Government, APC Settle Five National Unity Agreement Issues, Three Pending

Vice President Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh has confirmed that five out of eight points in the National Unity Agreement have been completed, following a government-led engagement with the All People’s Congress (APC) and the Moral Guarantors.

Speaking on Saturday, April 18, 2026, Dr. Juldeh Jalloh said the meeting took place on Friday, April 17, 2026, under the oversight of President Dr. Julius Maada Bio. He explained that the engagement aimed to assess the state of implementation of the agreement, which outlines key commitments for national unity.

“We went through the eight points of the agreement, and unanimously, together with the APC, we agreed that five points have been completed, three are ongoing, and significant progress has been made on the ongoing points,” Dr. Juldeh Jalloh said. He noted that the ongoing points include key reforms, particularly electoral reforms.

During the engagement, the APC presented a supplementary ten-point issue paper. According to Dr. Juldeh Jalloh, the document highlighted both procedural and content-related issues. The government and APC agreed to take concrete steps to address these matters.

One key discussion focused on electoral reforms. Dr. Juldeh Jalloh said the APC expressed a preference for a First-Past-the-Post electoral system over Proportional Representation.

Drawing on his extensive international experience, including work with the United Nations in 14 countries and technical support to Sierra Leone’s Chief Electoral Commissioner in 2002, Dr. Juldeh Jalloh defended the merits of Proportional Representation. He emphasized that electoral systems should reflect the country’s social and political dynamics rather than the preference of political parties.

The Vice President also addressed concerns regarding the national census, stressing that it is primarily a development and governance tool rather than a political instrument. He encouraged APC officials to participate constructively in the census process while noting that they would present their report on Statistics Sierra Leone.

Administrative reforms were also discussed, including the role of the secretariat overseeing implementation and the expansion of the standing committee.

Dr. Juldeh Jalloh said the Terms of Reference for the committee would remain, but the mandate would be reviewed to incorporate input from other political parties and civil society. Additionally, APC agreed to propose three lawyers to assist in reviewing electoral reforms.

Dr. Juldeh Jalloh concluded by urging the APC to return to parliament to continue discussions on the three outstanding issues, ensuring ongoing progress toward national unity.