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Public confidence in Sierra Leone’s democratic institutions has eroded significantly, with citizens now placing far more trust in the military than in the police or Parliament, according to a new survey by Afrobarometer.
The findings, released in Afrobarometer’s latest survey, reveal a sharp decline in trust across nearly all core state institutions since 2018. The data highlights a stark contrast in public perception: while the Army retains the confidence of 68% of the population, the Sierra Leone Police is now the least trusted institution in the country, trusted by only 19% of citizens.
Parliament has also suffered a dramatic loss of legitimacy. Trust in the legislative body has plummeted by 34 percentage points since 2018—the steepest drop recorded—leaving only 29% of citizens expressing confidence in their elected representatives.
“This is not an isolated loss of faith in one contested institution like the Electoral Commission. This is a wider trend affecting the pillars of the state,” said Dr. Fredline M’Cormack-Hale, a co-Principal Investigator for the survey. “It suggests broader concerns about governance, performance, and possibly the political climate since the last election.”
The survey indicates that the decline in trust is systemic, affecting governance, security, and justice sectors alike:
Local Government Councillors: Trust fell by 30 percentage points.
Electoral Commission: Trust fell by 30 percentage points (down to 34% total).
Courts of Law: Trust fell by 18 percentage points (down to 38% total).
The Presidency: Trust fell by 16 percentage points, though it remains higher than other civilian institutions at 54%.
Political parties were not spared, with the ruling party seeing a 20-point drop in trust and opposition parties falling by 11 points.
Despite the general downturn, religious leaders remain the most trusted figures in Sierra Leonean society, commanding 81% approval. The military follows as the second most trusted institution. Analysts note that the Army’s high rating persists despite—or perhaps because of—its role in quelling the attempted coup of November 2023.
Observers attribute the erosion of public faith to a combination of factors including ongoing economic hardship, the disputed results of the 2023 general elections, and persistent political tensions.
