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United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has applauded Sierra Leone’s commitment to resolving domestic political tensions through dialogue with international mediators, as the West African nation emerges from a two-month opposition boycott that threatened to destabilize its democratic institutions.
The Secretary-General met with President Julius Maada Bio on Monday in Nairobi, where they exchanged views on the President’s priorities as Chair of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government and on domestic issues in Sierra Leone.
Guterres “applauded the commitment of Sierra Leonean authorities to continue working with the International Moral Guarantors to address domestic political issues and consolidate peace,” according to an official readout of the meeting.
The commendation comes just weeks after the successful resolution of a political standoff that had paralyzed legislative business in Freetown.
The main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) launched a boycott of parliament and local councils in February 2026 following President Bio’s appointment of Edmond Sylvester Alpha as Chief Electoral Commissioner. The opposition maintained that the appointment violated the 2023 Agreement for National Unity (ANU) and breached Recommendation 36 of the Tripartite Committee report, which calls for amending constitutional provisions to establish an independent search and nomination committee for Electoral Commission appointments.
The boycott effectively halted legislative business and raised alarm among civil society and international partners concerned about Sierra Leone’s democratic trajectory.
After a week-long assessment mission to Freetown from April 13-20, 2026, the International Moral Guarantors — comprising ECOWAS, the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), and the Commonwealth — brokered a breakthrough. The government agreed to restructure the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL) by December 31, 2026, directly addressing the APC’s core grievance.
The APC subsequently ended the boycott, with all elected officials returning to their duties in parliament and local councils.
During the Nairobi meeting, Guterres commended ECOWAS for its continued efforts to strengthen regional cooperation and encouraged renewed efforts to tackle terrorism and respond to humanitarian challenges in the region.
The Secretary-General reiterated the United Nations’ commitment to support Sierra Leone in advancing its priorities at both national and regional levels.
