APA-Dakar (Senegal) A month before the general elections in his country, Sierra Leone’s ambassador to Senegal, Mauritania and Cabo Verde, Alhaji Brima Elvis Koroma is on the campaign trail for the re-election of President Julius Maada Bio who he credits for contining stability more than twenty years after a brutal civil war.
In an interview with APA, the diplomat explains that the head of state has managed to deal with exogenous shocks during his first term, while striving to give a better image on the international scene to this West African country that went through civil war between 1991 and 2002.
Sierra Leone’s presidential election is scheduled for next June. What is the track record of President Julius Maada Bio who is seeking a second term?
President Bio’s merits are recognized at home and abroad. The implementation of his first term commitments in the areas of education, gender equality, rural electrification, freedom of the press, establishment of service delivery agencies (disaster management, anti-corruption etc.) has received positive international ratings. President Bio’s progressive and liberal reforms in the education sector, the abolition of the death penalty, the repeal of
the Public Order Act, the empowerment of women and his commitment to better laws are also a reality in Sierra Leone.
The main opponent, Samura Kamara, thinks the outgoing president has failed to address economic difficulties. This is said to be the reason for the violent protests in August 2022 that left dozens dead. How do you respond to this criticism?
Dr. Samura Kamara has been at the center of the Sierra Leonean economy for more than 40 years as National Financial Secretary and Governor of the Central Bank of Sierra Leone. He has also served as Minister of Finance and Foreign Affairs. As a presidential candidate, he claims that he will campaign on the systemic challenge, arguing that the country is unable to feed itself. This claim is absurd and laughable. (…) Dr. Kamara has held very high positions in this country. If there had been a really good management policy on his part, the country would not have slipped into austerity. His statement is therefore false and is designed to mislead credible citizens.
Julius Maada Bio took over the reins of a battered economy marked by unbridled systemic corruption. With prudent fiscal policies, he instituted a single treasury account and put the economy on track before the exogenous shocks of Covid-19 hit the world economies. He rolled out government programs for free, quality public schools and increased budgets in the health sector, among others.
In contrast, the August 10, 2022 demonstrations were not triggered by the difficult economic conditions. A special committee of investigators found that the demonstrations were planned, financed and executed by well-known members of the opposition to overthrow the government. This is unacceptable!
What is the Bio administration doing to address the economic crisis, particularly the sharp depreciation of the local currency (Leone) and hyperinflation, which has exacerbated the problem of hunger and
poverty in Sierra Leone?
President Bio is in his first term. It is not easy to solve all the problems in four or five years. Despite the exogenous global shocks, he has sought to stabilize the country. Economic crises are not
exclusive to Sierra Leone. The Covid-19 pandemic and the Russian-Ukrainian war have exacerbated the economic difficulties in the world, particularly in Africa.
Inflation predates the arrival of the head of state. Previously, Sierra Leonean civil servants did not receive their salaries on time.
That is now a thing of the past. Basic necessities, which can be expensive, are available in the market anyway. The President of the republic has created a fund to support poor households. He is doing his best to improve the socio-economic situation.
Last February, the opposition cried foul after the Supreme Court approved the Electoral Commission’s decision to introduce proportional representation in the legislative elections. Doesn’t this choice create doubts about the transparency of the elections in the eyes of the international community?
Not at all! Proportional representation is not new to the country’s politics. It is a constitutional instrument that was reintroduced after being used in 1996 and 2002. This time, the bill was submitted to parliament for consideration. But the opposition chose to complain to the Supreme Court. However, the court upheld the defense argument that proportional representation is a provision in Article 38 of our constitution. So I do not see the reason why the international community would disagree with the decision of the highest court in the
land.
After his election in 2018, President Maada Bio made his first visit to Senegal. What is the nature of the relationship between Dakar and Freetown?
Senegal and Sierra Leone have long-standing bilateral relations. The two countries share cultural and economic values. President Bio’s visit to Senegal was aimed at cementing this long-standing relationship and exploring other opportunities beneficial to both countries. In recent years, Sierra Leone has sent strong delegations
led by Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh to learn from Senegal’s experience in implementing the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact, a U.S. government-funded program in development sectors, such
as energy.
At the Embassy in Dakar, we have worked hard to have exchange programs in education. In 2022, Foreign Minister David Francis signed several cooperation agreements in the areas of trade, agriculture, mining, oil
and gas.
On the international scene, we have the feeling that Sierra Leone is not as visible as other countries in the sub-region. What is responsible for this?
President Bio has worked on this international image. Sierra Leone was once respected among its peers. The Sierra Leonean head of state now chairs two important African Union (AU) committees, including the
Heads of State and Government Forum on African Peer Review Mechanisms.
At the regional level, he has led efforts in the political situation in Guinea and Mali (both military-led countries). Thanks to his pragmatism, Sierra Leone is the only candidate approved by the AU and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for the non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council. President Maada Bio is
making every effort to position Sierra Leone on the international stage.
What is Sierra Leone’s position on the socio-political crises that are shaking several West African countries?
Sierra Leone is a member of several bilateral, sub-regional and regional organizations. As a retired military officer, I can say that we are very much aware of the situation in this region.
At the sixth extraordinary summit of AU heads of state and government in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on May 28, 2022, the African Peer Review Mechanism led by Chairperson Bio was mandated to undertake evidence-based research to help the AU better understand the reasons for unconstitutional changes of government.
This new development signals a new approach to this phenomenon. Previously, mediation and sanctions were advocated and pursued against perpetrators of coups. This decision, it is hoped, will inform the understanding of AU of this phenomenon through President Bio’s methodology, which is based on an experience of solving problems through dialogue rather than war.
What would be the biggest challenges for Sierra Leone in the near future?
The fight against climate change is probably the biggest challenge facing Sierra Leone. The impact is already being felt as in 2015 a major landslide occurred, killing hundreds of people in the country.
We are starting to lose some of our hills and forests. Major floods have become frequent to the dismay of the people. With the establishment of the National Disaster Management Agency, the government seeks to mitigate these hardships for Sierra Leoneans by working around climate change adaptation.
Besides, President Bio used to say that a well-fed country is well educated. In addition to education, he will devote great efforts to agricultural development if re-elected.
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