The next 24 hours are vital for the democratisation process in Sierra Leone in the aftermath of the deadline closing in for the arrival and deployments of the ECOWAS Stabilisation Forces in Sierra Leone ECOMISIL. The past two weeks have been very hectic for the people of Sierra Leone whose expectations, restlessness, exhaustion are immeasurable. (Photo: ECOWAS Generals and Maada Bio).

Amid the anxiety that engulfs the patriotic citizens whose priceless votes on June 24, 2023 were stolen in broad daylight by the electoral thief Julius Maada Bio – which invariably made his SLPP regime illegitimate – the fact of the matter is that the economic sanctions imposed on the Bio presidency because of the fraudulent elections are biting the poorest the hardest.

Embroiled in the untold hardships in Sierra Leone, exacerbated by SLPP’s historic corrupt practices and the systematic stealing of national coffers, the suffering Sierra Leoneans are also understandably very stressed because of the imminent arrival and deployment of the ECOWAS Forces. But as the deadline ends today, the optimism for their arrival is dissipating. (Photo: ECOWAS Chairman President Bola Tinubu).

Sierra Leone, under the Bio presidency, has suffered the worst socio-economic conditions in the last six years. In the first five years of the Bio rule, there was rampant corruption in high places which ultimately ushered the country into the economic mess created artificially by Maada Bio himself, despite the global financial assistance. Today, the exchange rate for a dollar is around 2,500 old Leones.

But since last year, when Bio stole the June 24 elections from the real winner Dr Samura Kamara, the international community imposed stiff financial sanctions which stagnated the economic growth and consequently worsened the suffering of the people. Now, the exchange rate has sky-rocketed beyond reach due to the lack of foreign help for the illegal Bio regime.

However, there is still hope on the horizon for the landing and eventual deployments of the ECOWAS troops in Sierra Leone to take place on time. Anything can happen in the next few hours, as the date in the past fortnight still stands. In fact, by the end of the deadline at midnight, if the troops have not landed, patriotic citizens should have one thing in their minds, i.e. the soldiers will definitely arrive very soon. (Photo: Dr Samura Kamara, the President-Elect).

The ECOWAS soldiers will surely arrive and deploy for the restoration of democracy and constitutional rule in Sierra Leone. Reliable information, though scanty, from Abuja the ECOWAS Headquarters, has confirmed that nothing will stop the deployment of peacekeeping forces to stabilise Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau as mandated by the ECOWAS Commission.

Already ECOWAS forces have arrived in Bissau last week and the same process of deployment is expected to take place in Sierra Leone as well. It is just a matter of time for the forces to land. The Abuja sources say if the deadline comes and goes without the arrival of the forces, new dates for the arrival and deployment shall be released very soon.

As a consequence of the anxiety, the vigilant APC Council of Media Bloggers and Auxiliary chaired by APC Malaka Duplicate are appealing to patriotic citizens to exercise patience as the deployment of ECOWAS Troops will happen. “Do not listen to the audios by SLPP/Paopa vuvuzelas who are out there to mislead and spread lies that ECOMISIL would not come. Please ignore the Paopa lies,” the Council warn.