Sierra Leone: Large Majorities of Sierra Leoneans Favour Cross-Party Collaboration Over Divisive Politics

11 August 2025
Afrobarometer (Accra)
By Fredline M'cormack-Hale and Andrew Lavali

Most citizens say governments should be required to promote regional and ethnic balance in making political appointments.

Key findings

  • Overwhelming majorities of Sierra Leoneans express tolerant attitudes toward people of different religions (93%), ethnicities (93%), political affiliations (87%), and nationalities (92%) as well as toward refugees (79%). However, tolerance for differences in sexual orientation is low (8%).
  • The share of Sierra Leoneans who say the government "never" treats their ethnic group unfairly increased by 8 percentage points between 2022 and 2025, from 61% to 69%.
  • But interpersonal trust remains low: Relatives are the only people whom a large majority (86%) of Sierra Leoneans say they trust "somewhat" or "a lot." About six in 10 say the same about neighbours (58%) and people of other religions (57%), while fewer than half say they trust people from other ethnic groups (48%) and "other people you know" (44%).
  • About one in four respondents (26%) say they have heard of the review of the country's electoral system.
  • An overwhelming majority (93%) of citizens say governments should be required to promote regional and ethnic balance in making political appointments.
  • Majorities say they would support their party if it decided to appoint people from other political parties (66%), regions (70%), and ethnic groups (73%) to key political positions.

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Sierra Leone's tolerant disposition seemed to take a hit in the early 2020s as a shrinking number of people expressed welcoming attitudes toward individuals of different ethnicities, religions, and political parties (Lavali & M'Cormack-Hale, 2023; Owusu & Malephane, 2024). In the lead-up to the contentious 2023 elections, the country experienced increasingly inflammatory rhetoric from political actors and social media influencers, including those from the diaspora, as well as public protests resulting in the deaths of dozens of citizens and police officers, followed in November 2023 by an attempted coup (Bertelsmann Stiftung, 2024). In 2024, Sierra Leone dropped from third to eighth position in Africa in the Global Peace Index (Africa Press, 2025).

After the elections, the establishment of the U.S.-backed Tripartite Committee - comprising representatives from the government, the main opposition All People's Congress Party (APC), and the international community represented by the United Nations - was an effort to lower the tension, promote national unity, and offer recommendations for electoral and political reform (Sierra Leone Monitor, 2024). The parties signed an "Agreement for National Unity" in 2024. Since then, the country has experienced a decrease in tensions, marked by reductions in inflammatory rhetoric (Africa Young Voices, 2024) and political violence. In 2025, Sierra Leone rose three places on the Global Peace Index and is now ranked as the fifth most peaceful nation in Africa (Africa Press, 2025).

Findings from the most recent Afrobarometer survey, conducted in March-April 2025, appear to reflect this. There is a noticeable shift in public attitudes on some national cohesion indicators: More citizens now express tolerance toward people of different ethnicities, religious backgrounds, and political parties compared to 2022, and a majority believe their ethnic group is never treated unfairly by the government.

However, the improvement in tolerance contrasts with a decline in general interpersonal trust, suggesting that further action is needed. To this end, the Afrobarometer survey asked about citizens' awareness of electoral-reform efforts and their opinions on potential pathways for increased political inclusion. While survey results indicate that awareness of electoral-reform efforts is limited, there is an overwhelming openness among Sierra Leoneans toward political inclusivity. A large majority of citizens believe that the political parties they support should allow individuals from different regions, ethnic groups, and opposition parties to hold key government positions.

Fredline M'Cormack-Hale Fredline M'Cormack-Hale is the co-national investigator for Sierra Leone.

Andrew Lavali Andrew is the project director for Sierra Leone

Read the original article on Afrobarometer.

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