The Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chernor Bah, has revealed why the President, Julius Maada Bio, was invited by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.

According to the Minister, the meeting was called to discuss “Sierra Leone’s leadership with regard to matters related to the ICC and the country’s tenure as non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.”

This comes soon after a letter reportedly sent by the International Court to President Bio surfaced on social media. Whilst the ICC did not state the reason for the invitation in the said letter, they said their “Office attaches great importance to the said meeting and hopes its request can be accommodated.”

It is not clear whether the invitation by the ICC prosecutor is connected to the recent elections.

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However, since the conclusion of the June 24, 2023, presidential elections, Sierra Leone has been embroiled in a heated political situation after the opposition All People’s Congress (APC) boycotted governance in protest of the alleged irregularities and violations of the electoral procedures.

The United States through the spokesperson, Mathew Miller, also raised concerns about irregularities in the election results announced by the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL). The department, in its statement from July 24, voiced its unease over accounts of threats, including those of a lethal nature, directed at local and international observers, civil society groups, and election commission members.