This stern warning comes from the no-nonsense Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States ECOWAS Bola Ahmed Tinubu President of Nigeria when he buttressed: “Democracy must win. We will fight for it and we will definitely fight for democracy.” President Tinubu made this statement during a recent ECOWAS meeting in Abuja, where other Heads of State met to discuss the Sierra Leone situation and the sub-region. (Photo: President Tinubu).

Such a statement of intent to restore democracy and constitutional rule in Sierra Leone and other troubled West African nations by applying the two-pronged approach is important and should not be taken with a pinch of salt. And issuing out this stern warning just a few weeks before the deployments of the ECOWAS Forces in Sierra Leone from September 15, 2024 to the end of September highlights the unshakeable determination of the ECOWAS Commission.

The voice of President Tinubu heralding the mandate given to the ECOWAS Troops has gone far and wide. And the suppressed and oppressed people of Sierra Leone are inevitably touched and impressed with the ECOWAS Chairman’s frank words ‘Democracy Must Win. We Will Definitely Fight for Democracy’. It is succinct that this warning means that no amount of resistance by security forces of the electoral thief Bio would stop the full implementation. (Photo: ECOWAS President Omar Alieu Touray and Maada Bio).

There have been confirmed reports emanating from the southeast, the SLPP stronghold that Maada Bio has secretly mobilised and weaponised his poorly trained and rag-tagged Kamajor militias and cannibals to provide resistance against the ECOWAS Forces when they deploy around the country. With the sound militant warning coming from the ECOWAS Chair and Nigeria President Ahmed Tinubu, the failed and illegal Sierra Leone President might think twice.

ECOMISIL Troops are to be deployed in Freetown and the ECOWAS Standby Forces are to be stationed at the Lungi Depot, near the Lungi International Airport. Reports say the new Commander is a gallant Nigerian General who knows the geography of Sierra Leone to his fingertips. Specifically, the ECOMISIL troops to be deployed at two strategic locations in the outskirts of the capital Freetown namely the Hastings Airfields and in Kerry Town is part of the strategy to secure everyone.

They are mandated to strictly supervise and monitor the full implementation of the Tripartite recommendations including but not limited to the five Contentious Issues or Divergent Views popularly known as Electoral Justice endorsed by the United Nations Security Council. Also, the Murray Town/Aberdeen axis is where the ECOWAS Forces headquarters shall be located and where the new Force Commander will be based.

Looking at the various sites selected for the deployments, it is clear that the mandates given to ECOMISIL by are specific and strategic. They are not coming for negotiations, or any form of dialogue or to act as a catalyst to change their mandates. All the negotiations had concluded a long time ago. It is already confirmed that 5,000 troops will land in Sierra Leone by the end of next month at the Lungi Depot near Lungi International Airport, the main base of the ECOMISIL Stabilisation Forces. (Photo: ECOWAS Army Chiefs).

And 1,200 mechanised battalion troops will be deployed at the ECOMISIL Headquarters in the capital Freetown around Murray Town/Aberdeen axis. The other two bases will be Hastings Town and Kerry Town selected as strategic bases to house the more ECOMISIL soldiers. Kerry Town is located about 31 kilometres (19 miles) from the capital, Freetown, which lies to the west-north-west. And Hastings Town lies approximately 15 miles east of Freetown.

This message must be reiterated for the doubters to understand the gravity of the Sierra Leone situation. Two options are available here for the illegitimate Sierra Leone President Maada Bio. First, the ECOWAS Forces have the peaceful means to resolve the Sierra Leone situation provided the SLPP regime cooperate to the letter. But in the event where the SLPP regime proves obstinate in fully complying with the Tripartite recommendations, then the ECOWAS Forces have the mandate to use force to restore democracy and constitutional rule in Sierra Leone and the sub-region.

President Tinubu furthered: “We will stand against an unconstitutional change of government in our subregion and we continue to do so. (Applaud). I therefore urge all of us to stand strong and highly committed in the face of any challenge in Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau. The message will go down clearly that we will support a democratically elected government not unconstitutional exercise without let or hindrance. Democracy must win.”