Competent sources in New York have disclosed that the UN, the world body responsible for security worldwide, has instructed its office in West Africa UNOWAS to try as best as it possibly can to sort out the democratic impasse in Sierra Leone and the political tensions in Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali. (Photo: UNOWAS Chief Leonardo Santos Simão on a mission).

Through the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel UNOWAS, headed by Leonardo Santos Simão, the UN does not want any further delays in democratising the four nations. Headquartered in Dakar Senegal, UNOWAS is the eye of the UN in the sub-region, therefore making it the most important external UN stakeholder in West Africa.

UNOWAS boss Leonardo Santos Simão has been playing a central role in Sierra Leone’s impasse in the last 18 months. He has been to Freetown two times now. First, Leonardo Santos Simão, the former Foreign Minister of Mozambique, was in Freetown when the Tripartite Agreement was signed and presented to Maada Bio at State House. (Photo: Leonardo Santos Simão in Burkina Faso).

The UNOWAS chief, who reports directly to the UN Secretary General Antonio Gutteres (no middleman between them) was also part of the last foreign fact-finding mission on the implementation of the recommendation agreement. He was a co-chair alongside the ex-Gambian Vice president Fatoumatta Jallow-Tambajang a few weeks ago when APC protested for electoral justice.

In fact, Leonardo Santos Simão left Freetown the next day after having seen enough of what the voters wanted, leaving behind the others, including enjoy Fatoumata, to find out more from the internal stakeholders. Everyone remembers Leonardo Santos Simão when he presented and read the Tripartite agreement at the UN Security Council middle of this year. (Photo: ECOWAS Chairman Ahmed Tinubu and ECOWAS President Omar Alieu Touray greets).

In New York that day, Sierra Leoneans heard the famous phrase “Contentious Issues” from Leonardo Santos Simão. He also recently read the joint ECOWAS/UNOWAS document in Abuja, where it was reiterated that all stakeholders must implement the 84 Tripartite recommendations in good faith in Sierra Leone. “We are on track,” the statement stressed.

That is why when the most important UN representative in West Africa speaks, it carries a lot of weight. The latest information confirmed by reliable sources that UNOWAS has urged ECOWAS to speed up the Sierra Leone situation it is a significant development to give the Sierra Leone electorates the electoral justice they are yearning for. Bio can delay, but he cannot deny the process. “UN shall usher democracy peacefully or forcefully,” the source added.