Press Statement Following the Joint Assessment Mission of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)-African Union (AU)-United Nations (UN) in Sierra Leone

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The Joint Assessment Mission of the International Moral Guarantors of the Agreement for National Unity comprising the ECOWAS, AU and UNOWAS, concludes its four-day Mission in Sierra Leone today, 215t June 2024.

The Joint Assessment Mission was co-led by H.E. Fatoumata Jallow­-Tambajang, former Vice President of the Republic of The Gambia and H.E. Leonardo Santos Simão, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS). The Joint Mission was facilitated by the Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion (ICPNC), in concert with a representative of the African Union Commission, and technical experts from the ECOWAS Commission and UNOWAS.

The Joint Assessment Mission was undertaken on the heels of the expected conclusion of the report of the Tripartite Committee, which was constituted by the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone on 19th December 2023, as one of the eight resolutions of the Agreement for National Unity (AU) signed between the Government of Sierra Leone and the All Peoples Congress (APC) party on 18th October 2023.

The delegation paid a courtesy visit to H.E. Julius Maada Bio, the President of Republic of Sierra Leone, and had consultations with the leadership of the APC party, senior Government officials, other political parties, representatives of the hierarchy of the national security agencies, as well as the diplomatic community in Sierra Leone.

Discussions with the different interlocutors centred around the implementation of the various resolutions of the Agreement for National Unity, the challenges encountered and the need to continue with political dialogue to address differences for the sake of peace, stability, and national cohesion. The Mission, however, notes, with concern, the spate of disinformation and misinformation on social media, which is threatening the collective efforts of the different stakeholders towards achieving the objectives of the Agreement.

Whilst the Mission commends all stakeholders for their commitments to continue dialogue, exhibited through the issuance of a Joint Statement on 19th June 2024, committing to the implementation of Resolution Three of the Agreement for National Unity and strengthening of inclusive democracy, it urges all stakeholders to give significant attention to the full implementation of the resolutions of the Agreement.

As International Moral Guarantors of the Agreement, the Joint Mission calls on the development partners of Sierra Leone to continue to remain hopeful and increase their assistance to the Government and people of Sierra Leone, and further reiterates its unalloyed commitments to continue to accompany the implementation of the Agreement, for the peace, stability and national cohesion of the country.

The Joint ECOWAS-AU-UNOWAS Assessment Mission reiterates its call on all political actors and the citizens to continue to remain calm and to prioritize peace, unity, and stability of the country above every other partisan interest.

The Mission acknowledges the call of the stakeholders to increase the regularity of visits of the International Moral Guarantors to ensure the smooth implementation of the Agreement for National Unity.

The Mission expresses deep appreciation to the President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E. Omar Alieu Touray and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Moussa Faki for availing the opportunity to undertake the assignment.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

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