“Democracy is not a spectator sport—
It is a shared inheritance that must be defended by all.”
The term imperial presidency was once an American cautionary tale—an oxymoron meant to warn against the overconcentration of power in the hands of one individual. Today, under the shadow of Donald Trump’s second-term presidency, that warning has become a living reality. Executive power in the United States has ballooned beyond its constitutional bounds, threatening the very architecture of American democracy. But the consequences of this democratic decay are not confined to the U.S. soil. Its tremors are being felt in fragile democracies across the globe—none more acutely than in Sierra Leone.
In Sierra Leone—where democracy was born from struggle and remains painfully vulnerable—the symbolic and strategic weight of American governance still matters. For decades, the United States positioned itself as a global custodian of democratic values, championing free elections, institutional integrity, and peaceful transitions of power.
But as America unravels its own democratic fabric, it sends a dangerous message to fledgling democracies: that democracy is expendable when inconvenient and that power is the only prize worth preserving. That message—disturbingly potent—has found willing listeners in Sierra Leone.
The 2023 general elections laid bare the deep fissures in Sierra Leone’s democratic foundations. Allegations of electoral fraud, political intimidation, and violent suppression shook public confidence. Trust in the Electoral Commission was severely eroded. Civil society voices were muted. Even the tripartite intervention process has stalled, caught in bureaucratic limbo. In earlier times, such turbulence might have triggered robust engagement from the United States—demanding transparency, mediation, and institutional reform. Today, that voice has grown faint.
Sierra Leone’s political class watched as American democracy turned against itself: judges undermined, journalists targeted, protestors brutalized, and the integrity of elections questioned—not by fringe actors, but by those in power. In that dysfunction, Sierra Leone’s ruling elite found not only justification but a blueprint.
Once a flawed but functional compass, American democracy served as a point of reference for emerging democracies. Now, the compass spins erratically. In its disorientation, Sierra Leone faces a rising risk of democratic reversal.
Though the 2023 post-election crisis did not erupt into violence, it exposed the fragility of Sierra Leone’s peace. More crucially, it revealed how deeply our stability still depends on credible external pressure—particularly from the United States. In its absence, ruling parties feel emboldened to subvert institutions, delegitimize opposition, and manipulate the machinery of the state—jeopardizing not only the present but the integrity of future elections
The Home Alone metaphor is apt: like young Kevin, African democracies—Sierra Leone, among them—have been left unattended, vulnerable to domestic sabotage, and external silence. The bashing and erosion of democratic gains has ushered in an ominous quiet—one that pulses with fear, like a funeral drum sounding across the land.
This is not a crisis of image—it is a crisis of consequence. Delayed justice. Suppressed dissent. A shrinking civic space. The corrosion of public trust. As America falters, the vacuum left behind is not being filled with better ideas or homegrown reform—but with fear, coercion, and a mimicry of authoritarian control.
And yet, within this perilous moment lies a profound opportunity—a chance for Africa and Sierra Leone in particular to reclaim agency.
We must confront an uncomfortable truth: American democracy can no longer serve as our guiding star alone. It is no longer enough to imitate or wait for instruction from the West. We must now define, refine, and defend our own democratic ideals—anchored not in borrowed models, but in the lived realities of our history, our sacrifices, and our aspirations.
Sierra Leone has endured the tyranny of one-man rule, the devastation of civil war, and the challenging climb toward representative governance. We can not allow the failures of distant superpowers to dictate our destiny. We must preserve what is noble in democracy and discard what is hollow, performative, or externally imposed.
Suppose Sierra Leone is to survive this century with its freedoms intact. In that case, it must chart its own course—resisting the rising tide of authoritarianism and rejecting the toxic allure of ethnic patronage. We must kill the beast of parochialism and forge a national identity rooted in unity, justice, and shared purpose.
But this resistance can not rest solely on political elites or international donors. It must become a collective national resolve.
Our leaders must summon their better angels—not to protect party or ethnic groups, but to secure the republic. The opposition must rise with courage and clarity, offering not just critique but a coherent and inclusive vision. Civil society must remain awake, principled, and unyielding. The citizens must remember that democracy is not passive.
We stand at a crossroads—but we are not without agency. We are bruised, yes—but not broken. The soul of Sierra Leone’s democracy lies not in the example of others but in our willingness to bind ourselves together in moments of uncertainty.
Now is the time to rise—not for faction, not for “tribe”, but for country. To reject cynicism and reawaken national purpose. To light a candle where shadows gather.
For in unity, courage, and shared sacrifice lies our best hope—not only to survive the present, but to shape a freer, fairer, and more democratic Sierra Leone for generations to come.
