Sierra Leone’s Statement At The United Nations Security Council Briefing on Peace Consolidation in West Africa

STATEMENT BY
HIS EXCELLENCY DR JULIUS MAADA BIO
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SIERRA LEONE

─ EXCELLENCY ANTÓNIO GUTERRES, SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS,
─ DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL,

1. I address this Council today with a profound sense of urgency and hopefully shared alarm.
2. Sierra Leone convened this briefing not just to discuss a regional crisis, but to defend a principle: that maintaining international peace and security is a collective responsibility.
3. That Africa’s peace is not a favour to be granted, but a foundation of global stability.
4. We however meet at a time in which silence has fallen over a region in anguish.
5. During the high-level week of the 80th United Nations General Assembly, the world spoke of many priorities — yet little was said of the escalating insecurity in the Sahel and parts of West Africa.
6. That silence must now be broken. Despite the courage and commitment of Member States in the region, the threat of terrorism and violent extremism continues to outpace our collective response.
7. Today’s discussion is, therefore, not about the Sahel alone — it is about our shared future, the credibility of multilateralism, and the soul of international peace and security.
8. I thank the Secretary-General, and Dr Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, for their insightful briefings and steadfast leadership.
9. I also warmly welcome the representatives of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. Your presence reflects courage, commitment, and the will to engage — and we must seize this opportunity for renewed partnership.

EXCELLENCIES,

10. In recent weeks, I held frank and forward-looking discussions with the Secretary-General, particularly on the situation in Mali.
11. I am encouraged by his personal commitment and by the UN’s continuing support for our region’s security, humanitarian, and development challenges.
12. Yet, the picture before us is stark. What began as a localised threat has metastasised into the epicentre of global terrorism.
13. ISIL, Al-Qaida, and their affiliates now operate with unprecedented sophistication and reach. They are not just attacking States — they are attempting to dismantle them.
14. We must also confront an uncomfortable truth: the destabilisation of Libya in 2011 unleashed a torrent of arms, disorder, and militant expansion across the Sahel.
15. Today’s insecurity is, in part, the result of yesterday’s global choices. We are not here to apportion blame, but to shoulder our shared responsibility for the consequences.
16. Behind every statistic lies a human story — families uprooted, children conscripted, women violated, communities impoverished.
17. This is not simply a security crisis; it is a crisis of governance, of opportunity, and of justice.
18. Sierra Leone knows, from bitter experience, that peace cannot be imposed by force alone. It must be cultivated through inclusion, trust, and hope.
19. That is why we champion a comprehensive approach — combining military effort with governance reform, service delivery, and economic renewal.
20. Security must be paired with legitimacy.

DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL,

21. I speak today not only as President of Sierra Leone, but as Chair of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government — representing over 424 million citizens bound by history, culture, and destiny.
22. ECOWAS was born not out of convenience, but conviction — the conviction that our peace, prosperity, and progress must be shared or not at all.
23. In this defining moment, we must re-imagine ECOWAS not just as a regional bloc, but as a community of courage, the moral compass and stabilising force of Africa.
24. Our region has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the United Nations in some of its greatest tests — brokering peace in Liberia and Sierra Leone, leading health-emergency responses, and supporting democratic transitions.
25. Yet, today, that trust is being tested. The absence of a credible, coordinated international response has left our people asking: Does global solidarity still hold meaning?
26. The Charter of the United Nations obliges us to act in the face of threats to peace. Terrorism in the Sahel is such a threat.
27. And as we all know, when Africa’s peace is threatened, the world cannot remain safe. If Africa burns, the world will feel the heat.

EXCELLENCIES,

28. I would like to present three clear messages to this Council and to the International Community.
29. The FIRST is on Democratic Governance and Regional Unity.
30. Sierra Leone and ECOWAS remain steadfast in defending democratic norms, constitutional order, and the rule of law.
31. We have maintained a principled stance of zero tolerance for Unconstitutional Changes of Government.
32. But principle must walk with pragmatism.
33. We must engage directly with affected States, rebuild trust, and support nationally owned transition processes.
34. The peoples of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger are our neighbours and kin.
35. We share geography and destiny. ECOWAS has kept its doors open — preserving dialogue, people-to-people ties, and technical cooperation.
36. We will continue to do so until full reintegration is possible. Political transitions must never obstruct cooperation on shared security.
37. The SECOND point is on the fight against terrorism and Violent Extremism.
38. The time for declarations has passed. This is the moment for bold, coordinated action.
39. More than half of all terrorism-related deaths worldwide now occur in our region.
40. If we fail to act decisively, the Sahel could become a permanent sanctuary for extremist enclaves — just hours from major global cities.
41. These groups, aided by criminal networks and sophisticated weaponry, often outgun national forces and exploit porous borders.
42. Intelligence sharing, air mobility, logistics, and surveillance support are not optional; they are essential tools for protection and hope.

43. The THIRD point is on Regional Security Coordination.
44. ECOWAS has already taken decisive steps, including initiating the activation of its Standby Force.
45. Sierra Leone has agreed to host the ECOWAS Logistics Depot in Lungi — an operational hub for peace support and counter-terrorism operations.
46. However, no regional force can succeed in isolation.
47. Security Council Resolution 2719 (2023) opened the door for predictable and sustainable UN support to African Union-led peace support operations. That door must now be walked through.
48. We therefore call on the United Nations Secretariat and the African Union to work with ECOWAS in implementing Resolution 2719 to establish the mandate, secure the funding, and deploy the assets required.
49. The credibility of the UN’s collective-security framework depends on timely action.

EXCELLENCIES,

50. We acknowledge that the Council has provided a strong normative framework through Resolutions 1373, 2178, 2370, 2482, and 2719.
51. To move from mandates to means, Sierra Leone, as Chair of ECOWAS, proposes an ECOWAS-UN-AU Compact for Peace and Resilience in the Sahel — a coordinated mechanism to align security, governance, and humanitarian action.
52. This Compact would ensure predictable financing, coherent operations, and measurable outcomes across the Sahel and wider West Africa.
53. We must also confront the widening trust deficit — between ECOWAS and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), between global powers, and between former colonisers and independent States.
54. That gap can divide us — or it can be closed through renewed cooperation.
55. Let us therefore view the AES not as adversary, but as partner — anchored in shared priorities and security imperatives.
56. The AES framework can complement ECOWAS and the African Union, while the United Nations, through UNOWAS and UNOCT, can facilitate joint platforms, fusion centres, and real-time coordination.
57. As ECOWAS Chair, I have personally engaged with affected countries — including a recent visit to Burkina Faso — to promote dialogue and rebuild trust.
58. I urge others to act in that same spirit of goodwill and solidarity.

EXCELLENCIES,

59. We must dismantle the financial architecture of terrorism. The illicit trade in arms, illicit substances, minerals, and people fuels instability.
60. Stronger border controls, customs enforcement, and cooperation with INTERPOL, AFRIPOL, and the Financial Action Task Force are essential.
61. But, as we dismantle networks of violence, we must build networks of resilience.
62. Our youth and women are the frontline of prevention, peacebuilding, and recovery. They must be empowered and included at every level of response.
63. The humanitarian toll is staggering. Displacement is rising, livelihoods are collapsing, and millions face despair.
64. The International Community must expand humanitarian support, protect access, and link emergency aid to long-term recovery.
65. Ultimately, no strategy will succeed without rebuilding trust — among States and between governments and citizens.
66. Transitions must be credible and inclusive. The social contract must be renewed through justice, transparency, and opportunity.
67. The people of West Africa and the Sahel do not ask for pity; they ask for partnership.
68. They deserve to live in dignity, free from fear, and full of hope.
69. With unity of purpose, political will, and genuine solidarity, that future is within reach.

70. Sierra Leone, as Chair of the ECOWAS Authority, pledges continued leadership and partnership with the African Union, the United Nations, and all global allies to restore peace and chart a new path forward.
71. This is not just West Africa’s crisis — it is a global test of leadership, solidarity, and resolve.
72. History will remember not the scale of our challenges, but the strength of our cooperation.
73. Let us not leave this Chamber with more words, but with renewed will — the will to act, to heal, and to restore hope.
74. If we rise together today, we will not only save nations, but we will also restore faith that the United Nations still means what its name proclaims.
75. The time for sustained, collective action is now.

THANK YOU.