According to reports trending on media platforms, newly elected Senegalese President, Diomaye Faye is in Sierra Leone on a visit to President Julius Maada Bio.
The purpose of his visit remains a closely guarded secret, but could not be divorced from the deteriorating security and political situation in the country where threats of protest are rife.
But, it has been mooted at several quarters that President Faye is on the ground to persuade President Bio to accept the recommendations of the Tripartite Committee for peace and stability to prevail in Sierra Leone.
A senior opposition politician says Faye’s visit is reminiscent of the trip made by ex-President Ernest Bai Koroma to then President Yayah Jammeh after an election stand off in 2016.
After two decades of oppressive rule in the Gambia, Jammeh refused to step down after he was defeated by current President Adama Barrow. ECOWAS, at that time, had also issued threats to the Jammeh regime about a possible military strike if he failed to relinquish power.
Sierra Leone is yet to reach a stage where ECOWAS would issue such threats but it is clear that that Bio and leaders of the sub-regional bloc do not see eye-to-eye after June 24, 2023 elections.
ECOWAS was among inter-governmental agencies that compelled the PAOPA regime to comply with the resolutions of the October, 2023 communique, usually referred to as a document for peace and national cohesion.
The communiqué was borne out of a three-day dialogue between the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and opposition, All People’s Congress (APC) facilitated by the international community (Commonwealth, African Union and the Economic Community Of West African States). President Julius Maada Bio called for the peace dialogue through the Peace Commission.
Government was active at the signing but later became weak at the implementation as they foresaw a trap ahead and wanted to pull out, but was just too late.
The end game is at hand as the body of investigators seems ready to premise their findings on what the government needs to understand, but a strong resistance could not be ruled out by members and supporters of the ruling party who have been brainwashed into believing that nobody had the right to overturn an election victory.
Clearly, a conflict is imminent but situation could take a positive turn owing to the persuasive effort of the Senegalese President.
Since Bio and Faye could be strong friends as President Julius Maada Bio witnessed the inauguration of the President Faye at the Senegalese capital Dakar, few months ago. Bio also congratulated President Faye on his election victory according to a press release from Office of the President.
Apart from Nigeria and Ghana, Senegal is also a force to reckon with in the sub-region owing to its contribution to global peace and security.
Thus, Senegal’s influence in West Africa is not in doubt, and it is hoped that the Senegalese President will use its strategic position to bring peace to Sierra Leone.
The June polls has plunged Sierra Leone at crossroads owing to a disagreement between APC and SLPP at a time the election investigation body is about to give out is findings and recommendations to the public.
The Tripartite Committee, is a body charged with the responsibility of looking into responsible the alleged electoral irregularities and has almost rounded up its work. Less than a week, Sierra Leoneans would know what went wrong with the elections, how it all went and what could be done to prevent it from happening again.
At the moment, teeth are firmly clenched while fists tightly held as all ears remain fixed to the ground and eyes and attention focused on the work of the Tripartite Committee. It represents the last hope for Sierra Leoneans. The people of Sierra Leone are curious about how the recommendations would look like as they threaten that there would be peace only in Sierra Leone if they see what they expect to see.
The people seem determined to take to the streets if the recommendations do not favour them relying on local and international reports.
Late last year, former Senegalese President, Macky Sall, alongside Ghanian counterpart, Akufor Addo visited Sierra Leone after the arrest and detention of former President Koroma for treason and other related offences.
Koroma was accused by the state of sponsoring a coup to oust Bio out of power, plunging the public into big doubt.
Sierra Leoneans wondered about how a man who promoted peace and democracy in Africa could descend so low to sponsor rebellion in his own country. By all indications, President Faye’s mission to Sierra Leone is not too different from his predecessor, Macky Sall.
President Sall’s mission was to mediate Koroma’s release and guarantee peace and stability to the people of Sierra Leone. He came to Sierra Leone at time threats of protest were widespread.
To accomplish his mission, the then Senegalese President prevailed on President Julius Maada Bio to let the former President out of detention (house arrest).
APC members and supporters had planned to stage a nation-wide protest after news filtered through the public that the court would cancel his bail, a move that would see the former President behind bars.
The detention of a former President at the Pa Demba Road correctional facility for treason would have been the first, but was one vigorously pursued by the PAOPA Regime even when a senior Sierra Leonean expert described it as a “dangerous precedent.”
In a brief discussion between the visiting Presidents and Bio, the latter was also advised to drop all cases against the former President, secure his property, pay his retirement benefits as well as his medical bills.
Sources stated that Bio accepted the conditions but later took a different path by dragging the former President before a magistrate court in Freetown, a move political commentators referred to as a big threat to peace and security in Sierra Leone.
ECOWAS’s last option was to dispatch a military team to forcefully move the former President out of Sierra Leone to prevent the country from sliding into another all-out conflict.
The movement of the former Head of State from Sierra Leone to Nigeria sparked endless controversies and quarrels among SLPP members and supporters especially those in the diaspora as many called for Koroma’s execution before conviction.
In all occurrences that took place later, Macky Sall was no longer on the seat as he had been voted out of power, but there was hope that President Faye would complete Sall’s unfinished business in Sierra Leone.
The stalemate that has plagued Sierra Leone emanated from the June 24, 2023 election said to have been rigged or stolen in favour of the incumbent, President Julius Maada Bio.
He was declared winner of the elections after securing 56.17% of the total votes cast avoiding a second round although reports from local and international election observation missions that observed the polls in Sierra Leone.
Election observer groups noted that Sierra Leone’s election lacked transparency at all stages, a situation that prompted a protracted probe to ascertain who the actual winner was.
Prior to the publication of reports, NEW (National Elections Watch), an umbrella body of civil society organisations specialised in election reporting, said no candidate got the constitutionally recognised 55% needed for a first-round victory.
Relying on the Process and Results Verification for Transparency (PRVT), NEW boss, Marcella Samba Sesay made the projection during the counting of the votes by ECSL (Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone).
Of all election reports, EU and Carter Centre reports appear to be the most penetrating and assertive: EU captured several incidents of violence and thuggery during the electoral period especially the fatal shootings at APC headquarters in Freetown.
Poised to see that another election-related violence is stopped in Sierra Leone, the Carter Center recommended accountability for all those who took part in the election rigging.
Like other international election observers, NEW chief fled out of the country for her life after information filtered through the public that she was being sought by machete-wielding youth.
For the post-election anomalies that threaten Sierra Leone today, Chief Electoral Commissioner, Mohamed Kenewui Konneh is at the centre of the alleged rigging whose foundation, many said, was laid at the outset. But, it is hoped that Faye’s visit will carve a bright future for Sierra Leone.