By Ruth Yeabu Sesay
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commissioner for Political Affairs Peace and Security, Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah and the Head of Democracy, Elections and Constitution African Union (AU), Ambassador Calixte Aristide Mbari has led a joint Technical Pre-Elections Fact-Finding Mission to Sierra Leone ahead of the June 2023 polls.
The commission in a press release dated 13th April 2023 said the three –day fact-finding mission was to look at the country’s level of preparedness for the electioneering process.
During a visit to the President of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio, members of the joint mission apprised the president on their intention to hold consultations with the country’s key political figures and stakeholders.
They were to look at the challenges that the country is currently beset with and areas where further support was required from the ECOWAS and the AU in ensuring the success of the elections in June.
The joint mission is a Technical Pre-elections Fact-Finding Mission that has been made a norm by the ECOWAS and AU to check the security status of every African Nation before they venture into their general elections.
The release states that ‘’pursuant to the regional and continental norms on Elections, Democracy and good Governance, the ECOWAS and AU deployed a joint Technical Pre-Elections Fact-Finding Mission to Sierra Leone.
The joint mission had met with all key political actors and stakeholders and the international community and had identified gaps and support efforts needed to build the necessary consensus for conducive environment to enable the conduct of a peaceful and credible elections in Sierra Leone.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (17/04/23)
