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Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio has delivered a historic address at the University of Oxford, warning that the greatest threat to constitutional democracy in West Africa is not only military coups but also the slow erosion of public trust in democratic institutions.
Speaking on Monday, 18 May 2026, at the Oxford Postgraduate Distinguished Lecture Series, President Bio—who also serves as Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government—addressed students, faculty, diplomats, and academics on the theme: “Defending Constitutional Democracy in an Era of Growing Coups and Electoral Uncertainty in West Africa.”
He noted that since 2020, West Africa has witnessed successive military takeovers in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Guinea-Bissau.
“Across our region, constitutional democracy is under pressure,” the President said.
Drawing from his dual role as both national leader and regional chairman, Bio argued that democratic erosion often begins subtly through weakened accountability, tolerated excesses, and the normalization of constitutional compromises—conditions that allow unconstitutional actors to exploit public frustration.
“The greatest threat to constitutional democracy in West Africa is not only the soldier who suspends the Constitution,” he declared. “It is also the slow erosion of public trust that makes citizens begin to doubt whether constitutional systems can still protect them, represent them, and improve their lives.”
In a candid reflection on his own political journey, President Bio acknowledged that he first came to power through military rule before overseeing Sierra Leone’s transition to civilian government in 1996. Twenty-two years later, he returned to leadership through the ballot box.
“I learned that the hardest act of leadership is not taking power. It is limiting it,” he told the audience.
He reaffirmed that despite political tensions and disputed elections in Sierra Leone, democratic grievances have continued to be addressed through legal and constitutional channels rather than violence. He highlighted ongoing reforms, including the Tripartite Steering Committee and broader electoral reform efforts, aimed at strengthening public confidence in democratic institutions.
As ECOWAS Chairman, President Bio reiterated his opposition to unconstitutional changes of government while also cautioning elected leaders against weakening democracy from within.
“Military coups are wrong,” he said. “But if constitutional governments fail to govern responsibly, the potential for unconstitutional intervention increases.”
He called on regional institutions to deepen preventive diplomacy, strengthen governance benchmarks, and confront democratic backsliding with the same urgency applied to military coups.
