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SLAJ Lauds Bintumani Agreement for National Unity

SLAJ Lauds Bintumani Agreement for National Unity

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The Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) commends the AU, ECOWAS, and the Commonwealth for their successfully mediated political dialogue between the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) and the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) political party, and the Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion (ICPN) for steering the process.

We further congratulate the GoSL and the APC for committing their signatures to the mediation communique- the Bintumani Agreement for National Unity, and urge both parties to honour the resolutions in the agreement.

Since the June 24 elections, as highlighted by both local and International Observers, SLAJ has been very critical in providing increased access to credible and factual information about the elections and electoral education for citizens through our UNDP I-Verify and NDI SuperNewsRooms platforms. Our members across the country were also trained on conflict-sensitive and election reporting to contribute to peaceful elections, peace-building, and the successful mediation that has been achieved.

In light of this, SLAJ calls on journalists and media houses to continue to play their part, in promoting the mediation outcome in line with conflict-sensitive reporting guidelines to prevent fanning the already dying flames of the GoSL-APC impasse.

As we stated during our consultative meeting with the Mediation Team, SLAJ believes in resolving national issues through consensus building, engagement, consultation, and dialogue. Therefore, we continue to appeal to the GoSL and the Opposition parties to always collaborate in the interest of the nation and the People of Sierra Leone, uphold democratic good governance best practices, and respect fundamental human rights at all times.

We look forward to the GoSL and opposition parties working towards reforming our electoral laws, reviewing our political system to get rid of the divisive winner-takes-all tradition, de-politicising our civil service, MDAs, civil society, the media, and other vital sectors, and making governance an opportunity to serve one’s country rather than one’s political party, family, relatives, and friends.

We urge Sierra Leoneans at home and abroad not to give up on their beloved country but to develop a positive mindset of seeing the national glass half-full, and support genuinely to fill it so that every Sierra Leonean, irrespective of allegiance and status, will drink from it. 

 


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