Published: July 28, 2025
MONROVIA — Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio on Saturday warned Liberians that peace is fragile and must be actively protected, urging the nation to reject division and political complacency as it marked its 178th Anniversary of Independence.
During the celebration titled “One People, One Destiny: Healing the Past, Building the Future,” Bio urged Liberians to stay alert and dedicated to democratic principles.
“Peace is not simply the absence of conflict, it is the presence of dignity,” Bio said. “It is what allows our children to learn, our traders to trade, our democracies to flourish, and our cultures to thrive.”
A Return to Familiar Ground
Recalling his past as a young soldier deployed to Liberia during its civil war in the 1990s, Bio described his return to Monrovia not only as a head of state but also as a former peacekeeper.
“I once stood on this sacred soil in uniform, not in ceremony, but in service; not as a visitor, but as a peacemaker,” he said. “To return now, in peace, is a deeply humbling experience. It affirms how far we’ve come, not just as nations, but as a region.”
Bio’s motorcade entry into the capital, he noted, evoked memories of entering the city in a convoy, not with flags, but with a mission to help restore hope.
Tribute to Regional Solidarity
Bio honored the Sierra Leonean soldiers who served in Liberia under the ECOWAS peacekeeping mission, many of whom never returned.
“Our soldiers came not to conquer, but to serve,” he said. “To protect Liberians, yes, but also to defend the belief that no African nation should walk alone through the valley of war.”
He described Liberia and Sierra Leone as “twin souls,” bound by shared ancestry, languages, and collective pain.
“When your land trembled under the weight of war, we felt the tremors too,” he said. “And when we cried out in our own agony, you mourned with us.”
Democracy Must Have Substance
As Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, Bio warned that peace and democracy are interdependent and both must be nurtured with substance, not slogans.
“Democracy cannot thrive without peace. And peace cannot last where democracy is hollow,” he cautioned. “General elections are not wars. They are sacred moments to renew our social contract.”
He called on political leaders across West Africa to resist the temptation of tribalism, manipulation, and authoritarianism.
“When politics becomes poisoned by bitterness, tribal suspicion, or the hunger for power at any cost, it threatens the peace,” he said. “And if peace fails, everything that democracy hopes to build collapses.”
Praise for Liberia’s Democratic Progress
Bio commended Liberia’s postwar commitment to democracy and peaceful transfers of power.
“You have successfully and peacefully transferred power from the incumbent political party to the opposition, honoring the will of the people,” he said.
Addressing President Joseph Boakai directly, Bio added, “When I call you ‘my brother,’ it is not a word of courtesy—it is a truth of blood and struggle. The peace of Liberia strengthens the peace of Sierra Leone, and vice versa.”
A Vision for Regional Cooperation
Looking forward, Bio urged Mano River Union nations and ECOWAS members to deepen integration through trade, education, and security cooperation.
“Our youth are crossing borders in search of opportunity,” he said. “Let us build systems that allow them to do so safely, legally, and with dignity.”
He proposed that the Mano River Union evolve beyond bureaucracy into “a living promise of solidarity.”
“Let our borders bind, not divide,” he said. “Let the farmer, the fisherman, the student, the trader, the mother, the soldier — feel at home on either side.”
Message to Liberia’s Youth
Ending with a direct message to the next generation, Bio urged young Liberians to honor the sacrifice of those who secured peace.
“To the youth of Liberia: know that your freedom was purchased at great cost. Honor it in every choice you make,” he said. “Never again must we test the limits of our unity. Never again must we lose our children to hatred.”
He closed by thanking the Liberian people for their strength, resilience, and enduring hospitality.
“Peace is not only possible, it is powerful,” Bio said.
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