The West African Elders Forum (WAEF) 2023 Election Mission to Sierra Leone has arrived in Freetown, the nation’s capital, to encourage and support a peaceful democratic transition ahead of the general election scheduled for this weekend.
Nigeria’s former President and chairman of the forum, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, is the head of the monitoring mission.
The team also has former Burkinabe Prime Minister and one-time President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Kadre Ouedraogo, and staff from the WAEF secretariat as members.
A statement by the Communications Officer of the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation, host of the WAEF secretariat, Wealth Dickson Ominabo, noted that the former president urged Sierra Leoneans to approach the election with utmost patriotism while prioritising the nation’s peace and stability by refraining from acts capable of undermining the nation’s democracy.
Jonathan also said the team would have a series of consultative engagements with different political actors and key stakeholders in the country, including leadership of the political parties, the candidates, the Election Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL), security agencies, the diplomatic community, civil society groups and the media.
