The Tripartite Steering Committee Secretariat has continued its reform monitoring engagements with a consultative meeting held at the Office of National Security (ONS) on Friday, 27 February 2026, aimed at assessing progress in implementing the Tripartite Recommendations assigned to the institution.
The meeting took place in the office of the Director of Planning and Inter-Agency Relations at ONS, Sheik Ahmed Bah, in the absence of the ONS Coordinator, who was attending another security engagement.
Opening the engagement, the Coordinator of the Tripartite Steering Committee Secretariat, Mr. Thomas Ngolo Katta, explained that the visit formed part of the Secretariat’s ongoing institutional follow-ups on the implementation of the Tripartite Recommendations. He noted that the Secretariat’s monitoring dashboard continues to track implementation milestones and emphasised the importance of sustained collaboration among institutions to strengthen policy safeguards within Sierra Leone’s evolving security environment.
Discussions focused on strengthening regulatory frameworks and reinforcing coordination mechanisms designed to address emerging security challenges, particularly in relation to elections and democratic governance.
Welcoming the delegation, Sheik Amadu Bah commended the Secretariat for its leadership in coordinating the broader electoral reform process and reaffirmed the ONS’s commitment to supporting the implementation of the Tripartite Recommendations. He stated that the Constitutional Amendment Bill 2025 presents an opportunity to consolidate peace and reinforce national security structures, noting that constitutional reforms must be considered from a security perspective to safeguard democratic space and promote peaceful coexistence across Sierra Leone.
He highlighted progress made in developing training security manuals aligned with ONS recommendations, describing the initiative as evidence of institutional preparedness. He further disclosed that the IESPC convened on 12 February 2026 to review key security documents, while clarifying that the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) retains primary responsibility for election security under existing legal provisions.
According to him, the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL) and the Political Parties Regulation Commission (PPRC) continue to serve as permanent members of the IESPC and participate in the Early Warning and Response Mechanism under the National Security Council Coordinating Committee, which meets every two weeks. He added that a dedicated sub-committee is actively updating the national security communication strategy to respond to emerging risks.
Providing additional updates, Sheik Amadu Bah confirmed that a Memorandum of Understanding on security coordination has been developed, with the Sierra Leone Police and ONS expected to meet to advance its operationalisation in line with the Tripartite Recommendations. He noted that the IESP Secretariat is already functional and working closely with the Director of Operations of the Sierra Leone Police to produce a comprehensive strategic security framework addressing evolving threats before, during, and after elections.
He assured the Secretariat that outstanding documentation would be submitted to facilitate updates on the implementation dashboard and expressed confidence that the review process would be completed within 2026, while observing that the ONS’s previous status report does not appear on the Tripartite website.
In his closing remarks, Mr. Thomas Ngolo Katta acknowledged significant gains recorded in the implementation process, referencing five progressive Management and Functional Reviews conducted during the period. He reaffirmed the Secretariat’s commitment to sustained institutional engagement to ensure steady progress in the reform programme.
During the session, the Secretariat’s legal expert sought clarification on the timeline for finalising the Sierra Leone Police–ONS Memorandum of Understanding. Sheik Amadu Bah responded that the agreement is expected shortly and revealed plans by the ONS to convene all registered political parties for an open dialogue on security matters connected to the Tripartite Recommendations. Mr. Katta welcomed the initiative and confirmed the Secretariat’s readiness to collaborate in facilitating discussions with political parties on the implementation status of the Tripartite Report.
The meeting concluded with both institutions reaffirming their commitment to sustained inter-agency collaboration and timely implementation of the Tripartite Recommendations, underscoring the importance of strengthened coordination mechanisms and continued institutional engagement to support a secure and credible electoral environment in Sierra Leone.
