By: Hon Ibrahim Barrie
MP Bombali District
The trajectory of political reconciliation and national unity in Sierra Leone offers an important reminder that, despite our political differences, the SLPP and APC share a greater responsibility to the people and future of Sierra Leone: to protect peace, strengthen constitutional democracy and preserve national cohesion.
Several developments in recent times provide reasons for cautious optimism and demonstrate what becomes possible when dialogue, statesmanship and national interest are placed above partisan confrontation.
Legal Resolution and the Homecoming of Former President Ernest Bai Koroma:
The resolution that paved the way for former President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma to return home represents an important moment in Sierra Leone’s democratic journey. His return should be viewed not simply as the homecoming of a former President or an APC leader, but as an opportunity for the country to turn the page on a period of political tension and begin a process of healing, reconciliation and renewed national confidence. A democracy must have the capacity to resolve its differences through institutions, dialogue and the rule of law.
Bipartisan and State Participation:
The participation of government representatives alongside senior APC leadership in welcoming a former Head of State is particularly significant. Such gestures demonstrate that political competition need not destroy our sense of shared nationhood. We can disagree strongly on policies, elections and political direction while still respecting one another as Sierra Leoneans. The dignity accorded to a former President ultimately reflects the dignity we attach to the Republic itself.
The Role of Government and President Bio:
Credit must also be given to the current government and President Julius Maada Bio for creating the political and institutional space within which this development could take place. A mature democracy requires political leaders to understand that the interests of the nation sometimes demand compromise, restraint and statesmanship. President Bio’s role in this process should therefore be acknowledged as part of the broader effort to reduce political tensions and strengthen national cohesion.
The Important Role of ECOWAS:
The contribution of ECOWAS should equally be recognised. Regional diplomacy, mediation and confidence-building can play an important role when political disagreements threaten to deepen national divisions. Sierra Leone’s experience demonstrates that African regional institutions can help create the space for dialogue and peaceful political solutions. This is not only good for Sierra Leone; it is good for the democratic stability of West Africa.
Former Presidents as National Assets:
We should also develop a stronger culture of respecting and utilising the experience of former Presidents. Leaving State House should not mean leaving national service. Former Heads of State possess institutional memory, political experience, national networks and international relationships that can be deployed in support of peace, mediation, democracy and development.
Ghana provides valuable examples of this tradition, where former Presidents such as Jerry John Rawlings, John Agyekum Kufuor, John Dramani Mahama and Nana Akufo-Addo have remained important voices in national and democratic affairs.
Nigeria has similarly benefited from the post-presidential contributions of leaders such as Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, particularly in mediation, elections and regional peace initiatives.
Sierra Leone can develop the same tradition.
The return of Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma should therefore be more than a political event. It should become a symbol of what Sierra Leone can achieve when dialogue triumphs over confrontation, constitutionalism over political expediency, and national interest over partisan interest.
We should seize this moment to build a political culture where the government governs, the opposition provides constructive scrutiny, institutions remain independent, former Presidents are treated with dignity, and political disagreements are settled peacefully through constitutional and democratic means.
Ultimately, APC and SLPP will come and go as governing parties, but Sierra Leone will remain.
Our responsibility is to leave the next generation a country that is more peaceful, more tolerant, more democratic and more united than the one we inherited.
This is the moment to choose reconciliation over recrimination, dialogue over division, and Sierra Leone over party.
Sierra Leone First. 🇸🇱
Peace. Dialogue. Constitutional Democracy. National Cohesion.
