Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio on Thursday hosted his predecessor Ernest Bai Koroma at the presidency in a bid to end a long-running feud between the two men and maintain peace and stability in the country.
Koroma, who is Chairman and Leader of the main opposition All Peoples Congress (APC), was at the head of a delegation of the top leaders of the party. Among them was the deputy leader of the party, Alhaji Minkailu Mansaray.
The statement from the office of the Presidential Press Secretary said the meeting was meant to discuss strengthening peace and national cohesion.
It added that the meeting, which was held in closed door, offered them the opportunity to discuss issues of concern, particularly relating to national unity and peace and how to deepen the relations and strengthen the necessary dialogue that would keep the country peaceful and united.
The meeting comes amidst political tension heightened by election related violence.
The APC has a series of grievances ranging from the alleged persecution of its supporters to the alleged bias treatment it is receiving from the judiciary.
Some 23 APC members are currently facing charges of riotous behavior at the High Court in relation to a by-election last month which was eventually cancelled.
The opposition has claimed victory for that election.
The party is also unhappy with the National Electoral Commission which it says is bias towards the governing Sierra Leone Peoples Party.
There has been no word about the details of the issues raised at the meeting.
But the State House statement quoted Bio saying that as political leaders they owed a lot to the nation and to keep it happy, irrespective of their different political parties, regions or tribes.
KC/as/APA