BY KADIJATU BANGURA | DAILY SCOPE REPORTER
The Office of National Security (ONS) has wrapped up a nationwide series of consultative workshops aimed at mapping political risks and security threats ahead of Sierra Leone’s 2028 General Elections.
The exercise, which concluded on 29 July 2026, brought together stakeholders from all five regions to review past electoral trends, identify emerging hotspots, and develop strategies to strengthen conflict prevention, electoral security, and democratic stability.
According to the ONS, the Regional Baseline Risk and Threat Assessment Consultative Workshops were part of broader efforts to enhance national preparedness and reinforce early warning systems ahead of the next electoral cycle.
The consultations drew representatives from political parties, security agencies, election management bodies, civil society organisations, traditional and religious leaders, women’s groups, youth organisations, persons with disabilities, and media practitioners.
Chief of Staff of the Office of National Security, Francis Langumba Keili, chaired all the regional engagements. He told participants that the process was designed to identify political tension points, assess institutional vulnerabilities, and examine community-level factors that could trigger electoral violence if left unchecked.
“The goal is to be proactive in safeguarding our democratic process,” Mr. Keili said. “By bringing together state and non-state actors, we ensure that the assessment reflects diverse perspectives and experiences from across the country.”
To ensure broad participation, the workshops were held in three locations. Stakeholders from the Southern and Eastern regions met in Bo on 21 July. Representatives from the Northern and North-Western regions gathered in Makeni on 23 July. Participants from Western Area Rural and Western Area Urban convened in Waterloo on 24 July.
Participants were grouped into thematic sessions that examined localized grievances, institutional weaknesses, and drivers of political tension. The groups, which included security personnel, electoral officials, civil society actors, women, youth, religious leaders, and disability advocates, also proposed practical measures to improve coordination between institutions and communities in mitigating potential threats.
The ONS said the inclusive approach was intended to promote dialogue among key actors in the electoral process while ensuring the assessment captured a wide range of views.
Management officials at the various venues delivered goodwill messages and reaffirmed commitment to collaborative efforts aimed at maintaining peace and securing a credible electoral environment.
The Authority noted that findings from the regional assessments will provide baseline data to support national preparedness, improve inter-agency coordination on election security, and guide targeted interventions.
With less than two years to the 2028 polls, ONS described the completion of the workshops as a critical step toward building a comprehensive framework for electoral conflict prevention and strengthening national resilience against election-related violence through dialogue, inclusion, and proactive risk management.
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