Traditional Authorities Are Indispensable Partners in Governance and Development …VP Juldeh Jalloh Affirms Critical Role of Paramount Chiefs

Vice President Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh has renewed the Government of Sierra Leone’s call for stronger collaboration between the state and traditional authorities, describing Paramount Chiefs as indispensable partners in safeguarding peace, strengthening community security, and advancing inclusive development as the country gradually enters the political transition toward the 2028 general elections.
Addressing Paramount Chiefs from across the country on the second day of the National Council of Paramount Chiefs Conference on Security and Governance in Bo City, Dr. Jalloh, who chairs the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Decentralization and Local Governance, said the institution of chieftaincy remained central to Sierra Leone’s governance architecture despite decades of constitutional, political and administrative reforms.
“Today, I joined Paramount Chiefs from across Sierra Leone on Day 2 of the National Council of Paramount Chiefs Conference on Security and Governance, where we reaffirmed the indispensable role of traditional leaders in promoting peace, strengthening security, and driving development,” the Vice President said.
He noted that the conference reflected government’s continued recognition of chiefs as custodians of stability in communities stretching from Kambia and Karene in the north to Kailahun, Pujehun and Bonthe in the south and east.
The Vice President stressed that the authority of Paramount Chiefs extended well beyond customary leadership into practical governance, particularly in areas where local administration depended on trusted community institutions.
“As Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Decentralization and Local Governance, I underscored that Paramount Chiefs remain vital partners in improving service delivery, supporting investment, mobilizing local development, and fostering the unity and national cohesion that our country needs to thrive,” he said.
His remarks echo Sierra Leone’s long constitutional tradition, where the country’s 149 chiefdoms continue to serve as the foundation of traditional governance.
Paramount Chiefs preside over Chiefdom Councils, oversee customary land administration in the provinces, mediate local disputes, promote law and order, and work closely with the Sierra Leone Police, the Office of National Security and district authorities in preventing conflict, maintaining public safety and responding to emergencies.
Even after the restoration of elected local councils under the Local Government Act of 2004, chiefs have remained central to governance, complementing local councils in delivering public services and mobilising communities.
Successive governments have, therefore, continued to rely on traditional authorities in implementing national programmes, ranging from public health campaigns and civil registration to agricultural development, education, disaster response and peacebuilding.
The conference comes at a politically significant period as Sierra Leone gradually prepares for the next presidential and parliamentary elections in 2028. While political parties are expected to intensify internal preparations over the coming months, government has increasingly emphasised the need to safeguard peace, national unity and democratic stability.
Historically, Paramount Chiefs have occupied a unique place within Sierra Leone’s constitutional and political system. In addition to exercising authority within their chiefdoms, they elect representatives to Parliament, giving traditional leadership a formal voice in national legislation while remaining respected arbiters in resolving community disputes. Their influence proved especially significant during Sierra Leone’s post-war reconstruction following the end of the civil conflict in 2002, when they helped restore local governance, facilitated reconciliation and supported national efforts to rebuild fractured communities.
Against that backdrop, the Vice President’s remarks underscored government’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with traditional authorities, recognising that sustainable peace, effective decentralisation and inclusive national development depend on the enduring partnership between state institutions and the country’s Paramount Chiefs as Sierra Leone advances toward another important democratic milestone in 2028.