Sierra Leone’s Vice President, Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, has formally kicked off this year’s National Remembrance Day commemorations in Kailahun, a place deeply woven into the country’s civil war history.
Addressing a packed hall, he reflected on the significance of the district, which borders the town of Bomaru where the first shots of the conflict were fired on 23 March 1991, marking the start of Sierra Leone’s 11-year civil war.
The National Remembrance Day, observed today 18 January 2026, was declared by President Dr Julius Maada Bio, following recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The day is set aside to reflect on the causes, course, and consequences of the war, honour the victims, and draw lessons to ensure such a tragedy is never repeated.
In his address, the Vice President called for collective remembrance rooted in truth, healing, and national unity.
On arrival in Kailahun town, VP Juldeh Jalloh, wearing a white ribbon and a navy-blue Africana outfit, moved through the crowd greeting residents. He shook hands with young people, women, and the elderly, and spent time with children, underscoring a message of solidarity with communities that bore some of the heaviest scars of the conflict.
Beyond the commemoration, the Vice President is inspecting key government projects in the district, including ongoing infrastructure works and road construction along the Kailahun–Koindu axis, as part of efforts to assess further development needs.
The visit also marks the conclusion of his three-day reconciliation tour of the eastern region, during which he engaged local leaders and stakeholders in his role as Deputy Leader of the Sierra Leone People’s Party.