By Politico Staff writer
Two national dialogue sessions for Paramount Chiefs (PCS) on Promoting Peace and National Cohesion during the 2023 General Elections have ended in Freetown.
The exercises held last week were part of a series of activities sponsored by the EU and the German Ministry of International Cooperation BMZ, implemented by GIZ Abuja in partnership with the Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion (ICPNC).
The main thrust of the engagements was to enhance the capacity of Paramount Chiefs on conflict resolution and Peace promotion ahead of the June 2023 elections.
The first batch of chiefs from the South and North-West regions held the first engagements, which were followed on the next day by their colleagues from the East and North.
Speaking at the start of the exercise, Serena Bertaina Team Lead Governance, European Union Delegation to Sierra Leone, noted the critical role of Paramount Chiefs in building a peaceful and cohesive society as custodians of traditional governance and cultural values.
She also commended the Peace Commission for coordinating the dialogue sessions as part of its initiatives to promote peace and national cohesion in Sierra Leone.
The EU, she added, remains committed to supporting Sierra Leone's efforts to achieve sustainable development and looks forward to further working with the ICPNC and other electoral stakeholders in what said is a noble task.
Bertaina hoped that the dialogue sessions will contribute to building a resilient and harmonious society where all citizens can enjoy their rights and be able to effectively participate in the decision-making processes and live in peace and security
The Executive Secretary of the ICPNC Hawa Samai commended the Paramount Chiefs for being part of the programme which is geared towards further developing their skills in mediation and conflict resolution.
She informed them that the peace commission is in the process of setting up mediation teams comprising 10 people in each district and that one child of a paramount chief will be selected in every district to be part of the team, and that the training would be organized for the mediation team members to further enhance their capacity.
“If our Paramount Chiefs and Tribal heads say we will have peace, it will happen" she stated, noting the authority and respect they command amongst their people. She said people should all work together to jealousy guard the peace of the country.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (05/05/23)
