Vice President Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh has told Le Point Magazine in France that the recent visit to Burkina Faso of President Julius Maada Bio is part of efforts to make peace, security, terrorism and the return to constitutional rule in the Sahel, a priority at the United Nations Security Council.

In an exclusive interview Dr Juldeh Jalloh, a former United Nations security analyst in the Sahel region and government technocrat, said Sierra Leone, which now holds the presidency seat in the UN  Security Council, is considering the situation in the Sahel as a concern to all West African countries and even the entire continent.

“It is time to place the Sahel issue at the center of the international agenda. Sierra Leone has decided to do everything in its power to promote stability in this crucial region.”

“This strategy requires meetings, particularly with the heads of state of the Sahel. The president will soon visit Mali and Niger.

“We must listen to the leaders of these three countries. We must understand their objectives, concerns, and ambitions. Sierra Leone’s motivation is to continue this dialogue and then bring the resulting initiatives to the attention of the international community. Our goal is to develop a credible roadmap that garners consensus both within the sub-region and internationally,” Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, vice-president of Sierra Leone.