Author: gleanernewspaper

There are times when politics and ritual intersect in a way that feels larger than any campaign speech or manifesto. For Dr. Ibrahim Bangura, the past few months have been filled with such moments — ceremonies and symbols, ancestral affirmation and popular acclaim — all occurring in a sequence his supporters interpret as destiny. From sacred rites in the capital to coronations in the south and rain-soaked solidarity in the north, ceremony, weather, and the unmistakable presence of his people have all played a role in shaping his rise.  It began in April in Freetown’s Fourah Bay community, where traditional…

Sierra Leone’s Minister of Transport and Aviation, Ambassador Col. (Rtd.) Alhaji Fanday Turay, hosted a senior delegation from Egypt’s Arab Contractors Company on Thursday for high-level discussions aimed at expanding transportation and infrastructure cooperation throughout the country. The visiting delegation was led by Ing. Hassan Ibrahim, a company board member, and Ing. Osama El-Dasouki, Director of Maasara Shipyard. Meetings at the Ministry focused on a broad agenda, including strengthening regional transportation corridors, building bridges and airports, and developing local capacity to manufacture sea transport ferries. The discussions focused on practical projects that could improve Sierra Leone’s internal connectivity and links…

Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL), in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Food Security (MAFFS), has released the 2024 Women’s Empowerment and Nutrition Survey (WENS) Report and anonymised microdata, paving the way for evidence-based gender, agriculture, and nutrition policy in Sierra Leone. The launch event, held at New Sella Sport on King Harman Road, brought together senior government officials, UN agency representatives, civil society leaders, and development partners to emphasise the importance of addressing the systemic barriers that prevent women from fully participating and leading in agriculture. Deputy Statistician-General Lansana Kpewolo…

Image credit: Tasos Katopodis Photography On August 14th, 2025, Sierra Leonean music took center stage at Amazon’s headquarters in Arlington, Virginia as Drizilik delivered an electrifying performance for the tech giant’s employees. The concert was part of the Amazon Summer Concert Series, an annual tradition that brings global music talent to the company’s offices. This year, Drizilik joined a roster of past performers that includes Brittany Spencer, Lily Rose, Dayglow, CharlieonaFriday, and The Beths. This list reflects Amazon’s ability to spot emerging talent and celebrate diverse musical voices. (Caption: Drizilik performs Kriofusion hits at Amazon’s HQ in Arlington, Virginia on August 14, 2025) (Caption: A cross section of…

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…