By Lawrence Williams

A high-level mission of international moral guarantors to the Agreement for National Unity is in Sierra Leone to facilitate dialogue with political actors and other key stakeholders following disagreements between the government and the APC regarding the implementation of electoral reforms and the Tripartite recommendations.

The mission, led by the Commonwealth in synergy with the African Union, ECOWAS, and the UN, comes at a critical moment as political consensus continues to fray following the disputed 2023 elections and seeming “collapse” of the Agreement for National Unity.

The mission will meet with the APC hierarchy today amidst their ongoing boycott of parliament and local councils for the second time since 2023, after the party protested the appointment of Edmond Sylvester Alpha as chief electoral commissioner of the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone.

In a statement, the Commonwealth said there was an urgency to restore political dialogue and inclusive governance in Sierra Leone.

“Through our participation in this joint high-level mission, the Commonwealth seeks to support national stakeholders in rebuilding trust, advancing reforms, and upholding both the spirit and the letter of the 2023 Agreement of National Unity,” Tanmaya Lal, Commonwealth’s deputy secretary-general said.

The mission’s work will focus on restoring participation of all political actors in parliament and local councils, advancing electoral reforms, strengthening inter-party dialogue mechanisms, and engaging civil society to support sustainable peace.

With international mediators now directly engaged, attention is turning to whether both government and opposition can recommit to the Agreement for National Unity and move the country beyond the current impasse.