The United Nations Resident Coordinator in Sierra Leone, Dr Babatunde Ahonsi, has commended President Julius Maada Bio for his commitment to decreasing political tension and promoting national cohesion.
He did so yesterday at an event marking the International Day of Peace organized by the Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion (ICPNC) at the Bintumani Conference Centre in Freetown.
The Resident Coordinator also commended the opposition leaders for their commitment to maintaining peace in the country and called on the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) and the All Peoples Congress (APC) to peacefully resolve their differences.
He said they should jointly contribute to diffuse tensions in communities across the country, preaching cohesion and unity and “must explicitly and consistently counter divisive ethno-regional discourse and hate speech that has prevailed during the electoral period and beyond”.
Dr Ahonsi said that political tensions are natural during elections, but if they are not addressed quickly and appropriately once the elections are over, they risk becoming an obstacle to national development and cohesion, creating an atmosphere of instability in the country.
Furthermore, the UN Chief in the country said that the United Nations encourages continued dialogue, inclusion, and respect for the rule of law and human rights at all levels.
Statements urging for peace and dialogue were also made by the new US Ambassador, Bryan David Hunt, Ambassador Manuel Muller of the European Union, the Manu River Union Secretary-General Maria G Harrison, and political party representatives from the SLPP, UDM and the RUFP.