It was a welcome sight for most Sierra Leoneans who are praying for the restoration of democracy to Sierra Leone. Tension is mounting following the much anticipated recommendations by the Tripartite Committee expected on or before June 19, 2024. Many schools of thoughts are emerging regarding the outcome of the Tripartite Investigations. On one hand, especially from the SLPP camp, there is panic and hopelessness that the recommendations would not favour Maada Bio; no wonder they are advocating for ‘No Re-Run’. (Photo: ECOMOG troops begin to arrive to protect Tripartite).

The APC camp, on the other hand, is hopeful that the recommendations would see the inauguration of Dr Samura Kamara the real winner of the June 24, 2023 elections. The unsettling political atmosphere especially in the last year has spurred ECOWAS to intervene to calm the situation in Sierra Leone and the presence of soldiers of the Economic Monitoring Group ECOMOG is a necessity at this point in time. As a result, top officials of ECOMOG arrived yesterday morning at the Lungi International Airport in Freetown. This is the first batch of the 15,000 strong ECOMOG peacekeeping forces expected to arrive before the Tripartite Investigations Committee releases it final recommendations next month.

Eyewitnesses at Lungi International Airport were thrilled yesterday to see the United States Military Cargo plane landing and disembarking the top ECOMOG officers and some military vehicles on the tarmac to beef up the ECOMOG forces on the ground. Sources say military hardware and gadgets were offloaded and the vehicles also contained arms and ammunition en route to the ECOMOG base nearby at Lungi Airport. The senior military officers from Abuja, the headquarters of ECOWAS, are the forerunners of the 15,000 strong ECOMOG military men and women expected in Sierra Leone.

Since last year, ECOWAS had deployed some ECOMOG soldiers at the base in Lungi who were charged with the responsibility of carrying out feasibility studies of the strategic areas in the country where the final deployments of the 15,000 ECOMOG troops will take place. The feasibility studies already done, the beginning of the deployment has started and in the next fortnight all the 15,000 troops will be deployed in readiness for the release of the Tripartite Committee recommendations. As we go to press, Maada Bio has secretly deployed his rag-tagged Kamajor militias around Freetown and at the outskirts of the capital city to disturb Tripartite.

Sierra Leoneans appreciate the efforts of the ECOWAS Chairman and President of Nigeria Ahmed Bola Tinubu who a few months ago confirmed the deployment of ECOMOG troops to strengthen the security in Sierra Leone. “We will install constitutional order in West Africa,” Tinubu warned. The ECOMOG deployment issue was hastened after Maada Bio’s November 26, 2023 fake coup. There was elation yesterday in Sierra Leone after the American cargo plane was seen landing at Lungi. Sources say the US cargo was airlifted from Abuja with manpower for ECOMOG.

ECOWAS is determined to restore democracy in Sierra Leone and the spring in their feet became solid after the green light was given by the United Nations Security Council last year. It was during the meeting in New York that Security Council publicly endorsed ECOWAS and promised to support the West African regional body by any means to restore democracy in Sierra Leone. The ECOMOG soldiers are in Sierra Leone to primarily protect the members of the Tripartite Committee and other foreign electoral experts who are expected to release the final recommendations.