Despite economic progress, Sierra Leone’s political future remains murky 0 0 14 1 by Christopher East , April 27, 2017Despite the progress Ernest Koroma has made in the face of Ebola and other adversities, there is strong opposition to his party for the 2018 elections.Sierra Leone contested for the title of poorest nation on earth for many years at the end of the 20th century, in spite of the country’s vast mineral wealth. A common proverb has oft-been employed, describing Sierra Leone as, “[a] man that is sitting by the banks of the ocean and washing his hands with spittle”. But since the late 1990s, Sierra Leone has capitalised on its relative stability to bring online many of its vast mineral resources, augmented of course by foreign mining interest of Europe and China. Thus, Sierra Leone’s GDP has far outgrown its Liberian and Gambian Neighbours, totalling USD 6.453billion in 2015. There is, however, great uncertainty in the future of Sierra Leone’s economy in light of the 2018 general elections, which polling suggests could be the country’s closest-fought elections yet.Koroma’s economic legacySierra Leoneans will head to the polls on March 7, 2018. As is custom in Sierra Leone, electioneering has already started to ramp up, a full year before the elections, as the political parties start to select their flag-bearers for the general election. Over the next few months the political landscape will be come clearer, as past ministers and prominent civil servants vie for leadership, merge parties, and ultimately add their face’s to the ballot paper. As Ernest Koroma’s final term draws to a close, and the leadership contest for the All People’s Congress (APC) comes to a head, it is an appropriate juncture to examine the legacy of the APC’s rule and what Koroma has achieved in his two terms in office.

Source: Despite economic progress, Sierra Leone’s political future remains murky | Global Risk Insights