BY THOMAS DIXON
232NEWS, FREETOWN
The Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Patricia Scotland has on Wednesday 9 August reminded politicians in Sierra Leone about the Peace Pledge which was signed on 25 May in the buildup to the June 24 Multi-tier elections at the Bintuamani Conference Center.
This comes at a time when the country is facing serious post-elections political tension with the main opposition All People refusing to take part in governance.
Worryingly, Sierra Leone Police has informed citizen that it has arrested number of people including senior military personnel for what they described as “subversion.”
This rumour about coup comes at a time when the sub-region especially franco-phone West Africa countries are currently under military regimes with the latest being Niger.
The Commonwealth Secretary General said that On 25 May, following months of peaceful and constructive dialogue, the leaders of all of Sierra Leone’s political parties accepted the invitation to stand before the nation and pledged themselves and their supporters to peace.
“Today, I call on all to honour the terms of that commitment,” she called on politicians, noting that the democratic process requires calm and responsible leadership, functioning institutions, a commitment to justice and the rule of law, and an active, collective choice to unite rather than to divide.
She stated that democracy is not always easy, but it is the essential foundation for peace and progress, and Sierra Leone’s own history underlines its importance.
“In challenging times, leadership matters. This is the moment for Sierra Leone’s leaders to engage in peaceful, constructive dialogue to honour the promises they made to the people when we stood together in Freetown, and to ensure a strong democratic inheritance for future generations,” she maintained.
She expressed the Commonwealth commitment to Sierra Leone and at the same time, offered her full support and engagement in helping to facilitate peaceful, constructive dialogue, which according to her is the hopes of millions across Sierra Leone, Africa and the world.
