Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio was conspicuously excluded from the list of African leaders invited to the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV, the newly elected 267th Bishop of Rome.
The solemn mass marking the beginning of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate is set to take place today at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican.
The newly elected Pope, the first American to lead the Catholic Church, will host a series of high-profile meetings with world leaders, cardinals, and diplomats during the week-long inauguration.
A list of African leaders invited to the significant occasion was released, including prominent figures such as Barthélémy Kéré, president of the constitutional council of Burkina Faso, Vice President Prosper Bazombanza of Burundi, and Bola Tinubu, the president of Nigeria.
However, President Bio’s name was conspicuously missing from this list. The exclusion follows recent backlash after President Bio chose to attend Pope Francis’ funeral in Rome instead of Sierra Leone’s Independence Day celebrations on April 27. His absence sparked public outrage, with critics accusing him of neglecting national duties in favor of foreign engagements.
Myk Berewa, the Director of Communications in the Office of the President, had previously defended President Bio’s attendance at the funeral, stating that the President shared a significant relationship with the late Pope, whom he considered a “moral and religious figure” who offered calls and prayers.
Berewa emphasized that the visit was to honor the deceased pontiff and pay his respects, asserting that the President did not act wrongly in prioritizing this over the national independence celebrations.
This explanation, however, did not quell the concerns of some prominent figures in Sierra Leone. Hon. Amb. Bishop Dr Alimamy Coleson Turay, a Bishop and former Member of Parliament, penned an open letter to President Bio expressing his “heavy heart” over the President’s absence on Independence Day.
The Bishop argued that while respecting global relations is important, the President’s presence at home on such a sacred national day holds greater significance for the people of Sierra Leone, who are facing numerous challenges.
“Your presence on Independence Day is not ceremonial alone—it is a sacrament of leadership,” the letter read. “The living people of Sierra Leone—struggling with hardship, poverty, and insecurity—deserve to see their leader at home, standing with them.”
He urged the President to reflect on the balance between international duties and domestic responsibilities, emphasizing that his presence on Independence Day serves as a crucial symbol of national unity and hope.
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