Author: gleanernewspaper

Sierra Leone’s government, security, and civil society partners launched the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and National Cybersecurity and Awareness Campaign on Tuesday, reaffirming their commitment to addressing online harassment of women and girls. The Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs hosted the ceremony at Aberdeen’s Freetown International Conference Centre, which was organised in collaboration with the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre (NCCC) and other stakeholders. The overarching theme for the activism period is “Unite!” The overarching theme for the activism period, “Unite! End Digital Violence Against All Women and Girls,” was supplemented by the public awareness slogan,…

On Sunday, the Magburaka Town Field erupted in a carnival of colour and sound as Dr Ibrahim Bangura arrived in a sweeping motorcade to a thunderous welcome from thousands of supporters. Drum Beats, red-and-white banners, and chants greeted the candidate as he took the stage, framing his return to Tonkolili as both personal and political.  “Being in Tonkolili feels like coming full circle,” Dr Bangura told the audience, referring to family ties and long-standing relationships in the area. He reminded listeners that his stepmother is from Tonkolili and that he has previously worked with many of the district’s sons and daughters.…

November 2025 — Julius Daniel Mattai, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources and Chairman of the African Diamond Producing Association (ADPA), attended the opening session of the Kimberley Process Plenary Meeting in Dubai, UAE.In his opening remarks to delegates, Kimberley Process Chairman Ahmed Bin Sulayem urged unanimity in the midst of a difficult diamond mining and trading cycle, emphasising the need for the Process to act quickly and with renewed vigour.We emphasised the importance of reaching an agreement on several resolutions and proposed amendments currently before members. Bin Sulayem also discussed technological and sectoral developments, such as the…

The outgoing Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Sierra Leone, Wang Qing, paid a farewell call today to Hon. Chernor Bah, Minister of Information and Civic Education, at the Minister’s office on the 8th Floor of the Youyi Building in Brookfields, Freetown. As Ambassador Wang’s two-and-a-half-year diplomatic assignment in Sierra Leone comes to an end, the meeting provided an opportunity to reflect on the partnership formed between the Chinese Embassy and the Ministry since the Ministry was established in 2023.During the cordial exchange, Ambassador Wang thanked Minister Bah and the entire Ministry team for their warm cooperation and…

The Ministry of Employment, Labour, and Social Security has improved workplace safety in Sierra Leone’s agricultural sector by providing a comprehensive two-day Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) training to over 250 employees of Goldtree (SL) Ltd., a major palm oil producer based in Daru, Kailahun District. The training, held on November 20 and 21, 2025, was a key component of a larger workshop titled “Occupational Health & Safety, Employment, Industrial Relations, and Decent Work.”Participants included a cross-section of Goldtree staff — mill workers, field operatives, administrative personnel and members of management — who took part in intensive, hands-on sessions led…

November, 2025, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission held a groundbreaking ceremony and formally handed over sites for the construction of a modern Joint Border Post (JBP) straddling the Jendema-Bo Waterside border between Sierra Leone and Liberia.The two-sided facility, located in Jendema, Sorogbema Chiefdom, Pujehun District (Sierra Leone) and Bo Waterside, Grand Cape Mount County (Liberia), is expected to be completed in 24 months and is entirely funded by the ECOWAS Commission.The two-sided facility, located at Jendema in Sorogbema Chiefdom, Pujehun District (Sierra Leone) and Bo Waterside in Grand Cape Mount County (Liberia), is expected to be…

November, 2025: Sierra Leone’s President and current Chair of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, His Excellency Dr. Julius Maada Bio, put Africa’s mineral endowment center stage at the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, calling for a formal G20-Africa Compact on Critical Minerals.Ensure fairness, value addition, and transparency as the world moves toward a clean-energy transition.In a forceful intervention, President Bio argued that Africa, which holds nearly one-third of the world’s critical minerals needed for renewable technologies, advanced manufacturing, and artificial intelligence, should not be excluded from the economic benefits of the global transition. He recalled Sierra Leone’s…

Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio, who chairs the United Nations Security Council, welcomed the adoption of Resolution 2803 on Monday, November 17, 2025, as a significant step towards ending the Gaza conflict and laying the groundwork for long-term peace. The United Nations resolution, drafted by the United States, was passed with 13 votes in favour and two abstentions — China and Russia — and authorises the deployment of an International Stabilisation Force (ISF) in Gaza, as well as the establishment of a Transitional Board of Peace to oversee governance during the transition. Solution 2803 advocates for demilitarisation, reconstruction, and a conditional pathway…

Representatives from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), which works to commemorate those who died in the two world wars, marked Remembrance Day this year at the Freetown Memorial in Sierra Leone on November 9. Richard Hill, CWGC’s Director of Commemorations, laid a wreath in honour of Sierra Leonean soldiers and carriers who served during the First and Second World Wars. During the First World War, non-combatant labourers and soldiers from across Africa contributed to war campaigns. The Carrier Corps were the men who enabled the soldiers to fight, transporting supplies and materials across terrain by foot. Conditions were appalling and many…

Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio urged the international community to fully implement a United Nations Security Council resolution — cited in the transcript as “27 19” — that recognises the need for predictable financing for African peace operations and establishes a framework for case-by-case contributions. Speaking about the deteriorating security situation in the Sahel and its spillover into West Africa, President Bio stated that terrorism and violent extremism pose a serious threat to international peace and security, and that African efforts to combat the threat must be supported by strong and sustained international cooperation.The president emphasised the importance of…