At The Antalya Diplomacy Forum… Chief Minister Dr. Sengeh Shares Sierra Leone’s Resilience Story With Global Leaders
BY: Lansana Fofanah
The fifth edition of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum commenced on Friday 17th to the 19th of April 2026 in Antalya, Turkiye.
From fragile diplomacy, regional conflicts and instability across the world, the Antalya Diplomacy Forum brought together policy-makers from over one hundred and fifty countries to discuss emerging global challenges in trade, security and diplomacy.
Sierra Leone was fully represented by the Chief Minister Dr. David Moinina Sengeh, and the Sierra Leone Ambassador to Turkiye, Her Excellency Francess Virginia Anderson.
As one of the distinguished panelists on the Leadership forum, Dr. Sengeh took the center-stage to share the post-conflict resilience stories from Sierra Leone with His Excellency Hassan Sheikh Mohamud President, Federal Republic of Somalia, Shaya Mohsin Al Zindani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Republic of Yemen, and Assoumani Azali, President, Union of Comoros.
Discussing the topic: Diplomacy Against All Odds, How to Find A common Ground, Dr. Sengeh highlighted the significant role President Julius Maada Bio played in ending the long-civil war through sacrifice, determination and mediation with all factions to ensure a smooth transition of power from military to a democratic dispensation.
“Sierra Leone has been able to maintain its peace, and security stability because, we were able to dialogue among ourselves and to accept everyone irrespective of which factions you were, or where you belong or what you did during the war. Today, we are a progressive nation all thanks to His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio for believing in inclusive leadership and not just committing his government but taking proactive actions to resolve disputes,” he said.
Discussing regional security challenges, Dr. Sengeh underscore the role of President Bio as the regional Chairman of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) to engage some countries that left the Union.
“President Bio was able to engage leaders of the SAHEL region that, the development agenda, economic ties and diplomatic relations among us are far greater than our individual differences. Despite some of them leaving the ECOWAS, we have been able to maintain a cordial relation. Recently, there was a border dispute among Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia. President Bio and His Excellency President Joseph Boakai of Liberia, went to Guinea to meet President Doumbouya for a peaceful resolution.” he said.
Dr. Sengeh emphasized on the importance of dialogue, negotiation in solving crisis in Somalia, and other countries facing civil unrest.
He was commended by both the popular Turkish Radio Television World Presenter Alican Ayanlar, and the panelists for sharing an insight on how Sierra Leone was able to transform itself from a war-torn country to a reconstructive democratic nation.
