The United Nations has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Sierra Leone in its “relentless march” towards democracy.
Mahamat Saleh Annadif of Chad said in a statement seen by APA on Tuesday that his institution would support Freetown “in its relentless efforts to consolidate national reconciliation, democracy and development.”
The new Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) had just completed a visit to this small West African country among the poorest in the world and long plagued by war.
Mr. Annadif was received by President Julius Maada Bio at the start of the visit which ended on 7 April 2021.
He was on a familiarisation tour of the sub-region.
The UNOWAS website presented its new chief as a man with extensive national and international experience having participated in several peace processes in Africa, including Niger, the Central African Republic and Sudan.
Before taking up his new post, the former Chadian Foreign Minister (1997-2003) was the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Mali and Head of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) since 2015.
He and the Sierra Leonean leader held talks on a “range of national and regional issues, including ways to strengthen the partnership between the United Nations and Sierra Leone to better support the country” in the consolidation of democratic institutions, human rights and development.
The Chadian diplomat also “congratulated” the government and people of Sierra Leone for their commitment to consolidating national reconciliation and “encouraged all actors to maintain dialogue to ensure peaceful and inclusive general elections in 2023.”
Between 1991 and 2002, Sierra Leone was mired in a devastating civil war that left more than 50,000 dead.
In 2016, a study published in Science Magazine showed that actions taken to bring people together after the civil war sometimes led to depression and anxiety.
ODL/te/lb/as/APA