Koroma Calls For Reciprocal Visits With Bio
By Abdul Rahman Bah
Former President Ernest Bai Koroma has called for a new approach to political reconciliation in Sierra Leone, urging President Julius Maada Bio to embrace personal engagement, mutual respect and reciprocal visits as practical steps towards strengthening national peace and unity.
Koroma made the appeal on Monday, 26 October 2026, during the National Unity and Social Cohesion Conference at the Bintumani Conference Centre in Freetown. The two-day conference, organised by the Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion (ICPNC), is being held under the theme, “From Commitment to Action: Rebuilding Trust, Strengthening National Unity and Advancing Social Cohesion.”
Expressing appreciation to President Bio for initiating the peace dialogue, Koroma emphasised that national reconciliation must move beyond political speeches, conference declarations and public commitments. He argued that genuine peace requires personal relationships, confidence-building measures and deliberate efforts by political leaders to overcome historical differences.
As part of his proposal, the former President suggested that he should feel comfortable visiting President Bio at his residence in Tihun, just as the President should be equally welcome to visit him at his residence in Makeni, including during weekends.
According to Koroma, such reciprocal engagements would send a powerful message to ordinary Sierra Leoneans that political differences should not prevent leaders from maintaining cordial relationships in the interest of the country.
His proposal comes against the background of political tensions that followed the June 2023 general elections, which created divisions between the governing Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and the opposition All People’s Congress (APC).
The post-election political impasse eventually led to the Agreement for National Unity, signed on 18 October 2023, between the Government and the APC, providing a framework for dialogue, electoral reforms and confidence-building measures.
However, sustaining that agreement remains an important national responsibility. In April 2026, international moral guarantors comprising ECOWAS, the United Nations and the Commonwealth undertook another assessment mission to examine progress in implementing the agreement and the recommendations of the Tripartite Committee.
Among the outstanding priorities identified were electoral reforms, restructuring of the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone and strengthening inclusive political participation ahead of the 2028 general elections. These developments demonstrate that reconciliation must be supported by measurable institutional reforms rather than goodwill alone.
Koroma therefore called on political leaders and citizens to acknowledge past mistakes, reduce political hostility and embrace constructive engagement. He stressed that peace should not be viewed as the responsibility of government or opposition leaders alone, but as a collective obligation involving every Sierra Leonean.
His remarks also raise an important question about the country’s political future: can personal relationships between senior political leaders translate into stronger democratic institutions, public confidence and lasting national stability?
While reciprocal visits could provide an important symbolic breakthrough, observers would expect such gestures to be followed by practical commitments, including respect for democratic institutions, accountability, political tolerance and the implementation of agreed reforms.
Koroma further emphasised the importance of ensuring that the next generation inherits a country free from political hostility, division and unnecessary confrontation.
“Let us continue this dialogue and make sure that we hand over a Sierra Leone to our children that is free,” he urged.
His appeal presents an opportunity for President Bio and the former President to demonstrate that national interest can rise above party politics. Ultimately, the success of Sierra Leone’s peace process will not be measured by the number of conferences held or promises made, but by the willingness of political leaders to translate reconciliation into meaningful actions that protect democracy, strengthen institutions and unite the country.
