Sorie Fofana has called for dialogue and reconciliation within the Sierra Leone People’s Party as an internal dispute over Musa Tarawally’s membership continues to generate public debate.

Fofana, a veteran journalist, Publisher of the Global Times Newspaper and Chairman of the Board of Authority of the National Civil Registration Authority, made the appeal during a recent interview with Ecko Media.

“I am concerned about what is happening in the SLPP. Whatever unites the party should be promoted, and whatever divides the party should be avoided,” he said.

Dispute over party standing

The disagreement centers on Tarawally’s status within the SLPP and his presentation of himself as a party member and aspiring flagbearer.

The source reported that SLPP National Chairman Jimmy Batilo Songa wrote to Tarawally on September 17, 2026, directing him to stop presenting himself as an SLPP member or as someone seeking the party’s flagbearership. The correspondence is reported but has not been independently verified in full.

Tarawally has rejected the party leadership’s position, maintaining that he resigned from the Citizens Democratic Party in 2018 and later returned to the SLPP. His legal representatives have argued that questions concerning party membership should be handled through the party’s constitutional and disciplinary procedures.

The available information does not establish the outcome of any party or legal proceedings, nor does it independently resolve the competing claims about Tarawally’s membership.

Appeal for common ground

Fofana said the controversy involving Tarawally was unfortunate, noting that he had known him for a long time and regarded him as an SLPP member.

He specifically encouraged Songa and Tarawally to meet, clarify their positions, examine relevant records and constitutional provisions, and work toward a settlement that would protect the broader interests of the party.

“The SLPP has a history of surviving internal battles, but this can only happen if the party leadership prioritizes what unites rather than what divides,” Fofana said.

The call comes as the party faces renewed attention to internal stability ahead of the 2028 electoral cycle. The SLPP has experienced leadership contests, electoral defeats, political upheavals and disputes between competing camps over time.

Some party supporters have expressed concern that prolonged internal disagreements could divert attention from governance and the implementation of government programmes. The source also described economic pressures and youth unemployment as national challenges unfolding alongside the party dispute.

Fofana’s appeal is directed at the SLPP leadership, its Secretary General, senior stakeholders and President Dr Julius Maada Bio. There is no confirmed indication that Songa and Tarawally have agreed to meet or that the dispute has been resolved.