Veteran journalist, publisher and Managing Editor of the Global Times Newspaper, Sorie Fofana, has called for peace, dialogue and unity within the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), urging National Chairman Jimmy Batilo Songa and Hon. Alhaji Musa Tarawally to find an amicable way of resolving their differences.
Fofana’s intervention comes at a time when a dispute over the party membership status of Hon. Musa Tarawally has generated considerable public discussion within the SLPP. The disagreement has seen exchanges of official correspondence and public statements, raising concerns among party supporters about the potential impact of the matter on internal cohesion.
On September 17, 2026, SLPP National Chairman Jimmy Batilo Songa directed Tarawally to stop presenting himself as an SLPP member or as an aspirant for the party’s flagbearership, citing information received from the Citizens Democratic Party (CDP) regarding Tarawally’s membership status.
Tarawally has strongly rejected the position, maintaining that he resigned from the CDP in 2018 and subsequently returned to the SLPP. His legal representatives have also challenged the position taken by the SLPP leadership and called for the withdrawal of the communication concerning his membership. Against this background, Sorie Fofana is appealing to both sides to step back from the confrontation and embrace dialogue as the most appropriate avenue for resolving the matter.
According to the appeal, the disagreement should not be allowed to develop into a wider internal crisis capable of creating unnecessary divisions among SLPP members and supporters.
Fofana is urging Chairman Batilo Songa, as the National Chairman of the party, and Hon. Musa Tarawally, as a prominent political figure associated with the SLPP, to consider sitting together and finding common ground in the interest of the party.
“Let Dialogue Prevail”
The call places emphasis on reconciliation, mutual respect and the use of the party’s established structures to address disagreements. Rather than allowing the matter to continue through public exchanges, Fofana’s intervention encourages the two sides to engage directly, clarify their respective positions and explore a settlement acceptable to all concerned.
The membership dispute has already attracted legal attention, with Tarawally’s lawyers arguing that questions concerning party membership should be handled through the appropriate constitutional and disciplinary procedures. The situation therefore presents an opportunity for the SLPP leadership and the concerned parties to demonstrate that internal disagreements can be managed through dialogue and established party mechanisms.
Protecting the Unity of the SLPP
Fofana’s appeal comes against the broader background of repeated calls for unity within the SLPP. Chairman Batilo Songa has himself previously emphasized peace, reconciliation and strengthening unity within the party, including during engagements with senior party figures. The Chairman has also publicly spoken about the importance of peace and unity among SLPP members, stressing the need for members to work together despite differences. (Daybreak Newspaper
For many party supporters, the current dispute therefore presents a test of the SLPP’s ability to manage internal disagreements without allowing them to undermine the broader organization. Fofana’s intervention is consequently being viewed as a call for the parties involved to prioritize the collective interests of the SLPP over individual disagreements.
A Call for Direct Engagement
The Global Times publisher is particularly urging Chairman Batilo Songa and Hon. Musa Tarawally to meet, talk and seek a peaceful settlement. Such an engagement, if pursued, could provide an opportunity for both sides to present their positions privately, examine the relevant party records and constitutional provisions, and determine the appropriate way forward without further escalation.
The central message of the appeal is that political disagreements are not unusual, but the manner in which they are handled can determine whether they become sources of division or opportunities for reconciliation. As the SLPP continues to prepare for its future political activities, including the 2028 electoral cycle, Fofana’s call is for all concerned to put the unity and stability of the party at the centre of the discussion.
The appeal is ultimately a plea for peace over confrontation, dialogue over public exchanges, reconciliation over division, and unity over personal differences. For Sorie Fofana, finding a peaceful settlement between Jimmy Batilo Songa and Musa Tarawally would not only address the immediate disagreement but could also send a broader message that internal differences within the SLPP can be resolved through dialogue, respect and the party’s established structures
