Author: gleanernewspaper

The Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) has broken a significant barrier in its history with the appointment of Lieutenant Colonel Alice Koria Sesay as Commanding Officer of 14 Infantry Battalion, which is stationed in Pujehun. The appointment, announced by Defence Headquarters on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, is the first for a female combatant officer to command a fighting unit in the RSLAF. Lieutenant Colonel Sesay, a Kuranko from Kabala in Northern Sierra Leone, brings nearly two decades of experience and a diverse set of professional and academic credentials to her new position. She was commissioned as a combatant…

RAIC & NACCED Chairmen and participants in the validation engagement The Right to Access Information Commission (RAIC) and the National Council on Civic Education and Democracy (NACCED) jointly reviewed and validated the Sixth Commitment of Sierra Leone’s National Action Plan on Open Governance which focuses on access to information on Wednesday, 27th August, 2025, at the RAIC National Secretariat in Freetown. In his welcoming remark, Dr Ibrahim Seaga Shaw, Chairman and Information Commissioner of RAIC, encouraged representatives from NACCED, Open Government Partnership (OGP) and Civil Society Organizations to read carefully the eleven-point milestones the RAIC had put together to achieve…

The Gento Group of Companies has formally handed over ownership of the Kasafoni land to the Sierra Leone government, following a high-level meeting at the Attorney General’s and Minister of Justice’s offices in Freetown. Mohamed Gento Kamara, CEO of Gento Group, stated that the transfer resolves any outstanding disputes and encumbrances, allowing the state to freely engage with prospective investors to develop the area’s mineral resources.  Kamara informed attendees that the land is now fully under government control and urged authorities to seek “suitable investors who can help develop this resource.” He emphasised that the handover is intended to remove…

President Julius Maada Bio’s appointment of four Special Envoys has received widespread support from Sierra Leoneans, who see the move as an appropriate recognition of service and sacrifice, despite ongoing debate over its timing and relevance. While some critics have questioned the appointments’ rationale, the government has defended them as a strategic, cost-neutral initiative aimed at accelerating the country’s development agenda by leveraging private networks and goodwill. On the Liberty Online TV Breakfast Show on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, Presidential Spokesman Alhaji Alpha Khan urged the public to see the appointments as a recognition of “commitment, sacrifice, and proven service”…

Hon. Chernor Bah, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Information and Civic Education, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health on August 12, 2025, following Columbia’s official announcement on August 27. The agreement, signed on behalf of Columbia by Dr. Thoai Ngo, Professor and Chair of the Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health (PopFam), represents a significant, long-term collaboration aimed at strengthening research capacity, education, and policy development in Sierra Leone and the wider West African region. The MOU commits both institutions to a multifaceted cooperation program that will prioritise Sierra Leone in efforts…

A 12-member Assessment Mission from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) arrived in Freetown last week to investigate the long-standing dispute over the border village of Yenga, officials said. The delegation, which arrived on Monday, August 25, 2025, met with Sierra Leonean authorities before departing for the contested frontier community. On Tuesday, August 26, the ECOWAS team paid a courtesy visit to the Deputy Minister of Defence, Colonel Muana Brima Massaquoi (Retired). ECOWAS Resident Representative in Sierra Leone, Ambassador John Azumah, briefed Colonel Massaquoi on a fact-finding mission to gather information on the disputed border area between Sierra…

By Kemo Cham Nearly a decade after the deadly West African Ebola Epidemic was declared over, a study on the long term immunogenicity and experiences of survivors of the viral disease has commenced in Sierra Leone. Researchers from Sierra Leone, Japan and the United States are investigating the long-term immune system immunological memory and experiences of survivors and their close dependents by exploring how their life styles have evolved since the end of the epidemic. They will also examine the social and contextual factors influencing these changes. The researchers say the aim of the study is to understand host-pathogen immune…

Dr. Bangura delivers his declaration in the heart of the ruling SLPP stronghold. Speaking to a jam-packed, joyous crowd in Bo District on Friday, Dr. Ibrahim Bangura made it known that he would run for the All People’s Congress (APC) flagbearer position in the general elections of 2028. Party supporters from all over the southern provinces of Sierra Leone attended the rally, which was characterised by celebration, cultural displays, and an obvious display of support for his campaign. Dr. Bangura, who was the first to resurrect the APC student union at Fourah Bay College following the 1992 coup, spoke to supporters…

Finance Minister Sheku Ahmed Fantamahdi Bangura According to a senior mines expert who wished to remain anonymous, Kasafoni land is still embroiled in controversy after a government delegation headed by Finance Minister Sheku Ahmed Fantamahdi Bangura visited two districts and three chiefdoms to sign a lease agreement. The expert cautioned that recent government actions run the risk of escalating long-standing tensions and that the land is “encumbered.” The expert stated that the Sierra Leone Mines and Minerals Development and Management Corporation (SLMMDMC) and the Finance Ministry’s weekend interventions have made matters worse rather than better. “The moment issues start from…

Sierra Leone’s Chief Minister, Dr. David Moinina Sengeh, led a high-level delegation to the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), using the international platform to reaffirm his government’s commitment to youth empowerment and inclusive governance. Dr. Sengeh told conference participants that the country’s development strategy goes beyond traditional management practices to intentionally unlock the potential of every citizen, with a focus on young people. Dr. Sengeh described the concept, which is similar to President Julius Maada Bio’s 2023 United Nations General Assembly call for “radical inclusion,” as a practical commitment to invest in every human being so…