By Alhaji Haruna sani
The former President of Sierra Leone, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, has on Sunday 5 February, 2023 departed Sierra Leone to join his peers on a five-nation tour to discuss African security.
Organized by the Brenthurst Foundation, the high-level event is scheduled to take place from the 5th 12th February, starting in Accra (Ghana) and including meetings in Abidjan (Cote D’lvoire), Dakar (Senegal), Niamey (Niger), and Abeokuta (Nigeria).
The Office of the Former President, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma on February 4th, 2023 issued a press release with regards to the development.
According to the release, the week-long West African roundtables take place in the context of an escalation of conflict around the world, but especially in West Africa where there have been coups in Mali and Burkina Faso, as well as the erosion of democracy and elections related conflict in this region.
It is also noted that the roundtables will specifically discuss the security challenges facing Africa, with a focus on how internal and external players can collaborate to ensure stability, how state and non-state actors could be managed within the current environment, and what lessons could be learned from past co-operation.
The Office of the Former President intimated that Former President Ernest Bai Koroma is expected to share his rich experience on governance, security and electioneering processes in Africa.
A member of the Brenthurst Foundation’s Governing Board, President Koroma said: “This is part of wider consultations with former heads of state and governments, current governments, military and security experts, as well as civil society, to explore innovative new ideas to address the security challenges facing our continent.”
Based in South Africa, the Brenthurst Foundation a leading think tank, working to improve economic development by organizing high-level discussions to inform and guide government policy. It is chaired by former Nigerian President HE Olusegun Obasanjo who will be in this delegation.
