International partners have called on Sierra Leone’s political leadership to accelerate reforms and rebuild trust, warning that delays in implementing a post-election unity agreement could heighten risks ahead of the 2028 polls.
A joint assessment mission by ECOWAS, UNOWAS and the Commonwealth Secretariat said progress had been made in implementing the Agreement for National Unity (ANU), but cautioned that key structural issues remain unresolved.
The ANU, signed in October 2023 between President Julius Maada Bio’s government and the opposition All People’s Congress (APC), was intended to defuse tensions following disputed election results that led to protests and an opposition boycott of governance institutions.
The mission, which visited Freetown from April 13 to 20, said both sides had reaffirmed commitments to dialogue, cooperation and the full implementation of agreed reforms, including changes to electoral governance and constitutional processes.
However, the assessment highlights a persistent lack of trust between the country’s two dominant political actors, a factor that continues to slow the pace of implementation and complicate consensus on sensitive reforms.
Central to these tensions is the question of electoral credibility. Disputes arising from the 2023 elections, particularly over transparency in results management and data access, continue to shape political perceptions. The mission’s call for strengthened voter registration systems and improved results management reflects ongoing concerns about the robustness of Sierra Leone’s electoral infrastructure.
Plans to restructure the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone by the end of 2026 are seen as a key benchmark, but the process is likely to be contentious. While the opposition has framed reform as essential to restoring confidence, the government faces the challenge of managing institutional change without appearing to concede political ground, raising the prospect of protracted negotiations.
The decision to route electoral system reforms through a constitutional amendment bill currently before Parliament adds further complexity, placing highly sensitive political questions within a legislative environment marked by polarization.
Beyond electoral reforms, the upcoming 2026 population and housing census is emerging as another potential source of dispute. Although officially a technical exercise, census data in Sierra Leone plays a critical role in determining political representation and resource distribution. In a context of low institutional trust, disagreements over methodology or outcomes could carry significant political consequences.
The APC’s agreement to end its boycott of state institutions marks a shift towards re-engagement, restoring a measure of political participation that had been absent since the 2023 elections. Analysts note, however, that the sustainability of this move will depend on whether reform commitments translate into visible outcomes.
The involvement of ECOWAS, UNOWAS and the Commonwealth Secretariat as “moral guarantors” underscores both the importance of Sierra Leone’s stability and the limits of domestic mechanisms for resolving political disputes. While the bodies can facilitate dialogue and apply diplomatic pressure, implementation ultimately rests with national actors.
With less than two years before preparations for the next electoral cycle intensify, the timeline for reform is narrowing. The sequencing of constitutional changes, electoral system decisions and institutional restructuring will require sustained coordination in a political environment that has historically struggled to maintain consensus.
Sierra Leone has long been viewed as a post-conflict democratic success, but the current phase of its political transition is testing the resilience of its institutions. The unity agreement was designed to address systemic weaknesses exposed by the 2023 elections. Its implementation now stands as a critical measure of whether the country can consolidate stability or remain vulnerable to recurring political crises.
