Dakar, 23 June 2023 - On the eve of the general elections in Sierra Leone, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Leonardo Santos Simaõ, welcomes the country’s renewed commitment to hold peaceful, transparent, and credible elections.

He calls on the signatories of the 25 May 2023 Peace Pledge to abide by their commitment and promote the conditions for a peaceful election. He urges all parties to refrain from any acts, discourse and statements that could undermine the integrity of the process.

The Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel reaffirms the engagement of the United Nations, in coordination with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union (AU) and members of the international community, to support Sierra Leone in its efforts to consolidate peace, democracy and development.