Western Area Rural District Council Chairman and influential APC figure, Kasho Joseph Holland-Cole, has called on President Julius Maada Bio to sustain Vice President Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh’s leadership in ongoing mediation and negotiation efforts between the government and the opposition.
Speaking to AYV, Holland-Cole described the Vice President as a national-minded leader whose approach reflects the broader interests of Sierra Leone, signalling growing confidence within sections of the opposition in the Vice President’s handling of the dialogue process.
His remarks come in the wake of what has been widely described as a fruitful engagement between the Vice President and APC-led local council leaders, a meeting that appears to be reshaping the tone of interactions between both sides. The discussions, held on Wednesday under Dr Juldeh Jalloh’s leadership as Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Decentralisation and Local Governance, focused on easing tensions and restoring effective governance at the local level.
The Vice President called for calm, cooperation, and a renewed emphasis on service delivery, noting that resolving the impasse remains crucial to ensuring that councils continue to function and deliver essential services to citizens nationwide.
The renewed push for dialogue also aligns with broader national efforts to sustain political stability, as President Bio on Friday received Lead Moral Guarantor of the mediated dialogue process, Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang, and her delegation at State House.
Reaffirming his commitment to the Agreement for National Unity, the President recalled his role in initiating the October 2023 mediated dialogue and pledged continued support for constructive political engagement.
Observers say the convergence of internal endorsement from opposition figures and ongoing high-level engagement suggests a gradual shift toward de-escalation and a more cooperative political environment.
