Former President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma has pledged his full support to unite Sierra Leone, telling President Julius Maada Bio that he is ready to work with him anytime to bring the country together.
The former President committed to a historic peace and reconciliation engagement at State House on Saturday, where President Bio had earlier apologised to war survivors and victims’ families, proposed a transparent National Peace Fund and announced a 90-day national action plan.
In a moment that drew a standing ovation from the audience, Former President Dr Koroma stood up, shook President Bio’s hand, and declared:
“Mr. President, anytime you call, I will be ready to work with you to bring our country together.”
The statement, short but powerful, marked a major turning point in the often tense relationship between the two leaders, who command the loyalty of the country’s two biggest political parties, the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC).
Dr Ernest Koroma, who led Sierra Leone from 2007 to 2018, said national unity must supersede party politics, tribe and personal differences.
“We have no other country but Sierra Leone. We have fought, we have argued, we have disagreed. But at the end of the day, we are one people. I have led this country, and I know the weight of leadership. When the President calls for peace, all of us must answer,” Koroma said.
He commended President Bio for apologising to war victims and for proposing the Peace Fund, describing it as a “courageous and statesmanlike step” that deserves support from all sides.
He also endorsed the plan for a report on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) recommendations by January 2027, noting that implementation of the TRC has been a major unfinished business since the end of the war.
Presidential sources told The Informant Newspaper that the exchange between the two leaders was not scripted, and that Dr Ernest Bai Koroma’s pledge was spontaneous.
President Bio, visibly moved, responded by thanking Former President for his statesmanship and reiterated that Sierra Leone needs all its leaders past and present to consolidate peace ahead of the 2028 elections.
“Former President Koroma is my elder brother. We may belong to different parties, but we belong to one Sierra Leone. I will call on him, and I am happy he has said he will be ready. That is the Sierra Leone we want,” President Bio said.
The audience, which included war amputees, widows, civil society leaders, diplomats and youth representatives, described the moment as symbolic and healing.
Political analysts say Dr Ernest Bai Koroma’s public pledge gives a massive boost to the 90-day National Action Plan and the proposed Peace Fund, as it signals bipartisan support for reconciliation.
It also comes at a time when the country is preparing for the 2028 political transition, which many fear could be divisive if not managed with maturity from both parties.
A senior diplomat at the event said, “What we saw today was more than politics. It was two leaders showing that Sierra Leone is bigger than SLPP and APC. If this commitment holds, it could lower the political temperature significantly.”
Both State House and the Office of the Former President are expected to set up a joint liaison for follow-up engagements on peace and cohesion in the coming weeks.
For many ordinary Sierra Leoneans watching on television, Koroma’s words “Anytime you call, I will be ready” may be the most reassuring political message they have heard in years.