“Prevent Wars, Don’t Just Pay for Them” …Bio Tells World in Geneva

President Dr Julius Maada Bio has urged world leaders to stop putting most of their money into dealing with the aftermath of war and to put it into preventing conflicts before they start. He proposed a Geneva Commitment to Prevention that would make early action a measurable priority in international cooperation.
He gave the keynote address at the first Geneva Peace Forum, held at the International Conference Centre Geneva (CICG) under the theme “Choose Peace.” President Bio asked why the world spends huge sums once wars break out but far less to stop them, and said the problem is political will and priorities, not just money.
“We have become experts at managing the consequences of war. We must show the same determination in preventing its causes,” he said.
The President made two practical proposals: gradually increase the share of international aid spent on conflict prevention, and publish yearly reports on the early warnings received and the action taken. He urged the Forum to judge its success by conflicts prevented and lives saved, not by declarations adopted.
Drawing on Sierra Leone’s civil war and recovery, President Bio spoke about the Broken Chair at Geneva’s Place des Nations, a monument to landmine victims. He said it reminded him of Sierra Leoneans who lost limbs but rebuilt their lives despite the lasting scars of conflict.
“War does not end when the guns fall silent,” he said. He warned that its effects live on in wounded survivors, divided communities and children who pay for decisions they never made.
He spoke from three roles: a soldier who served with the ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) in Liberia, the military Head of State who handed power to a civilian government in 1996, and now a democratically elected President. He recalled the country’s declaration in January 2002: “Di wor don don” – the war is over.
He said peace had to be built through reconciliation, accountability and national recovery, and named the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Special Court for Sierra Leone as key parts of that work.
“We learned that reconciliation without justice is fragile, and justice without reconciliation is incomplete. A nation needs both,” he said. He noted that Sierra Leone has gone from receiving peacekeepers to sending them, and served on the UN Security Council in 2024 and 2025.
Pointing to conflicts in Sudan, the Sahel, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the Middle East and Ukraine, the President said the world too often acts only after violence starts, even when warning signs such as exclusion, inequality and broken trust are clear.
He called for stronger early-warning systems and firm action before disagreements turn into hatred, before misinformation drives people to mobilise, and before grievances become violent. He said prevention also means investing in education, jobs, fair courts, credible elections and opportunities for young people.
He also warned that climate disasters can deepen poverty and exclusion, and that misinformation, misuse of artificial intelligence and cyberattacks threaten public trust and essential services. He called for fair climate financing and more inclusive global rules on technology.
“On all of these challenges, Africa does not come to Geneva only to seek solutions. Africa comes to offer them,” he said.
Drawing on his time as Chair of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, he said lasting peace must be owned by the region, supported internationally and built on mutual respect. He urged continued dialogue with Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, noting that West African nations share a history, linked markets and a common future.
To turn commitments into results, he set out three priorities: act earlier, talk longer and include more people. He ended by calling on leaders to choose peace before violence begins, even when dialogue is hard and takes courage.
“Because the greatest victory of peace is not the war we end. It is the war we never allow to begin,” he said.
The first Geneva Peace Forum brings together international and regional stakeholders to discuss conflict prevention, peacebuilding and practical ways to sustain peace.