President Julius Maada Bio and former President Ernest Bai Koroma are both expected to attend the National Unity and Social Cohesion Conference which opens today at the Bintumani Conference Centre in Freetown.
The two-day conference is organised by the Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion (ICPNC) and is being held under the theme: “From Commitment to Action: Rebuilding Trust, Strengthening National Unity and Advancing Social Cohesion.”
President Bio will deliver the keynote address titled “Sierra Leone’s Next Chapter of Peace and National Unity,” which is expected to focus on rebuilding public trust, strengthening peace and promoting unity across political and social divides.
Former President Koroma has confirmed his participation after receiving an invitation from an ICPNC delegation at his residence in Makeni over the weekend. The former President, who is also Chairman and Leader of the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC), served as President from 2007 to 2018.
His attendance is being seen as a major boost to national dialogue efforts. The joint presence of the current President and former President at the same peace platform is rare and comes at a critical time for Sierra Leone’s democratic consolidation.
The conference will also bring together Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, Speaker of Parliament Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas, Chief Justice Komba Kamanda, political party representatives, paramount chiefs, religious leaders, civil society, youth and women’s groups, media practitioners and international partners including the UN, AU and ECOWAS.
Organisers say participants will discuss practical measures to prevent conflict, promote inclusion, strengthen the rule of law and improve responsible media communication.
The meeting comes exactly three years after the Government and the APC signed the Agreement for National Unity on 18th October 2023 to end the political impasse that followed the June 2023 elections. The agreement paved the way for the APC’s return to governance, the inter-party dialogue and the Tripartite Committee on electoral reforms.
The ICPNC, which is mandated by law to prevent and resolve conflicts and promote national cohesion, says the conference will climax with the adoption of the Freetown Declaration on National Unity and Social Cohesion 2026, outlining concrete priority actions for government, political parties and citizens.
The conference runs from today, Monday 26th to Tuesday 27th October.
