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I said it last month, and today’s development makes that prediction even more relevant: Timothy Musa Kabba could become the political scapegoat for President Julius Maada Bio’s failure to secure another term as Chairman of ECOWAS.
Kabba has reportedly been removed as Sierra Leone’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. The timing raises serious questions that the government should not simply dismiss.
President Bio served as ECOWAS Chairman from June 2025 to July 2026. When regional leaders gathered in Sierra Leone for the ECOWAS Mid-Year Summit, Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye emerged as his successor.
So, what exactly went wrong?
Was there a diplomatic failure? Was Sierra Leone unable to build sufficient regional support for President Bio? Were there strategic mistakes in the negotiations? And, most importantly, why should the Foreign Affairs Minister alone carry the political consequences of a decision involving the heads of state and governments of an entire regional bloc?
Foreign policy is not the responsibility of one minister. ECOWAS diplomacy involves the President, the Foreign Affairs Ministry, diplomatic missions, regional alliances, negotiations, and the broader geopolitical interests of member states.
If Kabba failed in his responsibilities, then let the government clearly explain what those failures were. If there were diplomatic shortcomings, Sierra Leoneans deserve to know the facts.
But if his removal is simply an attempt to find someone to blame for President Bio’s inability to secure another term, then this raises an even more serious question:
Is this accountability—or political damage control?
A minister can be removed. A cabinet can be reshuffled. But political accountability cannot be reduced to sacrificing one individual to protect the image of those at the top.
Sierra Leoneans deserve answers, not scapegoats.
I raised this concern last month. Today, Tim Kabba’s removal makes the question even louder: Was he removed because he failed as Foreign Affairs Minister, or because someone had to pay the political price for Bio’s ECOWAS setback? History will judge. 🇸🇱
