Sierra Leone’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Timothy Musa Kabba has shared insights into the country’s key priorities during the tenure on the Security Council.

Speaking to Africa Aware at the Chatham house African program, he maintained that, there are numerous reasons for the long gap which Sierra Leone took to return to the security council since 1970-1971 sighting the civil war in the country and the rotational selections of up to 16 West African Countries which means sometimes a country may have to wait for 20 years before regaining the seat to the council.

“it happens that when Sierra Leone was ripped enough to go to the council we had a civil conflict which was principally why we were not able to go for the second time after the first time in 1971” he stated.

Speaking on the country’s top priorities now on the council, he said Sierra Leone represents a success story of a country that was  engulfed in a civil conflict and one that has come from a war context into a developing country. He said the country will be exporting the experienced gained over the years in conflict resolutions, peace consolidation and development “so it is this experience that we bring to the security council to promote global peace and security, to promote women involvement in peace and security and to also advocate for the reform of the security council” he emphasized.

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Kabba reiterated that, Africa has to be represented in different categories of decision-making and into these multilateral institutions that were created even before many countries in Africa could gain independence. “Africa has to be represented in the Security Council and be represented into key other areas where it is not represented looking at the current status of happenings in the globe” adding that, Sierra Leone’s tenure at the Security Council will be looking at peace and security in conjunction with the other African countries represented on the council.

He revealed that, Sierra Leone is the present coordinator of the A3 mechanism at the UNSC, adding that, they are currently working hands n gloves with different bodes within the globe to achieve their roll and mandates on the council.

Speaking on the lessons learnt from the post war reconstruction of peace and security in the country he said, the country has underwent several rehabilitations in constructions, reconstructions “ we also had the truth and reconciliation commission, where victims and perpetrators  of the conflict came face to face and  discussed what happened and there was reconciliation. Also Sierra Leone benefited from the united nations hybrid court (the special court) which sort to bring those that were responsible and bored the greatest responsibilities for the crimes that were committed during the civil conflict,” he stated.

He furthered that, with all these experiences and now that the country has consolidate peace, they will work and continue to use the experiences gained to have the developments in the country sustainable and that it is very important these experiences gained are transported to the UNSC.

He revealed that, Sierra Leone has also been appointed to be a member on the African Union Peace and Security Council which signalled that the country’s experience is useful not only at the continental level but the globe.