FREETOWN — Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio on Thursday declared Jan. 18 a National Remembrance Day to honour victims of the country’s civil war and announced the revival of two state-owned public information institutions as part of efforts to strengthen civic engagement and counter misinformation.
Speaking at the opening of the second Salone Civic Festival in Freetown, Bio said the Daily Mail newspaper and the Sierra Leone News Agency (SLENA) would be relaunched in modern digital formats to improve public access to verified information and support democratic participation.
The president said the Daily Mail would return as a public-interest outlet focusing on factual reporting, investigative journalism and civic education, while SLENA would operate as a national multimedia wire service providing timely and inclusive information across the country’s districts.
“Together, the Daily Mail and SLENA will form the backbone of Sierra Leone’s public information architecture,” Bio said.
The festival, organised by the Ministry of Information and Civic Education, drew government officials, lawmakers, diplomats, civil society groups and international participants from several African countries, Europe and North America.
Bio also announced that the Miatta Conference Centre, where the event was held, has been redesigned and renamed the Miatta Civic Centre. He said it would serve as a national hub for civic dialogue, creativity and interaction between citizens and the government.
The president described the Salone Civic Festival as a platform for citizens to better understand how government functions and to participate more actively in national governance. He said his administration had expanded civic space through regular press briefings, town hall meetings and public dialogue, arguing that press freedom and citizen engagement had increased under his leadership.
As part of his address, Bio formally proclaimed Jan. 18 as National Remembrance Day, saying it would be observed annually through civic education, community service and peacebuilding activities to promote unity and reconciliation following the country’s 1991–2002 civil war.
Bio also highlighted progress in the health sector, citing a sharp decline in maternal and child mortality over the past two decades. He reaffirmed his government’s commitment to universal health coverage, sustainable health financing and human capital development, saying these were central to Sierra Leone’s goal of achieving middle-income status by 2039.
The president urged citizens attending the festival to engage directly with policymakers, ask questions and play an active role in the country’s development, before formally declaring the three-day civic event open.
By Ibrahim Sei
