Author: gleanernewspaper

Sierra Leone hosted the 69th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government, comprising eight West African presidents, two vice presidents, six VVIPs, nearly 50 ministers, and over 500 delegates. The summit took place in two cities, Lungi and Freetown, at two world-class venues, the Bintumani International Conference Centre and the Julius Maada Bio International Conference Centre. It was the biggest summit in Sierra Leone since the Organisation of African Unity assembly in Freetown from July 1-4, 1980. Sierra Leone’s security sector has received praise for its excellent protection of visiting dignitaries, with preparations and security planning starting…

The Sierra Leone House of Parliament has passed a resolution, commending the decision by the government to drop criminal charges against former President Dr Ernest Bai Koroma, and calling for several further measures aimed at national reconciliation and support for the families of security personnel and public officers who were killed or injured on November 26, 2023.The resolution, presented by the Clerk of Parliament and approved on July 16, 2026, remembers Sierra Leone’s hard-won recovery from civil war and reaffirms the country’s long-standing commitment to reconciliation, democratic governance, constitutionalism and the rule of law. The preamble of the House explicitly…

Chernor Bah, Minister of Information and Civic Education Parliament approved a $5 million Public-Private Partnership (PPP) agreement between the Ministry of Information and Civic Education (MoICE) and Diming Yimo Printing Group to modernise the Government Printing Department. Cabinet also endorsed reforms in mining, maritime development, and digital governance. The announcements were made by Hon. Chernor Bah, Minister of Information and Civic Education, during the Government’s weekly press briefing on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, where he presented Cabinet conclusions and updates on national initiatives.On March 24, 2026, a 10-year Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) agreement was signed to modernise the Government Printing Department, which…

A 34-year-old mason, Alimammy Kamara, has been handed a five-year prison term after admitting to converting a motorcycle that had been entrusted to him for commercial purposes. Magistrate Mustapha Brima Jah of Pademba Road Court No. 1 convicted Kamara of one count of fraudulent conversion under Section 20(1)(iv)(a) of the Larceny Act of 1916 and sentenced him to the Male Correctional Facility in Freetown.Court records indicate the incident took place on Sunday, 17 August 2025, on Kowa Drive, Motormeh in Regent Village, Mountain Rural District, Western Area. The vehicle at the centre of the case was a blue Star TVS…

Freetown, 16 July 2026 – The House of Parliament has ratified the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Establishment of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, after formal presentation to members of Parliament by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Alpha Sesay Esq. The ratification completes Sierra Leone’s acceptance of the instrument establishing an independent continental tribunal to interpret and apply the African Charter and other human rights instruments.Mr Sesay recalled that the Protocol was adopted by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the then-Organisation of African Unity…

On the 16th of July, 2026, Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL) in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) successfully conducted a comprehensive orientation for Independent Monitors at the UNFPA Sierra Leone Headquarters in Signal Hill, Freetown. The half-day event was organised to equip monitors with the knowledge, operational guidance and ethical standards to effectively observe and assess the exercise, in preparation for their oversight role in the upcoming 2026 Mock Population and Housing Census.The orientation was attended by senior Stats SL and UNFPA officials, development partners, members of the Independent Monitoring Team, technical experts and other key stakeholders.…

July 2026- The ECOWAS Commission and the International Labour Organisation (ILO), in collaboration with Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Security (MELSS) and tripartite social partners, organised a two-day capacity-building workshop in Freetown to reinforce collaboration between labour inspectors and workers’ organisations to ensure effective implementation of ILO Convention No. 189 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers.The initiative aims to strengthen labour inspection systems, better protect domestic workers, including migrant domestic workers, and improve enforcement of labour standards across the country, organisers said. The workshop brings together labour inspectors, trade union leaders, government officials, representatives of ECOWAS and…

The strategic move by NASSIT over the last twenty-five years to diversify its investments into real estate, banking, hospitality, infrastructure and mortgage finance has been very crucial to the long-term viability of the institution. Finance experts believe that purposeful diversification has reduced the risk and has yielded reliable returns in the long term, which protects both contributors and the pensioners. NASSIT has built a diverse portfolio over the last 25 years, enabling it to develop a strong mandatory pension scheme that provides financial protection to workers and their families against the three main contingencies covered by the social security system: retirement,…

The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) held its 59th session in New York from 29 June to 10 July 2026, under the chairmanship of H.E. Dr Michael Imran Kanu, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone to the United Nations, and concluded its session on 10 July 2026. As the Commission neared its 60th anniversary, delegates agreed on steps to modernise international trade law and dispute resolution. Reform of the Investor-State dispute settlement (ISDS) was a major achievement. Draft Statute of the Advisory Centre on International Investment Dispute Resolution The Commission completed this draft Statute, to be…

By Jeneba A. Conteh. Former President Dr Ernest Bai Koroma has been discharged and acquitted of any criminal charges as the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice has struck out the criminal charges against him.“This decision has been taken in the exercise of the constitutional powers of the Attorney-General and it brings to an end the criminal proceedings in which Dr Koroma was charged with treason, misprision of treason and harbouring persons alleged to have participated in the attempted coup of November 26, 2023 that failed.”Immediately after the conclusion of the trial, the medical bail of the former President was cancelled,”…