Luanda, Angola, 25th November 2025- Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio has issued a clarion call for deeper cooperation, inclusive governance, and a reformed multilateral system, as he addressed fellow leaders at the 7th African Union-European Union Summit in Luanda.
Speaking in his dual capacity as President of Sierra Leone and Chair of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, Bio urged both continents to embrace a partnership grounded in dignity, justice, and shared responsibility.
“We gather at a moment when the world is more connected than ever, yet more fragile than it has been in generations,” he said, extending appreciation to the Government and people of Angola for their hospitality.
President Bio reaffirmed ECOWAS’s zero-tolerance stance on unconstitutional changes of government, while acknowledging that sustainable stability requires more than condemnation. “It demands credible nationally owned transitions, resilient institutions, and renewed trust between citizens and the state,” he said.
He noted that West Africa is choosing a future shaped not by past crises but by collective resolve, and called for continued efforts to strengthen democratic governance across the continent.
Turning to peace and security, Bio described Africa’s worsening security landscape, citing the continent’s record-high terrorism-related deaths last year. He linked the instability to the lingering effects of the Libyan conflict, which continues to fuel arms flows and insurgencies across the Sahel.
“The cost is human and heartbreaking,” he said. “Behind every statistic is a child whose school has vanished, a mother displaced by violence, or a farmer whose livelihood has been erased.”
As Chair of the UN Security Council, Sierra Leone has prioritised peace in West Africa, conflict-related food insecurity, and small arms proliferation, he added.
President Bio called for urgent reform of the United Nations Security Council, describing it as “an overdue correction to history and a prerequisite for global legitimacy.” He stressed that Africa’s challenges, climate shocks, terrorism, displacement, are transnational and require a decisive voice in shaping global rules.
“Africa’s sovereignty is not up for negotiation, and our continent is not for sale,” he said. “Our partnership with Europe must be built on mutual respect, shared responsibility, and equal footing.”
Bio welcomed ongoing cooperation between the AU and EU in areas such as peace and security, climate resilience, digital innovation, education, and trade. However, he urged both sides to move beyond promises and deliver tangible results.
“Africa seeks a partnership that unlocks investment, opens markets, supports industrialisation, empowers young people, and accelerates technology transfer and climate adaptation,” he said.
He voiced strong support for UN Security Council Resolution 2719, which enables predictable financing for AU-led peace operations, but emphasised that financing alone is insufficient. “We need deeper investment in value addition, energy transition, and infrastructure, the engines of ‘the Africa we want.’”
In closing, President Bio invoked the spirit of the Pact for the Future, reminding leaders that peace is a choice rooted in cooperation and courage. “Africa does not seek pity. Africa seeks partnership, partnership grounded in sovereignty, fairness, and shared prosperity,” he said.
He reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s commitment to building a world where dignity is non-negotiable, opportunity is accessible, and hope is a right, not a luxury.
“Let us choose cooperation over competition. Let us choose law over force. Let us choose hope over fear. And let us choose each other as equal partners in shaping a safer and more prosperous world,” he concluded.
