Sierra Leone’s former President Ernest Bai Koroma departed Freetown on Sunday, 5th February 2023 to join his peers on a five-nation visits to discuss security on the African continent.

Organised by the Brenthurst Foundation, the high-level event is scheduled to take place from 5th – 12th February, starting in Accra (Ghana) and including meetings in Abidjan (Cote D’Ivoire), Dakar (Senegal), Niamey (Niger), and Abeokuta (Nigeria).

President Koroma who is a member of the Brenthurst Foundation’s Governing Board, said: “This is part of wider consultations with former heads of state and governments, current governments, military and security experts, as well as civil society, to explore innovative new ideas to address the security challenges facing our continent.”

The week-long West African roundtables will take place in the context of an escalation of conflict around the world, but especially in West Africa where there have been coups in Mali and Burkina Faso, as well as the erosion of democracy and elections related conflict in the West African region.

Specifically, the roundtables will discuss the security challenges facing Africa, with a focus on how internal and external players can collaborate to ensure stability; how state and non-state actors could be managed within the current environment; and what lessons could be learned from past co-operation.

Former President Ernest Bai Koroma is expected to share his experiences on governance, security and election processes in Africa.

Based in South Africa, the Brenthurst Foundation is a leading think tank, working to improve economic development by organising high-level discussions to inform and guide government policy. It is chaired by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo.