As If President Bio wanted to strengthen ties with the United States and Europe after June 24, 2023 elections, he is yet to appoint new ambassadors, high commissioners and other principal representatives to replace the old ones.
Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to the United States as well as the High Commissioner to the United Kingdom still holds the forte. The President hopes that with old folks on the ground, he would easily gain global recognition.
No sign exists as to whether the old ones would be recalled since no specific date has been announced. Many Sierra Leoneans expect that most of the diplomatic officials should have returned home with consideration of replacing them with new ones.
However, ambassadors, high commissioners, consuls and other diplomatic officials representing Sierra Leone abroad were immediately sacked when President Bio took over State governance in April, 2018.
No one was paid any benefit or provided with means to return home, and many stranded in other countries. Many diplomatic officials who served in the government of ex-President Ernest Bai Koroma did not return home as they chose to stay in other countries to avoid humiliation back home.
Although President Bio was tightlipped about what happened at that time, his actions were in clear violation of the protocols of appointing and recalling principal representatives abroad. This time is a different ball game as all ambassadors, High Commissioners, consuls and other principal representatives are left untouched as none has been called back home.
Even if not all of them should have come back, but few,if not many, are expected to be recalled for fresh ones to take over.
United States and Britain have changed ambassadors and high commissioners during President Bio’s first term. Us Ambassador to Sierra Leone, Maria Brewer was recalled almost two years when Bio became President of Sierra Leone.
She was replaced by David Reimer who has been replaced with another Ambassador. By the trend, it is also clear that the new ambassador would not stay too long as he would be recalled probably within two years or when another government takes over in the Unites States.
Like the US, Britain has also changed twice her diplomatic officials to Sierra Leone. Guy Warrington was here in Sierra Leone in 2018 but left in the same year and replaced by Lisa Chesney. She too will also be recalled soon to be replaced by another high commissioner. EU Ambassador, Tom Vens was also recently replaced by Manuel Muller.
No matter the amount of time he spends here, Ambassador Muller will also return home soon to serve in another capacity when time is up. At the moment, President Bio will touch none of those representatives as he struggles for international recognition.
As if the strategy of retaining ambassadors and high commissioners was not enough, he also backs it up with attending international conferences uninvited.
Bio forced his way like the way he did during the elections and did away with it. He forcefully made his way to a conference held by the sub-regional bloc, ECOWAS, almost a month ago, although it was against the wishes of most Heads of States present.
President Bio was on his way to another sensitive ECOWAS conference in Abuja when he was stopped by the ECOWAS Chairman, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Tinubu is Nigeria’s President who took over from the Guinea-Bissau President, Umaro Sissoco Emballo who appeared a bit soft with President Bio.
Emaballo visited Sierra Leone immediately after August 10, 2022 demonstrations and his statements portray him as a man who is in support of President Bio and in opposition to the protesters saying that “civilians will not kill police officers in his country.”
Tinubu appears a bit different from Emballo when it comes to the enforcement of international laws and protocols. Tinubu’s tweet seen by this press indicates that he is not a bed fellow with President Bio as he asked the latter to stay away from a conference where matters relating to military intervention in Niger would be discussed.
Bio’s presence at the ECOWAS conference was widely seen as a misnormer as he did not have democracy back home. The question of how can Bio take part in a conference that seeks to bring democracy to a coup-plagued country while many see him as a coupist.
President Bio allegedly committed an electoral coup in June 27, 2023 when he was fraudulently declared winner of the elections. Chief Electoral Commissioner, Mohamed Kenewui Konneh alleged that he was subjected to duress by Bio’s guards to announce the elections in the President’s favour.
Many grassroot Sierra Leoneans have condemned the elections as a mere sham that tended to legitimise Bio’s grip on power. The backlash against the democratic backsliding in Sierra Leone, political analysts say, might have forced Tinubu to take such action.
Bio believes that ECOWAS can stop him from attending a conference but other inter-governmental organisations can stop him. He recently surfaced at a food summit in Rome, Italy at the amazement of Sierra Leoneans. The summit, according to high-standing officials in Sierra Leone, was not even for ministers let alone a President.
The conference was meant for technocrats or experts to discuss about the global food crisis and chart the way to revitalise agriculture in African countries.
Although the conference was not meant for him, Bio went there, took part in the deliberations and had handshakes with white officials to give an impression to his supporters that the world has recognised him. He returned home with hope and pride that he would one day be recognised by the world community if he continues to attend such international conferences.
Bio was also preparing to attend another strategic conference at the United Nations in New York with high hope that the world would see him as a legitimate President. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is the biggest conference of the UN as all Presidents all over the world are part of the body.
Bio’s dream was shattered when an ICC (International Criminal Court) letter was served on him to see the Chief Prosecutor. The UNGA was a platform on which he hopes to easily get the highest recognition he needs at this crucial moment.
It is however no easy pushover for President Bio as the ICC letter remains a big source of worry for him. Sources say President Bio spends sleepless nights since the letter lands on his table. Reports reaching this press confirmed that the President is in deep talks with a prominent international lawyer to be with him during ICC’s interview.
This means that he would attend the conference with some amount of oddity as no President was requested to see the ICC prosecutor except him. If he returns home, President Bio is set to attend another conference anywhere in the world as long as it is done to get recognition.
He bears the image of one who was trapped into obsession for global recognition after the June 24, 2023 election which, many said, was not credible. International and local election observation missions spoke with one voice in condemning the election as one that “lacked transparency.”
Calls for Bio to allow outside investigators to look into the elections fell on deaf ears. He also ignored calls for a re-run let alone step aside for the rightful winner to take over state command.
With a deep penchant for power, Bio bulldozed through with incitement of civil society activists to protest against the international community particularly EU, the United States and the United Kingdom hoping to make himself safe in power.
He was bold enough to castigate members of the International community as ones that did nothing for Sierra Leone at a time the country was at war.
Now, Bio needs the Americans, the British and the Europeans, and he thinks that allowing Sierra Leone’s diplomatic officials in those countries as the surest way for global recognition.