By Amin Kef (Ranger)
Yesterday, May 16, 2023, Sierra Leone joined the rest of the world to observe International Day of People Living in Peace “as a means of regularly mobilizing the efforts of the international community to promote peace, tolerance, inclusion, understanding and solidarity”.
Commemoration of the day was aimed at upholding the desire to live and act together as people and endeavor to be united even in the face of differences and diversities in order to build a sustainable world of peace, solidarity and harmony.
As the country joins the rest of the world in observing the day, the Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion urged Sierra Leoneans to continue to maintain peace at all times and live in harmony with one another even as we are in the wake of the Multi-Tier General Elections slated for June 24th 2023.
According to the Commission while elections are part of the democratization process, if not handled properly, they can undermine the very essence of democracy and create discord or division, which in turn can destabilize a country and hinder the country’s development.
It continued that since it started functioning, the Commission has been engaging various stakeholders including Paramount Chiefs and Political Party Executives about the need to uphold the peace of the country.
The Commission further maintained that as a people, if we are to continue living in peace, a very act that has now been globally recognized and celebrated today, it behooves us all to encourage one another to jealously guard the peace before, during and after the elections.
It stated that as it is joining the International Community to observe the day it would like to wish all Sierra Leoneans a Happy “International Day of People Living in Peace”.
Noteworthy is that since the end of the 11-year civil war, Sierra Leoneans have largely been living in peace and the country according to the current Global Peace Index is rated the fifth most peaceful country in West Africa and the most peaceful in the Mano River Union.
Sierra Leone can also boast of successfully conducting four peaceful democratic elections and two peaceful regime transitions.
