Sylvia Blyden Questions Inclusivity of National Unity Conference After Being Left Out
Aminata Koroma Political commentator and former government minister Dr. Sylvia Blyden has questioned the inclusiveness of Sierra Leone’s National Unity and Social Cohesion Conference, saying she was not invited to attend the gathering.
Blyden made the statement in a Facebook comment responding to Myk Berewa, insisting that her absence from the conference was deliberate rather than an oversight.
According to Blyden, the Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion (ICPNC) informed her the night before the event that she had not been invited.
“No serious Government will say it is having a so-called Social Cohesion conference and not invite all the country’s Former Cabinet Ministers let alone a VERY PROMINENT one like myself. History is recording this fake and nonsense happening today.”
“Where would I have sat if I went there without an invitation?” she asked, challenging suggestions that she had failed to attend the conference by choice.
Her comments come as the two-day National Unity and Social Cohesion Conference takes place at the Bintumani Conference Centre in Freetown from October 26 to 27, 2026.
The conference brings together political leaders, civil society representatives and other stakeholders to discuss peacebuilding, reconciliation and social cohesion, with a focus on translating commitments into practical action.
Blyden’s reported exclusion has raised questions about the extent of participation and inclusivity at a national event intended to promote dialogue, rebuild public trust and advance the implementation of the National Unity Agreement.
The reasons for her non-invitation remain unclear, while the Commission’s response to her claim was not available at the time of publication.