Presidents Boakai, left, and Bio.

*Bio Calls Boakai Big Brother

Abubakar Hashim

This is President Joseph Boakai’s first official working visit to Sierra Leone since he assumed office 10 months ago on January 22, 2024.

It is a historic visit of Boakai, who was born in a remote village called Wasonga, a shouting distance to Kenema in eastern Sierra Leone, bordering Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Presidents Bio and Boakai in warm embrace.

The visit is symbolic and significant for 2 related reasons:

1 Both countries have strong historical, cultural and trade relations

2 Both have open borders, enmeshed with intermarriages. Sierra Leone provided educational services to most of Liberia’s intelligentsia, while Liberia was the first slave port for even freed Sierra Leone slaves.

Presidents Boakai, left, and Bio

Receiving President Boakai, who travelled by road, President Bio remarked that the visit would strengthen bilateral relations and regional cooperation.

Bio describes Boakai as a “ big brother “ and sees the visit as a significant opportunity to bolster trade and economic cooperation.

As neighbours, Bio reasoned, the two countries have the unique opportunity to lead in strengthening sub-regional cooperation, particularly border security.

Presidents Boakai, left, and Bio

Bio also applauded Boakai’s support of Sierra Leone’s successful bid for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council, with reinforced collaboration within the Mano River Union MRU.

Both leaders signed a joint communique to establish an inter-ministerial committee to exchange and promote knowledge sharing to strengthen regional unity, combat hunger and unemployment, through innovative agriculture initiatives, and support a peaceful democratic transition for stability in MRU and ECOWAS region.