Freetown, Sierra Leone – 18th July, 2026: As Sierra Leone hosts the 69th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, the Electoral Justice Campaign warmly welcomes West African leaders to our country and extends our respect to the Community’s continued efforts to promote peace, democracy, and regional cooperation. At this important moment, we also issue an urgent reminder: ECOWAS has obligations not only to governments, but to the people of West Africa, whose hopes for justice, stability, and democratic accountability must remain at the center of every decision taken at this summit.
We respectfully draw the attention of the Heads of State to the continuing importance of the Agreement for National Unity (ANU) and the Tripartite Committee Recommendations as central pillars for designing a credible roadmap for Sierra Leone’s future governance. These frameworks are not symbolic documents; they are practical and necessary instruments for rebuilding public trust, restoring constitutional order, and addressing the unresolved political crisis that followed the unconstitutional announcement of the June 24, 2023 presidential election. In this regard, ECOWAS must remain guided by its own communiques issued from the 65th to the 67th Ordinary Sessions, in which the regional body made clear its concern over developments in Sierra Leone and affirmed the need for a democratic and constitutional resolution.
We further remind ECOWAS of its specific responsibility in supporting the Tripartite Committee’s Investigation Report and its 85 recommendations, as part of the broader effort to restore constitutional governance and protect electoral integrity in Sierra Leone. This responsibility cannot be postponed or diluted. The implementation of these commitments is essential not only for Sierra Leone’s internal stability, but also for the credibility of ECOWAS as a regional guarantor of democratic norms, constitutional rule, and peaceful political transitions. Sierra Leoneans deserve more than statements of concern; they deserve a clear and principled regional commitment to implementation, accountability, and democratic restoration.
We also take seriously the timely warning delivered by the outgoing President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, during the opening of the Mediation and Security Council Meeting at Ministerial Level in Freetown on 15 July 2026, in which he emphasized the urgent need for ECOWAS to confront the growing threats of drugs, terrorism, and constitutional governance failures in the region. That warning should resonate deeply in the context of Sierra Leone, where public concerns continue to grow around all three issues. The recent G-7 Declaration in France of 15-17 June also presents a clear challenge to global and regional leaders alike to take seriously the destabilizing effects of drug trafficking and related insecurity. Sierra Leone’s present situation demonstrates that constitutional crisis, weak governance, and security threats do not exist in isolation; they are interconnected, and they must be addressed with equal seriousness.
The Electoral Justice Campaign therefore calls on ECOWAS leaders to place the interests of the citizens of West Africa above every other political or diplomatic consideration. We remind the Authority of its long-standing zero-tolerance policy on unconstitutional change of government and its stated commitment to
democratization across the region. For Sierra Leone, the most urgent priority now is the full implementation of the Tripartite Committee’s investigation report, the execution of the ANU commitments, and the restoration of democracy in a way that secures long-term peace, stability, public trust, and regional integration. The people of Sierra Leone are watching. The people of West Africa are watching. This summit must not pass without decisive attention to the democratic future of Sierra Leone.
Office of Spokesman,
Electoral Justice Campaign – Sierra Leone