By Saidu Jalloh, D.S
FREETOWN — President Julius Maada Bio has reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s support for Palestinian self-determination and a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
President Bio made the declaration on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, while delivering Sierra Leone’s national statement during the General Debate of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, held under the theme: “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations That Delivers for All.”
Addressing the Middle East crisis, Bio said international law and the UN Charter must guide efforts to end the conflict, calling for protection of civilians, unhindered humanitarian access and an end to aggression and occupation.
“The inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination must be realised through a viable State of Palestine living alongside Israel in peace and security,” he told world leaders.
The statement reaffirms Sierra Leone’s long-standing foreign policy position placing peaceful coexistence between Israel and a future Palestinian state at the centre of resolving the conflict.
Bio’s remarks came as UN Secretary-General António Guterres, in his opening address, warned that the two-state solution must not be allowed to disappear and called for de-escalation and dialogue amid renewed violence and humanitarian concerns in the region.
Sierra Leone had maintained a similar position during its 2024-2025 term on the UN Security Council, where it consistently stressed a political settlement that allows Palestinians and Israelis to live side by side in peace.
President Bio also used his address to speak on the conflicts in Sudan and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, reform of the UN Security Council, Africa’s representation in global governance institutions, and the link between peace and development.
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