Sierra Leone has been unanimously endorsed by the Community of Sahel and Saharan States (CEN-SAD) for its bid for a seat in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in the non-permanent category.

This endorsement was made after a presentation done by its Deputy Foreign Minister Mamadi Gobeh Kamara in Rabat during the 21st Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of CEN-SAD.

During her submission, Mamadi Gobeh Kamara informed representatives of member states that Sierra Leone’s membership in CEN-SAD was motivated by the belief that regional integration brings greater partnership for the attainment of national development objectives. This platform she went on provides an opportunity for member states of the continent to converge in one place, discuss and strategize on how to deal with real time challenges facing the continent.

The deliberations of the 3 day program brought to light these common challenges faced by each member State and the compelling need to have a collective drive in addressing them through the setting up of structures and the development of a priority Plan that will guide the organization as it work towards successfully achieving its objectives.

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The Government of Sierra Leone, the Deputy Foreign Minister noted, stands ready and remains committed to work in close partnership with the organization so that its strategic focus of revitalizing the organization to serve the best interest of Africa and the region can be achieved.

Furthermore, Mamadi Gobeh Kamara called on representatives of the executive council as well as Member States of CEN-SAD to support Sierra Leone’s bid for a seat in the UNSC in the non-permanent category for the year 2024-25.

Responding, Chairperson of the Executive Council who doubles as Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Integration and Chadians Abroad, Mr Cherif Mahamat Zene, thanked the Deputy Foreign Minister for participating in this year’s CEN-SAD meeting where important issues affecting the growth and development of the African continent was discussed. He said the continent is proud of President Julius Maada Bio’s impressive leadership of the C-10 and wished him well as he takes on another mantle of leadership as Chair of the African Peer Review Mechanism. “We will support him in these roles for a successful tenure” Cherif Mahamat Zene added.

On the call for CEN-SAD’s support for SierraLeone’s bid for a seat in the Security council, he said that Sierra Leone is a sole candidate already endorsed by the African Union, therefore CEN-SAD pledges its fullest support and endorsement of its candidature. He called on member states to take the necessary steps of instructing their representatives to the United Nations about the decision of the august body to endorse Sierra Leone and ensure that they do the needful for the success of Sierra Leone’s candidacy. He assured the Deputy Foreign Minister of their support at always.

The community of Sahel Saharan States (CEN-SAD) is an international African organization created in February 1998 in Tripoli, Libya. It is currently comprised of 25 member states from East, West, North and Central Africa such as Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Morocco, Egypt, Senegal, Djibouti among others.

Its objective includes the establishment of a comprehensive economic union that works to eliminate obstacles impeding the unity of its Member States as well as promote economic, cultural, political, and social integration.

This year’s meeting, the first in person session since 2019, looked at the activity report of the Executive Secretary and progress report on the implementation of the decisions of the extraordinary summit held in April 2019, the effect of covid 19 on the economies of countries in the CEN-SAD region, return of the CEN-SAD secretariat to its Headquarters in Tripoli, the implementation of the five year priority action plan and resource mobilization among others.