President Julius Maada Bio has hailed Sierra Leone’s election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council as a generational achievement. Speaking in a televised address, Bio expressed his gratitude to the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for their support, adding that Sierra Leone’s success is Africa’s success.
“It is with profound joy that I convey to you the news that Sierra Leone has been elected as a Non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the first time in 53 years and for only the second time in Sierra Leone’s history,” Bio said in his address, adding, “Our return to the UN Security Council is a generational accomplishment.”
He noted that the country’s election to the UNSC is a testament to his government’s transformation of Sierra Leone’s international reputation and standing in line with the Sierra Leone Peoples Party’s 2018 manifesto. As a non-permanent member, Sierra Leone will have the opportunity to contribute to the council’s decision-making processes and participate in peacekeeping missions. This achievement is also seen as recognition of Sierra Leone’s progress in post-conflict reconstruction and development, following a devastating civil war from 1991 to 2002.
