Freetown, 14th January 2026 – Sierra Leone has begun preparations for its first National Remembrance Day, set for Sunday, 18 January 2026, with President Julius Maada Bio symbolically wearing a white ribbon at State House today.
“Today at State House, I wore the white ribbon, symbolizing peace, healing, and unity. As we prepare for our first National Remembrance Day, I invite all Sierra Leoneans to wear a white ribbon or cloth from 14 to 21 January. Let us remember our past, embrace peace, and strengthen national bonds,” the President said in a short update marking the start of the commemorations.
According to a press release from the Ministry of Information, National Remembrance Day will not be a public holiday. Government offices, schools, markets, and businesses will remain open. Instead, the day is designed as a national moment of remembrance, reflection, and peace, honouring victims and survivors of the civil war while recommitting the nation to unity and democratic coexistence.
The Ministry outlined a weeklong program of activities including: Presidential Address and Civic Call to Action on 18 January, National Moment of Silence: At 12:00 noon, all activities across the country will pause for two minutes of silence, observed in schools, workplaces, markets, places of worship, and broadcast live on radio and television.
Wearing of White Ribbon or Cloth between 14th –21st January- Citizens are encouraged to wear white as the official symbol of remembrance and cohesion.
Memorial Walls of Remembrance: Communities, schools, and public spaces will create remembrance walls featuring names of victims, pledges for peace, and symbolic acts such as candle-lighting, flower-laying, and kola nut sacrifices. Community and Interfaith Reflections: Leaders are urged to convene discussions, especially with young people, while mosques and churches hold special prayers for reconciliation.
Radio and television stations are also encouraged to air remembrance songs, civil war documentaries, and films on conflict and healing, alongside peacebuilding messages.
The Government has called on all Sierra Leoneans to observe the two-minute silence at noon on 18 January, wear a white ribbon or cloth between 14–21 January, avoid hate speech, political provocation, and divisive conduct, participate respectfully in community and religious activities and use the day to reflect on the war and commit to peaceful coexistence
National Remembrance Day is framed as a collective commitment to peace. “Peace is not guaranteed it is built and protected by the daily choices of citizens,” the Ministry stated, urging Sierra Leoneans at home and abroad to mark the day with dignity, responsibility, and unity.
With the President’s symbolic gesture today, the nation begins a week of remembrance that blends solemn reflection with a renewed pledge: never again.
