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A remarkable display of unity and support unfolded on Tuesday 15th August 2023 as some Sierra Leoneans residing in the United Kingdom and Ireland embarked on a spirited march through the heart of London.
The purpose of the march was to express profound gratitude for the achievements of His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio and to fervently endorse his unfolding national vision.
Organized under the banner of “United 4 Salone,” this collective of patriotic Sierra Leoneans represents a diverse cross-section of the country’s political landscape. Dr. Sheku Fofanah, one of the leading organizers, describes “United 4 Salone” as a coalition of open-minded individuals committed to “reshaping Sierra Leone’s image by highlighting its endearing and commendable aspects”. Dr. Fofanah underscores the shared duty of all patriotic Sierra Leoneans “to counter the misinformation propagated on social media and to promote a genuine portrayal of the nation”.
The weather was bright and welcoming and the atmosphere was infused with inspiring speeches, captivating banners, thought-provoking placards, and passionate songs, leaving an indelible impression on immediate onlookers with the prospect to capture the imagination of many more watching from afar.
Marchers gathered in substantial numbers at the southern end of Westminster Bridge just steps away from the imposing spires of the historic British Parliament. Chants, songs, and dance animated the crowd as they traversed the bridge, culminating in their arrival at Downing Street. As they marched, the route was adorned with vibrant banners bearing President Bio’s image and images and messages of progress in Sierra Leone.
A letter penned by “United 4 Salone” was eloquently read aloud in front of Whitehall by Ibrahim Braima, a young postgraduate student at the University of Central London. The letter decried the confrontational tactics and inflammatory statements employed by partisan actors seeking political power, highlighting the detrimental impact on democracy and national tranquility.
While acknowledging the importance of spirited political competition, the letter emphasized that responsible leadership should prioritize national harmony and economic prosperity. It expressed disappointment with the lack of adherence to a Peace Pledge by the losing candidate in the 2023 Presidential election, urging all leaders to uphold the rule of law and maintain civility.
The letter criticized statements aimed at destabilizing the country’s democratic processes and questioned their compatibility with accepted norms. It highlighted the tragic consequences of such rhetoric, including loss of life and property. Despite these challenges, the letter acknowledged the June 2023 elections as free, fair, and peaceful.
The sentiments conveyed in the letter received unanimous endorsement from a diverse array of speakers representing various cities including Birmingham, Wales, Manchester, Bristol, Reading, and London. The speakers also highlighted the captivating beauty of Sierra Leone, its welcoming inhabitants, and the rich history of the country.
The collective plea, echoing the sentiments of the letter to the British Prime Minister, implored the Rt. Hon Rishi Sunak and the British government to bolster Sierra Leone’s development initiatives as outlined in President Bio’s Vision, encompassing his prominent Big Five development priorities for the nation.
Confused generation!!! Solidarity on stollen mandate!!!
I know my brother shiak amed fofanah. He is a die harder supporter of SLPP from school days. We will argue about APC and SLPP most on our room at black hall road. I am not surprised he is still that blind about SLPP and their agenda. Talk of unity when the election in question is stolen? Please tito go blo
You will die of frustrations shortly 😊.
“Stollen mandate”? Bring out your evidence if at all your claims are true. Or better still try out the court system to seek a redress. This is simply because all you care is your party is not in governance to loot the economy in a bid of enriching yourself and family. Thieves and political witchcrafts.
What goes around, comes around. Bio won the pools with land mark victory as opposed to what transpired in 2012. The beauty of democracy is that you are privileged to make your noise everywhere, you join the wagon to promote national development for sure. Nothing whatsoever is going to change that trajectory. Lol!
There are a lot of literate people in the world who are still uneducated.
Can you imagine people in the diaspora, ( Britain) for example, who are enjoying freedom, democracy, foundamental human rights and rule of law can become so low in their thoughts and behavior to support a dictator, a thief, a killer of innocent people, a destroyer of democracy, a human rights violator and a destroyer of the country’s economy among others just because of political affiliation.
This is a very unfortunate and shameful event that all those participants will regret in future. I am pretty sure that these gullible PAOPA stooges have no interest in the development of Sierra Leone. Or it is also possible that those protesters have no body to support back home in Sierra Leone. On a serious note, do those protesters expect the British government to take them seriously? Do those protesters know that the British government observers were present and even suffered a lot of humiliation in the hands of Maada Bio? Did the pretester in Britain realized that Britain was among first countries to request for the release of the results according to polling stations and polling centers with the RRF forms?
Any way, there is enough evidence to support that the protesters are not educated on the prevailing issues in Sierra Leone. The protesters are mentally and socially blind.
The protesters need some form of education back home.
Will you please come with your family and join the good governance of self elected president bio
How can someone protest because he is happy and he said let me demostrate
because I have democracy. 🤣🤣🤣🤣 all SLPP supporters are useless, fools, and foolish….. How can someone demostrate because am enjoying and I have freedom so let me demostrate for it 🤣🤣🤣
SLPP you have taken the loosing track, first in history of me seeing people who have democracy and freedom say let’s demostrate/ protest because we have freedom and democracy, if you have have democracy you guys would have sit at home and enjoy the freedom and democracy Twwww 🤣🤣🤣 thick in headed people