President Koroma on the peace process in Sierra Leone

„Peacebuilding is a process, it has to be continued and you have to sustain it!”

On Monday, February 14, 2011, Sierra Leone’s president, H.E. Ernest Bai Koroma, delivered a keynote speech entitled: „The Peace Process in Sierra Leone – Lessons Learned, Challenges, and Perspectives since 2002“.

He elaborated on the progress made within the framework of the “Agenda for Change” which promotes measures in various sectors like health, infrastructure, education, and agriculture. Although there have been significant achievements for example in the fight against corruption and the development of a police force, big challenges remain. The President therefore reiterated the need to pursue the peaceful path persistently: “We strongly believe that our aspirations for peace and our actions for democracy and stability are the way to a better future. Our people is committed to peace.“

Together with invited guests from government and administration, media, academia, and civil society President Koroma and his delegation – which also comprised four ministers – discussed perspectives for Sierra Leone as the country is approaching elections in 2012 and beyond.

In 1999, the UN deployed UNAMSIL to Sierra Leone to monitor the Lome Peace Accord. In 2005, a political mission superseded this robust mission. The ERSG of the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL) is Michael von der Schulenburg.

---