refrain from sharing hate messages on social media, emphasizing the country’s standing as the third most peaceful nation on the Global Peace Index.
Following the June 24 general elections, where President Julius Maada Bio of the SLPP was declared the winner with 56% of the vote, the APC expressed dissatisfaction and decided to boycott all governance activities, leading to the current political standoff.
