Statement by the Press Secretary on the Sierra Leone Election

The United States congratulates President Ernest Bai Koroma and the people of Sierra Leone after a successful election on November 17.  With an estimated 2.4 million votes cast representing 87 percent of the country’s diverse electorate, the people of Sierra Leone have made their voices heard.  This election demonstrates the progress that Sierra Leone has made in strengthening its democratic institutions since the end of the civil war in 2002.  The United States encourages all parties to accept the results as representing the will of Sierra Leone’s people, and to resolve any outstanding grievances through Sierra Leone’s judiciary.