Koroma Calls for Peace and Forgiveness at Makeni Central Mosque

Former President Ernest Bai Koroma attended Friday prayers at Makeni Central Mosque following his return to Sierra Leone, joining worshippers and members of his entourage in Makeni.

The gathering brought together people from different religious, age and social backgrounds. Those present included Muslims and Christians, children, young people, elderly people, people from poorer backgrounds and well-dressed worshippers, as well as people with visual impairments.

Imams emphasise restraint and responsibility

Sheikh Alhaji Mohamed Mujahedeen Bangura, the Northwest Regional Chief Imam, delivered the sermon. Sheikh Mohamed Mualim Kamara, Chief Imam of Makeni Central Mosque, also addressed the congregation.

The religious messages focused on forgiveness, restraint, compassion, responsibility and leadership. The sermon used stories of Sulaiman and Moses to reflect on the responsibilities that come with power and influence.

According to the account of the gathering, the imam appealed to Koroma to continue forgiving people who had spoken against him or offended him, and to respond to past disagreements without bitterness. The sermon also stressed that authority should not make a leader indifferent to those under his protection.

Koroma thanked the imam and said he understood the message conveyed through the sermon. He asked the congregation to pray for peace, saying that peace must begin in the mosque, in homes and in communities.

Koroma speaks about faith and cooperation

The former president said he was pleased that community responsibilities could be carried forward collaboratively and urged that approach to continue. He also said what God had done for him was the result of prayers rather than power or wealth.

Koroma further said he had returned to Sierra Leone with an open mind and that the reasons for his time away would become clear through his subsequent actions and decisions.

People gathered around him when protocol allowed, with some seeking to shake his hand, touch him or catch a closer view. Abu Bakarr Kamara, identified as the mayor of the municipality, accompanied Koroma. Dr. Mohamed MB Sisay and Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara were also named among those accompanying the former president.

Return to Sierra Leone

The Sierra Leone Telegraph reported that Koroma returned to Sierra Leone on September 6 after spending more than two years in Nigeria. On his arrival, he said: “I am back home. And home will always be home.”

Before attending prayers in Makeni, Koroma had worshipped with his family at the Wesleyan Church at Ferry Junction in Freetown, a place linked to his childhood and personal spiritual journey. He had also visited the graves of his parents and elder sister, pausing there for prayer and remembrance.

His appearance at Makeni Central Mosque was presented as part of a wider moment of reconciliation and national significance, as well as an example of the interaction between Sierra Leone’s Muslim and Christian communities.