By Mohamed Konneh
The Acting Chairperson of the National Commission for Democracy (NCD) Juanis Alibaba Kamara has called on Sierra Leonean to use dialogue in resolving conflict rather than taking up arms. Mr. Alibaba Kamara was speaking at the conference room of the Ministry of Information and Civic Education as part of activities in commemorating the National Remembrance Day on Wednesday 20th January 2026.
The Remembrance Day was declared by President Julius Maada Bio in 2025 geared towards honouring those killed and badly affected by the Eleven Years Civil war.
Mr. Kamara noted that those who cannot remember the past have the tendency to repeat same mistakes. ‘’So as we commemorate this day we remember not to open wounds but to heal’’.
The NCD Acting Chairperson quoted from Ishmael Beah Memoir, a child soldier, the act of forgiveness and reconciliation.
He said the war was not just a catastrophe but failure of government to address issues of corruption, bad governance, right abuses, marginalisation and many more.
‘’Children were deny quality education, water, electricity and many more resulting the country to plunged into a brutal war for eleven years. It was a war where children were not speared, so also women. Over fifty thousand were brutally murdered with Blood Diamond becoming the source for weaponizing arm groups,’’ he said.
Mr. Kamara noted that the atrocities caused by the war could not be quantified as people were brutally murdered with limbs chop off using machetes.
‘’Let us learn to dialogue rather than taking arms against one another. Let us be guided and chose to become partners of peace, let our remembrance be active and our remembrance be tolerant,’’ he emphasized.
Welcoming participants earlier on the Executive Secretary of NCD, Osman Algali was quick to draw the attention of the audience to Sierra Leone democratic space that continue to grapple.
He said as a commission they are mandated to promote civic education and democracy.
Mr. Alghali said they hope this first commemoration will cascade to a bigger one in the years ahead.
The Deputy Minister of Public Affairs, Hon. Tondoneh start by asking why the war.
‘’Before the war marginalisation was rife. You will leave university and be forced to work under a boss that could not properly read and write. If you are radical student and brilliant you will come out with division 3. This was how things were leading to few young graduates recruiting Foday Sankoh to wage war on the government and by extension the people of Sierra Leone.
Hon. Tondoneh these group of young academics who recruited Foday Sankoh had wanted the war to be a bloodless war but the dynamics change along the line leading to the killing of innocent civilians.
‘’Academics were killed, teachers, police men and a number of other professionals. We have started seeing issues of the war emerging again and the reason this government is bringing debates around what brought about the eleven year civil war. We have to remember the past so as for us not to return,’’ he said.
The Deputy Minister of Public Affairs noted that the only blessing we have as a country is religious tolerance and that it is something we must guard.
‘’Tribal discrimination, marginalisation culminated into all of these. I consider this day an important day as there is nothing comparable to peace. Let have internal reflection,’’ he said.
Emmanuel Turay from the Ministry of Information and Civic Education while making his statement said the Ministry has two responsibilities. Closing the information gap and create civic space for other voices geared towards educating the public.
‘’Before the war there was a gap in communication. What was happening in central government was not reaching the people. We had only one radio station and the message was not reaching the people.
He said history has started repeating itself. The new media is becoming problematic. In as much as you have the freedom to talk do it responsibly.
He called on SLAJ and the media to be professional so that we will not return to the past of the eleven years civil war.
