President Dr Julius Maada Bio has formally received the 2025 Annual Report and new 2026-2030 Strategic Plan of the Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion (ICPNC) commending the Commission for its work in conflict prevention and the strengthening of national cohesion. The presentation was given on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, at the State House.
The occasion was used by the Executive Secretary of the ICPNC, Madam Hawa Sally Samai, to highlight the activities of the Commission over the past year, and the strategic priorities that will guide the work of the Commission in the next five years. Madam Samai said: “The critical importance of preventive peacebuilding and early action in ensuring Sierra Leone’s stability is reflected in the Commission’s record.
“The Peace Situation Room is at the heart of the work of the Commission,” she said. It is a national mechanism to monitor, respond to and analyse reports received from all over the country. “The Situation Room helps to defuse tensions before they become larger conflicts, by enabling timely interventions,” she said.
The Commission’s dispute-resolution efforts have seen ICPNC employ dialogue, mediation and the engagement of stakeholders to assist in resolving a broad spectrum of disputes, Madam Samai noted. There have been political differences, local government differences, educational institution differences, land ownership differences, chiefdom boundary differences and community leadership differences. The Commission’s interventions, she argued, have shown how sustained engagement and mediation can prevent localised grievances from escalating into national crises.
Peace never endures. It must be nurtured,” Madam Samai said, emphasising that the work of prevention is done daily and often unseen to ensure social harmony.
Madam Samai also announced that Sierra Leone has been granted continued eligibility for the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund for the next five years. She expressed gratitude to the Government, the UN Country Team and the ICPNC for their collective efforts and stated that the country’s continued eligibility was an international recognition of its commitment to nationally led peacebuilding and conflict prevention.
The Commission’s 2025 Annual Report and the Commission’s Strategic Plan for 2026-2030 were formally handed over to President Bio by Paramount Chief Sheku Fasuluku on behalf of the ICPNC Board Chair. He said the new strategy builds on the Commission’s past achievements and provides a framework for deepening and expanding peace-building efforts across Sierra Leone over the next five years. Paramount Chief Fasuluku also joined the Commission’s longstanding call for a National Peace Fund, which the ICPNC sees as essential to ensuring long-term, predictable funding for peacebuilding and conflict prevention initiatives.
President Bio praised the dedication of the Commission and highlighted the significance of preventing the outbreak of grievances. He repeated that prevention is often forgotten but is one of the best forms of peacebuilding.
“Peace is never valued until it is not there,” President Bio said, referring to Sierra Leone’s history of conflict and reaffirming the government’s commitment to the country’s peace. He stressed the importance of peace and national cohesion for development, investment and prosperity, and called on the Commission to continue promoting dialogue, empathy and mutual understanding across political, regional and social divides.
The President welcomed the Commission’s proposal for a National Peace Fund, and said the memorandum of the initiative had already been submitted and was before him for consideration. He said that disagreements in society should be resolved through constructive engagement and not confrontation.
President Bio also lauded the ICPNC for its contribution to enhancing Sierra Leone’s peace architecture, including the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. He called on government, civil society, traditional leaders and international partners to continue their joint efforts to consolidate the gains and deepen the country’s culture of peace.
The formal presentation of Sierra Leone’s 2025 Annual Report and 2026-2030 Strategic Plan is an important milestone in the country’s continued peacebuilding efforts. Reinvigorated international support and a strategic framework to focus on preventive action have demonstrated the commitment of the ICPNC to conflict prevention, inclusive dialogue and the continued strengthening of national cohesion in the years ahead.
