AYV News, March 25, 2026
Leading APC flagbearer aspirant, Dr Ibrahim Bangura(DIB), has marked the anniversary of Sierra Leone’s 11-year brutal war in solemn reflection in Kailahun district. It was here, in the border town of Bomaru, that on 23rd March, 1991, the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) of Foday Sankoh fired the first shot, starting a devastating conflict that claimed the lives of over 50,000 Sierra Leoneans, displaced millions more, and left the country in ruins.
A scholar of peace and conflict resolution, Bangura chose this important day to engage with his compatriots in Kailahun, particularly his APC comrades, to look back on what has gone wrong and how, together, they could work to steer the nation away from the ills of the past, which continue to plague the country.
During the well-attended DIB Movement meeting held in Kailahun Town on Monday, Dr Bangura requested a moment of silence not just in remembrance of the outbreak of Sierra Leone’s civil war, but more importantly, in honour and prayer for the thousands who paid the ultimate price during that conflict.
Dr. Bangura also reflected on the district’s historical significance and its suffering during the war, noting that his academic research focused on the role of women in peacebuilding, a study that brought him to Kailahunmany times.
He therefore expressed a deep personal connection to the district and its great people, saying that Kailahunand its people have a “special place” in his heart. He commended APC supporters for their dedication and praised former President Ernest Bai Koroma for infrastructural developments, particularly the road network linking Kailahun, the pipe-borne water project and the district’s main hospital.
Dr Bangura’s thoughtfulness is one of the features that distinguishes him from his competitors. Since the end of the war in 2002, there have been hardly any moments of reflection on the nation’s most consequential calamities. That he chose that date to visit Kailahun and to place such a reflection front and centre of his visit drew considerable goodwill among his audience and among Sierra Leoneans across the country.
Speaking about his party, Dr Bangura called for unity, reflection, and renewed commitment among the APC party faithful. He commended the APC supporters in Kailahun for their immense contributions, sacrifices, loyalty and commitment to the party, especially during such a trying time. He urged them to stay the course, remain disciplined and united for the APC to secure victory in the 2028 elections.
The meeting, hosted by the APC Regional Chairman, Comrade Stanley Moiwo Maya Kaikai, brought together newly elected ward chairmen and women, current executives across all ten constituencies in the district, as well as key regional stakeholders.
Earlier, Chairman Maya Kaikai said the purpose of the meeting was to reaffirm Kailahun’s continued support for his leadership aspirations within the APC. Underscoring the steadfast loyalty of the party supporters in the district, he commended them for turning out in large numbers to engage with the aspirant.
A notable highlight of the event was the address by the APC regional strongwoman, Finda Diana Konomanyi, who publicly aligned herself with Dr Bangura for the first time. She urged that when making their choice of flagbearer, delegates should prioritise quality leadership that is characterised by humility, vision, and the capacity to deliver for the masses. She went on to describe Dr Bangura as the candidate who best embodies those qualities.
The meeting concluded with renewed calls for unity, discipline and sacrifice within the APC as the race for the party’s flagbearer position intensifies.
