Mayor on The Front Line

Democracy in Crisis

BBC Africa Eye documentary

Mayor on the Front Line follows Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr as she fights to win a second term in the midst of one of Sierra Leone’s most fiercely contested elections. She confronts the hard realities of politics in a country still scarred by the horrors of a bloody civil war.

After filming this documentary, the Agreement for National Unity was signed, under the terms of which she assumed office on October 30, 2023, with other elected officials of the All People’s Congress (APC) Party. As the re-elected Mayor of Freetown, She is working with the central government, development partners, and Freetonians to continue the journey to Transform Freetown.

With unique access to Aki-Sawyerr, her team, and her family, the film offers insight not only into the highs and lows of Sierra Leonean politics but also the personal cost of a life in the political limelight.

During her bid for re-election for a second term, she finds herself on the front line of a democratic crisis. As election season ramps up, her campaign faces intimidation, violence, and international concerns over the integrity of the election process.

Watch the full BBCAfricaEye documentary

Mayor on the Front Line follows Aki-Sawyerr as she confronts the hard realities of politics in a country still scarred by the horrors of a bloody civil war.

Since being elected in 2018, Freetown mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr has won international plaudits for her commitment to fighting the myriad challenges facing the capital of Sierra Leone, one of Africa’s poorest countries.

Credit: BBCAfricaEye: Africa Eye brings you original investigative journalism revealing secrets and rooting out injustice in the world’s most complex and exciting continent. Nothing stays hidden forever.