Dilemma of Diplomacy in Sierra Leone

In late August 2023, the United States announced a visa restriction policy against individuals who undermined the democratic process in the June 2023 Sierra Leone elections. This visa restrictions policy followed an earlier United States government statement issued on 14 July 2023 demanding "an independent, outside investigation of the elections process" and integration of "observer recommendations to improve the electoral modalities for future elections" in Sierra Leone. Thus, in the July and August 2023 statements, the United States government expressed unambiguous concerns over "irregularities in the election results announced by the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL)." State Department Spokesperson, Matthew Miller particularly noted that "independent parallel vote tabulations and analyses by accredited national and international observation missions raise questions about the integrity of the official results," and that United States was "disturbed by the reports of intimidation – including death threats – against domestic and international observers, civil society organizations, and ECSL personnel." Yet in October 2023, the United States Embassy in Sierra Leone issued several statements welcoming and endorsing the "Hotel Agreement" between the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) and All Peoples Congress (APC) that has allowed politicians of the two parties to enter into a power-sharing arrangement without first addressing the illegalities and irregularities surrounding the June 2023 elections. And in January 2024, the United States announced a US$1.5 million grant to fund an "SLPP/APC Elections Review Committee" also without first investigating the conduct of the June 2023 elections, including human rights violations during the elections. Worse, this internationally backed process excludes the majority of political parties (more than 10 political parties) that contested the June 2023 elections, and it equally fails to consult the majority of civil society voices within and outside the country. In this episode, we highlight how this exclusionary approach to civic engagement in Sierra Leone does not advance democracy in the country. We also use the contradictory position(s) of the United States to illustrate the diplomatic dilemma now facing foreign embassies stationed in Sierra Leone. This episode is part of the VOICE FROM EXILE commentary series of the Africanist Press.